Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum

The Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum is a literature museum in Matsue City dedicated to Koizumi Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn). It houses about 1,500 items, including around 350 books donated by the Koizumi Yakumo Memorial Association and personal memorabilia. The museum opened in 1934 (Showa 9) next to the Koizumi Yakumo Former Residence, where Hearn and his wife spent about six months as newlyweds. Hearn is famous for kaidan (ghost stories) such as “Miminashi Hoichi,” “Rokurokubi,” and “Yuki-onna.” Born in Greece in 1850, he became fascinated with strange tales, went to the U.S., then came to Japan, liked it, and worked as an English teacher. He married a Japanese woman, became naturalized, and published “Kaidan,” which was translated into many languages as a depiction of Japan through a Greek-born writer’s lens. Japan’s appreciation of him grew mainly after his death, and this museum was created to preserve his literary legacy. Today, his great-grandson Koizumi Bon serves as the director. Access: from JR Matsue Station, take a bus, get off at “Koizumi Yakumo Kinenkan-mae,” then walk 1 minute.