Shiba Ryotaro Memorial Museum

The Ryōtarō Shiba Memorial Museum is a complex that combines the former home of Ryōtarō Shiba—one of Japan’s leading historical novelists—with a concrete, fair-faced memorial museum designed by architect Tadao Ando. The site covers about 2,600 square meters. Shiba is known for novels such as *Ryōma ga Yuku* and *Saka no Ue no Kumo*, many of which have been adapted into TV dramas and films. Ando is also known in Osaka for designs such as “Kodomo Hon no Mori Nakanoshima” (opened in 2020), the Church of the Light, and the Azuma House (Row House in Sumiyoshi). Inside the museum, an 11-meter-tall wall of bookshelves displays around 20,000 volumes, creating an overwhelming sight. After viewing the exhibits, you might take a walk through the grove-like garden, where you can enjoy different flowers throughout the seasons. Near the closest station, Kawachi-Kosaka Station, you can find quirky spots like “Kosaka Castle,” a castle tower built on the roof of a barber shop. Near Yaenosato Station, there is also the “Junzo Miyamoto Memorial Museum / Mamegansha ZUNZO,” dedicated to a former Glico toy-premium designer—so it could be fun to stop by somewhere unusual on your way home.