Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum: Lafcadio Hearn Museum (小泉八雲記念館)

About the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum:

Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum was opened in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture in 1933.

Patrick Lafcadio Hearn was born in Lefkada Greece in1850.  He was raised in Ireland and moved around the United States and West Indie's Martinique island. In 1890, he came to Japan as a correspondent reporter.

Lafcadio stayed Matsue for a year and three months and taught English at a Shimane Prefecture  junior high school.  During his stay in Matsue he  became embraced by the spiritual atmosphere in Matsue and other Sanin regions. As a result, Lafcadio wrote ghost stories including Hoichi the Ear less (耳なし芳 Mimi-nashi Hōichi), based on a horror story existed in the region.  He became a Japanese citizen after marrying Koizumi Setsu, who was also from Matsue and became Koizumi Yakumo (小泉八雲).

The museum was built next to Yakumo's mansion; the mansion itself, was declared a historical site in 1940.
The original building was modeled after Weimar Goethe National Museum, but it was rebuilt to be a Japanese traditional style building in1984.

Collection Size: About 210 items

Notable Collection(s):

• manuscripts, first edition of his books, desk, chair, clothing, tobacco pipe, the belongings of his wife Setsu.

• Video presentation "八雲の生涯, Life of Yakumo(?)" and Hoich the Ear less (from his book Kaidan)

Note: For the brief description of the collections, please refer to "Collection".

Note: The Guide uses the ALA/LC standard romanization, however, it also reflects different romanization system used by an individual institution.

Visiting the Museum

Admission: