Kajōkan, Literary museum in Tatsuno, Hyōgo, Japan
Kajōkan is a literary museum in Tatsuno, Hyōgo Prefecture, exhibiting about 750 items—documents, photographs and personal effects—related to four local cultural figures: poet Miki Roō, philosopher Miki Kiyoshi, poet Utsumi Nobuyuki and poet Yano Kanji. Its name comes from the alias Kasumi-jō of the castle at the foot of the hill. The site also includes the Yano Kanji Memorial Hall, housed in the former residence where Yano spent his later years.
The museum was founded in 1978 to preserve and present the legacy of local artists and cultural figures from the region. Its establishment marked a local effort to document and honor the contributions of these individuals to the area's past.
The name Kajōkan comes from Kasumi-jō, the alias of the castle at the foot of the hill below Mount Keirō, where Tatsuno Castle's predecessor stood. The museum honours four Tatsuno-born figures: poet Miki Rofl (1889–1964), who wrote the lyrics of "Akatonbo"; philosopher Miki Kiyoshi (1897–1945); pastoral poet Utsumi Nobuyuki (1884–1968); and poet Yano Kanji (1880–1961), a disciple of Masaoka Shiki who wrote the dormitory songs "Haruranman" and "Aa Gyokuhai ni Hana Ukete".
Kajōkan is a 20-minute walk or a 5-minute taxi ride from JR Hontatsuno Station on the Himeji Line. It opens from 9:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:30, and closes on Mondays. The Hyōgokko Kokoron Card is accepted here.
The museum's name comes from Kasajō, an old alias for the castle at the foot of the hill, as opposed to Asagirijō, the name of the earlier fortress on nearby Keirōyama. The adjoining Yano Kanji Memorial Hall occupies the house where the poet Yano Kanji spent his final years.
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