Former residence of Mitsukuri Genpo, Museu no Japão
The former residence of Mitsukuri Genpo is a preserved house from the early 18th century in Nishishinmachi that displays how a scholar family lived and worked. The single-story structure with wooden frames and tiled roof exemplifies the modest architecture typical of small towns during that period.
The house was built in the early 18th century and was the birthplace of Mitsukuri Genpo in 1799, whose family served as doctors to the local daimyo. Genpo later became a translator of Western science and played a key role in Japan's opening to the outside world in the 1850s.
The house bears the name of Mitsukuri Genpo, a scholar who devoted himself to Western learning during a time of isolation. Visitors can see how a family of scholars lived and worked, with spaces that reveal the connection between domestic life and intellectual pursuits.
The house is part of a historic district with traditional buildings and sits near Tsuyama Castle, making it easy to locate. Plan time to walk through the simple rooms and read the informative signs that explain how the family lived.
Genpo translated over 160 books from European languages into Japanese, making science and medicine accessible to the nation during a period when Japan had almost completely closed its borders. This work directly helped prepare the country for modernization when it finally opened to the world.
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