📜 Content
The Dazai Osamu Memorial Hall "Shayokan" is the house where the famous Japanese writer Dazai Osamu was born and spent his childhood. Dazai Osamu's representative works include "Run, Melos!", "Shayō," and "No Longer Human." Dazai's father was a local notable who served as a member of both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. Dazai was born in 1909, ranking tenth among eleven siblings. From Dazai's birth until he entered Aomori Prefectural Aomori High School in 1923, this place was where he lived, and it now serves as a museum displaying materials and artifacts related to Dazai.
The building that now serves as the memorial hall was constructed two years before Dazai's birth and is a grand mansion that combines Japanese and Western architectural styles. As a precious wooden structure from the Meiji era, it has been designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. However, it is said that Dazai himself did not hold this residence in high regard, considering it large but lacking in charm. Here, visitors can closely experience the traces of Dazai's youth. In the exhibition room, which has been converted from a warehouse, one can see Dazai's early handwritten manuscripts and artifacts such as his favorite cloak.
A four-minute walk from Shayokan leads to the "Old Tsushima Family New Sitting Room," where Dazai lived while evacuating to the countryside to escape the war, which is worth a visit. Additionally, the nearest station to the memorial hall is Tsugaru Railway's "Kanagi" station, but there is only one train per hour, and buses departing from "Goshogawara" are also infrequent, so please pay attention to transportation information before visiting.
