Japan Guide
Western Honshū
Lafcadio Hearn's Old Residence
Next door to the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum is Lafcadio Hearn's Old Residence or Koizumi Yakumo Kyūkyo, the small, old samurai house where the writer lived from May to November 1891 and in which he began work on two of his most famous books, Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan and the ghost story collection Kwaidan. Sit in the calm of the tatami rooms, read the English leaflet containing extracts from Hearn's essay, "In a Japanese Garden", which is about the house, and see how little has changed. Opening time: Daily 9am–5pmPrice: ¥350