If you visit Kanagi, you will take a Tsugaru Railway train from Goshogawara on the Gono Line. Tsugaru Railway is an un-electrified railway. Old stations and scenery of rice fields from a diesel car made me nostalgic.

This house was built when an elder brother of DAZAI Osamu got married. DAZAI Osamu also lived in this house during World War II to avoid bombing attacks in Tokyo.

His family was a distinguished family in the Tsugaru area, and even in Aomori prefecture. His father was a member of the House of Representatives and was a board member of banks in Tsugaru and Tsugaru Railway company.

DAZAI Osamu was not proud of the glory of his family, and he was even ashamed of it. He quit his university and devoted himself to student movements, which was strictly prohibited before World-War II in Japan. Because of his behavior, he was almost disinherited by his family, and started to write novels.

Even after he succeed as a novelist, his pent-up emotions continued and he ruined himself by heavy alcohol drinking and drugs. He finally lost his life by himself after a couple of times of double suicide trials. That was in 1948.

The house where DAZAI Osamu was born, is named "Shayokan" and is located in the middle of downtown Kanagi. "Shayokan" has blended Japanese and western architectures. Now, "Shayokan" is open to the public.

The earth floor shown in the above left picture was used to ship out rice from the Tsugaru Area. The picture shown in the above right picture is the view of the living room from the earth floor. These areas are part of Japanese architecture.

On the otherhand, the entrance area including the stairs has western architecture. This part of the house was used as the office of the bank which DAZAI's father ran.

Because of the blended Japanese and western architectures, "Shayokan", the house where DAZAI Osamu was born, was designated as an important property of Japan.

A couple of old temples are located in downtown Kanagi. Unshoji Temple was built in 1596 and Nandaiji Temple was the family temple of the DAZAI's family.

As DAZAI Osamu is well-known and he is one of the most popular novelists in Japan, many sight-seers visited Kanagi when I was there.

How to get there
From Tokyo, You can take a Tohoku Shinkansen to Shin-Aomori and take a train to Hirosaki. Change another train on the Gono Line at Kawabe. The sixth station from Kawabe is Goshogawara, where you can take a Tsugaru Railway.

Other Historical Sites near by:
Ruins of Nakazato Fort
Namioka Castle
Sannai-Maruyama Archaeological Site
Ruins of Ne Castle