Lafcadio Hearn

Once settled in Ryokan Terazuya I walked across Ohashi bridge on my way to Lafcadio Hearn‘s Old residence in the samurai district North of Matsue Castle where he lived in 1891 for a couple of months while teaching English. The author born to irish-greek parents was very interested in folklore and his comprehensive works, some of which is republished until today, is very popular. A great interpreter of things Japanese to the west, he at the same time showed the Japanese their own culture through the eyes of a stranger and so became a Japanese institution himself. His former residence is open to the public as a museum, house and garden are kept close to what they looked like over a century ago. I was surprised about the modesty of the building, but one has to keep in mind that in Japan rooms are used differently. Once the futons are moved the bedroom can double up as living room or if necessary as study. Also the garden was much smaller than I had expected after reading his essay "In a Japanese Garden". But the atmosphere was genuine and a blessing on a fine sunny afternoon with all the doors wide open to sit on the floor and gaze at the beauty.