AomoriTravel

Osamu Dazai's Childhood Home—A Grand Mansion Built of Aomori Cypress, Designated as a National Important Cultural Property

About this spot

This National Important Cultural Property is the childhood home of writer Osamu Dazai. Built in 1907 by his father, Genemon Tsushima, a major landowner, this magnificent mansion features an irimoya-style roof and lavishly uses Aomori cypress throughout. The main residence contains 11 rooms on the first floor and 8 on the second, with grounds covering approximately 680 tsubo (about 2,250 square meters) including a storehouse—an extraordinary scale. As you tour the ground-floor accounts office that also served as a financial business, and the Meiji-Taisho fusion-style Western room on the second floor, you can sense the environment that nurtured the world of his works such as "The Setting Sun" (斜陽) and "Tsugaru" (津軽). After the war, it operated as a traditional inn called Shayokan, and today serves as the Osamu Dazai Memorial Hall, exhibiting his manuscripts and personal belongings. A must-see for literature fans and a spot that will also impress architecture-loving grandparents—a central hub of Kanagi tourism.

Tips

About a 7-minute walk from Kanagi Station on the Tsugaru Railway. There's a combination ticket for both Shayokan and the Tsugaru Shamisen Hall, so check with the reception if visiting both. Shoes are removed for the tour, so slip-on footwear is convenient. Numerous local cuisine restaurants are scattered nearby; it's smooth to have lunch first before entering. Comfortable pacing allows you to tour the mansion thoroughly without rushing the afternoon schedule.

Best time to visit

Allow about 1 hour 15 minutes. Entering right after lunch allows you to leisurely tour the mansion while maintaining a comfortable pace for the rest of the afternoon.