KumamotoTravel

Birthplace of a Worthy—Face of the New 1,000-Yen Note and Rural Footsteps

About this spot

The memorial hall stands in Kitasato, Oguni Town, the birthplace of Dr. Kitasato Shibasaburo, called the "father of modern Japanese medicine" and whose portrait appears on the new 1,000-yen note. Through related materials and exhibits, you can trace the doctor's life—including establishing treatments for tetanus and discovering the plague bacillus, leaving major footprints on world medicine. The doctor's birthhouse is preserved on the grounds, and a building derived from the "Kitasato Library" (Kitasato Bunko), a library the doctor funded from his own pocket for local children, also remains, conveying the personality of someone who always cherished his homeland. The surrounding countryside unfolds in peaceful rural landscape, allowing you to savor both the eminent person and Oguni's soil that nurtured him.

Tips

Reading the exhibits carefully takes about an hour, so allow ample time. The interior has a calm atmosphere, so view quietly. The surrounding rural scenery is peaceful and pleasant to explore around the memorial hall before and after. Bringing a 1,000-yen note adds the fun of comparing it to the portrait.