Hideyo Noguchi (1876-1928), born near Lake Inawashiro, was a world-renowned bacteriologist known for his contributions to yellow fever and syphilis. He made significant contributions in the United States and Latin America and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine, but he himself contracted yellow fever while conducting research in Africa, and ended his short life of 51 years.
The Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Museum, which includes his birthplace and exhibition rooms, was founded in 1939 to honor his contributions. In the exhibition room, his life and research are presented in an easy-to-understand manner using many photographs, his belongings, robots and other exhibits. The museum is also popular for its interactive games that allow families to learn about his achievements while having fun.
The house where Hideyo Noguchi was born is a traditional house built in the late Edo period, and has been preserved in its original condition, including the hearth where he fell and burned his hand when he was one and a half years old, and the pillar on which he inscribed his resolution before leaving for Tokyo, "If I do not achieve my goal, I will never step on this land again."
Highlights
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His parents gave him the name Seisaku, but he changed it to Hideyo when he was 21 to avoid being confused with the self-defeating character (Seisaku Nonoguchi) in a popular novel at the time.
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Beneath the "Monument to the Birthplace of Hideyo Noguchi," Hideyo's hair, which was sent from the U.S., is buried.
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There is also a display of the famous "Letter from Mother Shika."
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