Mori Ogai Former Residence

Mori Ogai, a major literary figure of the Meiji era, is known for "The Dancing Girl," a story about the love between a Japanese student studying abroad and a German girl. The place he lived when he was assigned to Kokura as head of the medical corps of the former Imperial Japanese Army’s 12th Division is the "Mori Ogai Former Residence," a designated cultural property of Kitakyushu City. This wooden Japanese-style house was built around 1897. It is said that Mori Ogai mainly used an eight-tatami reception room and a smaller four-and-a-half-tatami room that continues on the south side.

While carrying out his military duties, he translated works here such as Andersen’s "The Improvisatore," later praised as a masterful translation, and Clausewitz’s "On War," and published pieces including "Ware wo shite Kyushu no Fujin Tarashimeba" and "Ogai Gyoshi to wa Tare zo." In the front garden seen from the reception room, oleander and white crape myrtle—also depicted in the novel "The Chicken"—still bloom in full glory, preserving the atmosphere of those days.

Admission is free. Materials related to Mori Ogai’s chronology and works are also on display, allowing you to follow his literary footsteps.

It’s also close to JR Kokura Station, and the area offers plenty of sightseeing spots, including Kokura Castle and restaurants where you can enjoy local specialties.