Shiobara’s Literary Connections
The number of visitors to Shiobara increased dramatically in 1884 when a new road was opened, followed by rail service to Nishinasuno Station in 1886. Many literary luminaries were frequent visitors to Shiobara from the late 1880s through the early 1930s. Among them were the poet Yosano Akiko (1878–1942) and the novelists Natsume Sōseki (1867–1916) and Tanizaki Jun’ichirō (1886–1965). The remote setting, combined with the history, atmosphere, and health benefits of the hot springs, seems to have stimulated their creative energies; each of them wrote whole books during their stays. A number of stone monuments inscribed with information about these writers can be found throughout Shiobara. Their locations are marked on the map with red dots.