Title Sato Yoshimi Memorial Museum

  • Oita
Topic(s):
Historic Sites/Castle Ruins
Medium/Media of Use:
Web Page App, QR code, etc.
Text Length:
≤250 Words
FY Prepared:
2023
Associated Tourism Board:
taketashitagengokaisetsukyogikai
Associated Address:
1735, Taketa, Taketa City, Oita

佐藤義美記念館


佐藤義美(1905-1968)は、生涯に3,000点以上の作品を発表した多作な児童文学者・作詞家である。佐藤の故郷である竹田市にあるこの美術館は、晩年を過ごした神奈川県逗子市の自宅をモデルにしている。館内には作品のほか、ジャズのレコードや西洋の衣類など、佐藤の愛用品が数多く展示されており、特に第二次世界大戦後の佐藤のライフスタイルを垣間見ることができる。


佐藤は1905年に竹田で生まれたが、7歳の時に一家で鹿児島に移り住んだ。14歳で竹田に戻り、さらに1年過ごした後、横浜に移り住んだ。その後、東京の早稲田大学で学ぶ。T.S.エリオットやW.H.オーデンなど西洋文学の影響を強く受けた。初期の著作は童謡から現代詩まで幅広く、反戦をテーマにした作品も発表した。1930年代から40年代にかけての日本ではこのような意見は疑惑の目で扱われ、第二次世界大戦中、佐藤の作品は禁止された。


戦後、佐藤は児童文学に専念した。彼は常にこのジャンルを最も楽しんでおり、児童文学の芸術性を高めたいという願望をしばしば口にしていた。代表作『犬のおまわりさん』は、迷子の子猫を救う毛むくじゃらの警察官の物語である。この歌は今日でも人気がある。

Sato Yoshimi Memorial Museum


Sato Yoshimi (1905–1968) was a prolific children’s author and lyricist who produced more than 3,000 works during his lifetime. This museum in Sato’s hometown of Taketa is modeled on his house in Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, where he spent his later years. Displayed inside are examples of his work and many of his favorite items, including jazz records and Western clothing, which offer a glimpse into Sato’s lifestyle, especially in the years following World War II.


Sato was born in Taketa in 1905, but his family moved to Kagoshima when he was seven. He returned to Taketa at age 14 for another year before moving to Yokohama. He would spend the rest of his life there and in Tokyo, attending Waseda University. Sato was heavily influenced by Western literature, including the works of T. S. Elliot and W. H. Auden. His early writing ranged from children’s songs to modern poetry, and he produced various works on anti-war themes. In 1930s and 1940s Japan, such views were treated with suspicion, and Sato’s writing was banned during World War II.


After the war, Sato dedicated himself to writing for children. He had always enjoyed this genre the most, and he often spoke about his desire to elevate the art of children’s literature. During this phase of his life, he wrote his best-known work, a song titled Inu no omawari-san (Dog Policeman), which tells the story of a furry police officer who finds a lost kitten. The song remains popular today.

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