New aspects of Hansen's Disease literature　The Poets of "The Sprouts of Life"

In 1953, in the midst of the struggle against the Leprosy Prevention Law, Mitsuo Oe's "Inochi no Sprouts" (Sanichi Shobo) was the first joint collection of poetry in which 73 people from eight Leprosy sanatorium participated. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the publication of the poetry collection. Literary activities in sanatoriums have been active since before the war, and Tamio Hojo and Kaito Akashi are known, but in most cases they were permitted within the framework of ``maintaining order'' in sanatoria and ``self-cultivation'' of individuals. .
The post-war situation transforms the literature of the sanatorium. Respect for basic human rights under the Constitution of Japan and the introduction of Promin, the first chemotherapy drug, brought significant changes to the residents, both mentally and physically. Instead of seeing their own circumstances as their “fate,” some people have come to view their circumstances as a future that can be changed.
This exhibition aims to reconsider the new form of literature that seeks hope, solidarity, and revival toward the outside world while facing the absurdity of the segregation policy as a "new face of Hansen's Disease literature."
Almost all of the manuscripts have been lost, but from among the letters addressed to Mitsuo Oe held by the Kochi Prefectural Museum of Literature, handwritten materials by the participants in this anthology will be exhibited for the first time.
We hope that this exhibition will serve as an opportunity to draw attention to the charm of the poetry that was born in post-war sanatoriums and to deepen understanding of the Issues related to leprosy.

 

highlight

• This is the first large-scale literary exhibition hosted by the The National Hansen's Disease Museum.
• For the first time, the handwritten letters of the participants of "Sprouts of Life" will be exhibited from the letters addressed to Mitsuo Oe in the collection of the Kochi Prefectural Museum of Literature.
• The phantom collection of poetry, Life Sprouts, will be republished at the The National Hansen's Disease Museum for the first time in 70 years.
• We will hold related events with various guests.

 

Outline of the event

• 【Date】
  Saturday, February 4, 2023 to Sunday, May 7, 2023
  Please check the latest information when you visit. Click here for more information
  
• 【venue】
  Special Exhibition Room The National Hansen's Disease Museum
• 【 closing day 】
  Mondays and the day after a national holiday (open if Monday is a holiday)
• Free admission

　

* Subject to change depending on the infection status of the new coronavirus.

 

event information

Concert "Blue Bird Harmonica"

*The event has ended.
You can watch the recording of the day on YouTube.

We will deliver the wonderful words of poetry and music created from a Leprosy sanatorium.

 

Lecture "How did Hansen's Disease Issues related to leprosy of Hansen's disease?"

*The event has ended.
You can watch the recording of the day on YouTube.
He will speak from the perspective of literary research, centering on the relationship between Leprosy sanatorium residents and outside literary figures, and the significance of the works that were created in that context.

[Date and Time] Saturday, February 25, 2023 14:00-15:30 (doors open at 13:30)
【Teacher】Minetathu Nishimura​​​Part-time lecturer at Shizuoka University of Art and Culture
[Venue] Video Hall on the 1st floor of the The National Hansen's Disease Museum
[Capacity] First 70 people, pre-registration required, free of charge
[Application start] From 12:00 noon on Wednesday, January 4, 2023
※Click here for details

 

Lecture "To Deliver Words to 1,000 Years Ahead"

*The event has ended.
You can watch the recording of the day on YouTube.
He will talk about the appeal and contemporary significance of the works of the poet with leprosy, based on his memories of interacting with the poet Hansen's Disease (a resident of Kuriu-Rakusenen).

[Date and time] Sunday, March 12, 2023 14:00-15:00 (doors open at 13:30)
【Teacher】Nobuko Kyo​​​Writer
[Venue] Video Hall on the 1st floor of the The National Hansen's Disease Museum
[Capacity] First 70 people, pre-registration required, free of charge
[Application start] From 12:00 noon on Wednesday, January 4, 2023
※Click here for details

 

Lecture "Rereading Postwar Hansen's Disease Literature"

*The event has ended.
*This event will not be streamed. No video will be released at a later date.
He will talk about post-war Hansen's Disease literature, especially poetry, from the perspective of a modern poet.

[Date and time] Saturday, March 18, 2023 14:00-15:30 (doors open at 13:30)
【Teacher】Yoji Arakawa​​​modern poet
[Venue] Video Hall on the 1st floor of the The National Hansen's Disease Museum
[Capacity] First 70 people, pre-registration required, free of charge
[Application start] From 12:00 noon on Wednesday, January 4, 2023
※Click here for details

 

Reading session "Reading the poetry collection 'Sprouts of Life'"

*The event has ended.
We will breathe life into the poetry that was born in Leprosy sanatorium through voice.

[Date and time] Saturday, April 1, 2023 14:00-15:00 (doors open at 13:30)
[reading]Kyoko Koizumi​​​singer, actor
[Venue] Video Hall on the 1st floor of the The National Hansen's Disease Museum
[Capacity] First 70 people, pre-registration required, free of charge
[Application start] From 12:00 noon on Wednesday, January 4, 2023
※Click here for details

 

Gallery Talk (online)

*The event has ended.
You can watch the recording of the day on YouTube.
From the exhibition room, the curator in charge will guide you through the exhibition online.

[Date and Time] Friday, March 3, 2023 19:00-20:30
【Teacher】Tetsuya Kimura​​​The National Hansen's Disease Museum curator
[Holding method] ZOOM webinar
[Capacity] First 100 people, pre-registration required, free of charge
[Application start] From 12:00 noon on Wednesday, January 4, 2023
※Click here for details

 

Gallery talk (face-to-face)

The curator in charge will explain the personality of the author and the historical background of the creation of the work while touching on the poetry and materials.

​[Date and time] Friday, February 17, Saturday, March 25, Saturday, April 29, Wednesday, May 3, Sunday, May 7, 2023
【Teacher】Tetsuya Kimura​​​The National Hansen's Disease Museum curator
[Venue] Special exhibition room on the 2nd floor The National Hansen's Disease Museum
[Capacity] 10 people each time, no pre-registration required, free of charge
*There is no live distribution.
※Click here for details

 

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国立ハンセン病資料館
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東京都東村山市青葉町4-1-13
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Email：pr@nhdm.jp