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]
February 4th (Sat) to May 7th (Sun) 2023
Please check the latest information before visiting. For more information, click here

【venue】
The National Hansen's Disease Museum Special Exhibition Room

【closing day】
Closed on Mondays and the day after national holidays (open if Monday is a national holiday)
Admission is free

*This may be subject to change depending on the infection status of the new coronavirus, etc.

 

event information

Concert "Blue Bird Harmonica"

You can view the recording of the day on YouTube.

We bring to you the beauty of the words of poetry and music that were born from Leprosy sanatorium.

[Date and Time]
Saturday, February 11, 2023 (National Holiday) 14:00-15:30 (Doors open at 13:30)

[Cast]
Umitaro Abe​​​Composer
Takeo Toyama Composer, Keyboardist
Touma Itoko​​​Pianist, singer, composer

【venue】
First floor The National Hansen's Disease Museum, the video hall

[Capacity]
Limited to the first 70 applicants; advance registration required; participation is free.

[Application period begins]
Wednesday, January 4, 2023, from 12:00 PM
Click here for details.
https://www.nhdm.jp/events/list/4899/

 

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

You can watch a recording of the day's events on YouTube.
The speaker will discuss, from a literary studies perspective, the relationship between residents Leprosy sanatorium and external literary figures, and the significance of the works created within that context.

[Date and Time]
Saturday, February 25, 2023 14:00 to 15:30 (doors open at 13:30)

【Teacher】
Minetathu Nishimura​​​Part-time lecturer at Shizuoka University of Art and Culture

【venue】
First floor The National Hansen's Disease Museum, the video hall

[Capacity]
Limited to the first 70 applicants; advance registration required; participation is free.

[Application period begins]
Wednesday, January 4, 2023, from 12:00 PM
Click here for details.
https://www.nhdm.jp/events/list/4842/

 

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

You can watch a recording of the day's events on YouTube.
Through recollections of his interactions with poet Yuji Kodama (a resident Kuriu-Rakusenen), he will discuss the appeal and contemporary significance of the works of Hansen's Disease poets.

[Date and Time]
Sunday, March 12, 2023 14:00-15:00 (doors open at 13:30)

【Teacher】
Nobuko Kyo​​​writer

【venue】
First floor The National Hansen's Disease Museum, the video hall

[Capacity]
Limited to the first 70 applicants; advance registration required; participation is free.

[Application period begins]
Wednesday, January 4, 2023, from 12:00 PM
Click here for details.
https://www.nhdm.jp/events/list/4810/

 

Lecture "Rereading Postwar Hansen's Disease Literature"

*This event will not be streamed online. There will be no video recordings made available at a later date.
We will hear from a contemporary poet about postwar Hansen's Disease literature, particularly poetry, which could be called "post-Hojo literature," from the perspective of a contemporary poet.

[Date and Time]
Saturday, March 18, 2023 14:00-15:30 (doors open at 13:30)

【Teacher】
Yoji Arakawa​​​modern poetry writer

【venue】
First floor The National Hansen's Disease Museum, the video hall

[Capacity]
Limited to the first 70 applicants; advance registration required; participation is free.

[Application period begins]
Wednesday, January 4, 2023, from 12:00 PM
Click here for details.
https://www.nhdm.jp/events/list/4790/

 

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

We will breathe life into poems created in Leprosy sanatorium through the voices of our performers.

[Date and Time]
Saturday, April 1, 2023 14:00-15:00 (doors open at 13:30)

[Reading]
Kyoko Koizumi​​​Singer, actor

【venue】
First floor The National Hansen's Disease Museum, the video hall

[Capacity]
Limited to the first 70 applicants; advance registration required; participation is free.

[Application period begins]
Wednesday, January 4, 2023, from 12:00 PM
Click here for details.
https://www.nhdm.jp/events/list/4824/

 

Gallery Talk (online)

You can watch a recording of the day's events on YouTube.
A curator will guide you through the exhibition online from the exhibition hall.

[Date and Time]
Friday, March 3, 2023 7:00pm to 8:30pm

【Teacher】
Tetsuya Kimura​​​The National Hansen's Disease Museum curator

[How to hold the event]
Zoom Webinar

[Capacity]
Limited to the first 100 people, advance registration required, participation is free.

[Application period begins]
Wednesday, January 4, 2023, from 12:00 PM
Click here for details.
https://www.nhdm.jp/events/list/4929/

 

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]
February 17th (Friday), March 25th (Saturday), April 29th (Saturday, holiday), May 3rd (Wednesday, holiday), May 7th (Sunday), 2023

【Teacher】
Tetsuya Kimura​​​The National Hansen's Disease Museum curator

【venue】
Special Exhibition Room, 2nd Floor The National Hansen's Disease Museum

[Capacity]
Each session is limited to 10 participants, no advance registration is required, and participation is free.
*There will be no live stream.
Click here for details.
https://www.nhdm.jp/events/list/4929/

 

Contact Information
The National Hansen's Disease Museum
4-1-13, Aoba-cho, Higashimurayama-shi, Tokyo 189-0002
Phone: 042-396-2909 / Fax: 042-396-2981