Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Museum at Inawashiro, Fukushima, Japan
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Hideyo Noguchi is the renowned Japanese bacteriologist found on Japan’s old 1,000 yen note.
Noguchi’s home and original birthplace is located in Inawashiro in Fukushima.
The Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Museum surrounds Noguchi’s original home and it has many interesting exhibits about the life of this inspirational man.
The museum also has almost all inscriptions in English as well as Japanese!
Who is Hideyo Noguchi?
Hideyo Noguchi was originally born with the name Seisaku Noguchi.
However, Noguchi decided to change his name after reading a book about a character called Seisaku who wanted to become a doctor but was lazy and his life was ruined.
Noguchi saw this as a bad omen and decided to change his name to Hideyo.
When Noguchi was a baby, he crawled out of a baby basket and into a sunken fire pit (irori) in his home. He was badly burned and lost his fingers on his left hand.
At 15 years old, Noguchi received surgery on his hand and then regained movement in his thumb, enough to be able to grip again.
After witnessing the miracle of this surgery, Noguchi decided to dedicate his life to medicine. At 16 years old he became an apprentice to the very doctor who performed his hand surgery.
Noguchi moved to the US in 1900 to research snake venoms, smallpox and yellow fever vaccines.
One of Noguchi’s most important achievements was discovering Treponema pallidum (syphilitic spirochete) in the brain of a paralysis patient.
He then travelled through Central and South America before his last move to Africa in 1928. His plan was to help fight Yellow Fever. Unfortunately this is where he succumbed to the disease and died.
What to expect at the museum
The museum is quite modern and has been built to surround the original home of Hideyo Noguchi.
The exhibits follow Noguchi’s life over two floors including information about his mentors and also include original letters from Noguchi to his mother. Heartbreakingly she begs him to return home to her.
The museum also includes his diaries and scientific journals.
The museum also includes an animatronic of Noguchi speaking to you in Japanese from behind a desk.
The most interesting part of the museum in my opinion is the original home of Noguchi which includes the original fire pit that burned his hand and also the engraving on the wood pillar that states he will not return home until he is successful.
There is a small museum shop inside the building selling souvenir items.
Cost of admission
The museum’s admission fees are 800 yen per adult and 400 yen per junior high students and younger.
How long to spend at the museum
Expect to spend around 1-2 hours at the Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Museum.
Luckily for those who can’t read Japanese, you can still read most explanations in English at the museum.
How to get to the Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Museum
The easiest way to get to this museum is by car. There is parking at the ramen-kan next door and also plenty of parking at the World Glassware store opposite.
From Bandaimachi station, it will take around 40 minutes to reach the Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Museum. Take the Ban-Etsusai Line (rapid) to Inawashiro Station, then take the Golden Bridge bus line to the museum.
What else to do in Inwashiro
Inawashiro is a lovely city on the huge Lake Inawashiro.
Close by the Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Museum are a few interesting attractions: The World Glassware Hall, The Aizu Museum of Folklore, the Inawashiro Beer Brewery and the Kawakyo Ramen-kan Inawashiro.
Read more about all of these attractions in my Inawashiro article.
Round up of the Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Museum
This museum is an interesting place to visit while touring Inawashiro.
The determination and resilience of Hideyo Noguchi is sure to inspire anyone who visits.
The museum will also cater to historical enthusiasts with the inclusion of Noguchi’s original home left exactly as it was.
