Stroll through the places connected to Osamu Dazai in front of Mitaka Station

In front of JR Mitaka Station is where Osamu Dazai's workplace was. Lunch boxes, manuscript paper, and a dictionary were brought from his home near Inokashira Park. Wrapping his writing utensils in a furoshiki, Dazai commuted to Mitaka Station almost every day. Let's take a stroll through the spots associated with Dazai.

An overpass connected to Osamu Dazai that still remains as it was then.

There is an overpass located about a 5 minute walk from the south exit of Mitaka Station along the railroad tracks in the direction of Tachikawa. Mitaka train overpass. It was completed in 1929 and still remains as it was back then. This overpass is Dazai's favorite spot, and he even brought his children there to watch the trains.

This is the information board in front of the overpass. The photo was taken in March 1948 by Dazai, who guided photographer Shigeru Tamura. Three months later, on June 13th, Dazai and Tomie Yamazaki entered the water at Tamagawa Josui in front of Mitaka Station. By the way, it is said that Dazai rented his secret workplace near here, where he wrote the second half of ``The Setting Sun.''

In addition to the photos on the information board, there are also photos taken on the overpass. The scenery of Mitaka has completely changed since when Dazai was alive, but this is the only place that still retains the atmosphere of those days.

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Osamu Dazai's workplace and Tomie Yamazaki's boarding house

The photo is Tamagawa Josui. It flows near the Kichijoji side of the Mitaka Station south exit rotary. It used to be a river with a turbulent flow and a large amount of water. It is said that Osamu Dazai and Tomie Yamazaki committed suicide by drowning in the area around the photo. In fact, this place is a two-minute walk from Osamu Dazai's workplace and Tomie Yamazaki's boarding house.

I tried it with my back to Tamagawa Josui, which is said to be the place of suicide by drowning. The street in front is Honmachi-dori. As soon as you entered the street, the office that Dazai had rented was on your right. Tomie Yamazaki's boarding house was diagonally across the street.

There is a monument on the left side of the photo. This is the former site of ``Small Restaurant Chigusa,'' where Dazai rented a six-tatami room on the second floor from July 1947. Dazai would come to work in the morning from his home, wrapping his manuscript paper, dictionary, writing utensils, and lunch in a furoshiki cloth, and would sit at his desk until around 5 p.m. Dazai's editor and his friends were drinking alcohol on the first floor, waiting for Dazai to come down from the second floor after work. Most of the customers were related to Dazai. "Chigusa" was, so to speak, a salon where Dazai was the main character. One of Dazai's favorite foods was boiled tofu, and even here he would always eat one with his drinks.

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This is the remains of Tomie Yamazaki's boarding house. She lived on the second floor. She was a hairdresser working at a nearby beauty salon. She was originally born into a family that ran a beauty school, and she worked to rebuild the school. Since her late brother attended the same high school as Dazai, the two become close. Dazai used to work on the second floor of Chigusa, but as he grew closer to his girlfriend, he started working here. Then, the night of June 13, 1968. Dazai and Tomie Yamazaki left a suicide note here and committed suicide by drowning in Tamagawa Josui, a two-minute walk away. It was right after the first serialization of ``No Longer Human'' was published. His body was found in Shinbashi near Myojo Gakuen on June 19th. That day was Dazai's 39th birthday. Afterwards, a grave was built at Zenrin-ji Temple in Mitaka, and ever since then, June 19th has been known as the ``Omomo Memorial Day'' and Dazai's fans have gathered there.

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Know everything about Dazai!? Osamu Dazai Literature Salon

Continuing down Honmachi Street, you will see a signboard on a telephone pole that says ``Osamu Dazai Literary Salon.'' It's about a 3 minute walk away.

Osamu Dazai Literature Salon opened in 2008. When Dazai was alive, the liquor store ``Ise Moto Liquor Store'' that Dazai and his wife were indebted to was built here. This is also a place connected to Dazai. Now let's go inside.

The panel on the left is a map of Mitaka when Dazai lived there. There is also a detailed explanation of spots related to Dazai. The panel on the right explains the human relationships surrounding Dazai. Also displayed in a glass case is the brazier used by Dazai.

Inside the museum, a chronology of Dazai's footsteps, photographs of his daily life in Mitaka, and various items related to Dazai are on display. Also, the counter with the goods on the left and the stools were made in the image of Lupine, the bar in Ginza that Dazai frequented.

The panel in the center shows Dazai sitting on a stool at Lupin, a bar in Ginza. To the left are magazines and books written about Dazai. Original goods from Dazai Literature Salon are lined up on the right side of the shelf and on the counter. Goods include T-shirts, postcards, and notepads.

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“Crepe myrtle tree” still remains at Dazai’s former residence

The tree in the center of the photo is the crape myrtle tree that used to be in Osamu Dazai's garden. It has now been moved to the garden of Ishintei, a facility in Mitaka City. In fact, Dazai's house was located across the street. He began living with his wife, Michiko, on September 1, 1939. The house was a one-story building with 6 tatami mats, 4 and a half tatami mats, 3 tatami mats, a porch, and a kitchen. Works such as ``Hashire Melos'', ``Tsugaru'', and ``Fujou Madame'' were written there. This is a quiet residential area with narrow roads and many cars passing by, so please be careful when walking around. When Dazai had guests at his home, he would lead them to Inokashira Park, which was about a 15-minute walk away.

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How was it?

We introduced some spots related to Osamu Dazai in front of Mitaka Station. There are many other spots related to Osamu Dazai in front of the station. Please come and visit us. In particular, the Osamu Dazai Literary Salon regularly holds reading sessions of Dazai's short stories, so I highly recommend it.