About the Memorial Museum
Dr. Takashi Nagai devoted his life to the quest for eternal peace, calling on all people to love their neighbors. The Nagai Takashi Memorial Museum was established to commemorate his indefatigable spirit andhis inspiring achievements andensure that his legacy is honored andhis message of peace continues to be sent out from Nyokodo, the small house where he spent his final years.
Front garden of the museum
Two monuments in the front garden
帳方屋敷跡碑 Monument commemorating the site of the house used by secret Christian groups in the 17th-19th centuries
「玉の緒の~」句碑 Monument featuring the haiku poem “Tama no Ono”
History of Museum
Seeking to provide some small degree of spiritual enrichment to children whose lives had been torn apart by the war, in 1950 Dr. Takashi Nagai used his own funds to create “Uchira no Honbako” (Our Bookcase), a library for children. News of his initiative reached America andmany people donated books, resulting in the small library receiving thousands of books in English.
“Uchira no Honbako”
Our Bookcase
Nagasaki City Nagai Memorial Hall
In May 1950, the ailing Dr. Nagai was visited by Mr. Ryuei Miyazaki, a Japanese man living in Brazil. When he saw “Our Bookcase” he spoke with Dr. Nagai about building a library, andin December 1950 Mr. Miyazaki’s brother proposed a concept for the construction of a children’s library. During 1951 and 1952 a total of 471 Japanese people living in Brazil donated a total of \1,747,188. These donations were combined with money from the city government (approx. \400,000) andused to construct the Nagasaki City Nagai Library, which was completed in December 1952. In 1969 it was renamed the Nagasaki City Nagai Memorial Hall and started to also be used as a venue to exhibit the belongings and photographs of Dr. Nagai.
In 1970 another Nagai Takashi Memorial Hall was established in Mitoya Town in Shimane Prefecture, where Dr. Nagai had spent his early childhood. On October 20 of the same year, the two facilities concluded a sister museum agreement.
In 1999 the Nagasaki City Nagai Memorial Hall wascompletely rebuilt and refurbished and from April 2000 it was renamed the Nagai Takashi Memorial Museum. It is from this location that the museum continues to send out Dr. Nagai’s message of peace to Japan and the world.
Opening day of “Our Bookcase”
Dr. Nagai explaining the concept for the library to Japanese people living in Brazil.
Access
* There is only one disabled parking space available.
On your visit to the museum please use public transport, the Peace Park car park or nearby public parking lots.
Public Transport
＜From JR Nagasaki Station＞
◆Nagasaki Bus No. 8, bound for Shimo-Ohashi:Nagasaki Bus No. 8, bound for Shimo-Ohashi:
◆Nagasaki Streetcar Lines 1 or 3, bound for Akasako:Ten-minute walk from Ohashi streetcar stop
※Cross over the barrier and walk over the footbridgeat Ohashi Crossing, then walk up Santos-Dori street.