Yoshikoji, Mizusawa Ward, Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture
Rating
Cost per person
¥500
Visit the birthplace of Takano Choei, a prominent scholar of Dutch studies and medicine during the late Edo period, located in Mizusawa, Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture. The site, now a small park, features a stone monument commemorating his life and achievements. Takano Choei was born as the third son of Goto Saneharu and later adopted by his uncle, the physician Takano Genzai. He studied Dutch medicine under Sugita Hakugen in Edo and at Philipp Franz von Siebold's Narutaki Juku in Nagasaki. He was imprisoned for criticizing the shogunate but escaped and continued his activities in hiding. The birthplace is easily accessible and provides a glimpse into the life of this influential figure.