Takehara HiroshimaTourism Guide

Rai Tadasuga was a poet and Confucian scholar during the Edo period (1603–1867). His former residence was built around 1775. It is a fine example of the traditional architecture and design of the period. The property has three wells, a distinctive feature as most families at that time shared a communal well. Each well had a different purpose. One was used for housework, another for the dyeing business run by the family, and the last for calligraphy.

The historic building has been designated a Hiroshima Prefectural Historical Spot as it is closely tied to the illustrious Rai family. It contains many well-preserved items from the Edo period.

Tadasuga was the grandfather of Rai Sanyo (1780–1832), a leading Confucian scholar, historian, artist, and poet in the latter half of the Edo period. Sanyo was raised in Hiroshima and was greatly influenced by the culture of Takehara. His writings include Nihon gaishi, a major work on the history of Japan that was read by the leaders of the Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1867).

Sanyo's work greatly influenced like-minded scholars and thinkers from all over Japan, making him an important historical figure. To celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth, a bronze statue of Sanyo was erected in Takehara.