Botchan and Matsuyama
NATSUME Soseki lived for a time in Matsuyama, where he taught English at a prefectural middle school. He stayed for 52 days at the same boardinghouse, Gudabutsu-an, as the haiku poet MASAOKA Shiki who had returned to his hometown for medical treatment, and during that time they visited the Dogo Hot Springs together. Eleven years later, in 1906, Natsume published the novel Botchan, which is set in Matsuyama, in Masaoka’s haiku magazine Hototogisu. Thereafter he took a permanent position among Japan’s celebrated literary masters. Botchan is still widely read. In Matsuyama, the main character, Botchan, and the heroine, Madonna, remain deeply appreciated. Their names have been attached to a baseball field and a local type of sweets.
Donated to Matsuyama Central Lions Club CN55th Anniversary (April 2020)
The figures of Botchan and Madonna in this bronze statue come from illustrations by the sumi-e artist and Matsuyama native, SHIGEMOTO Hidekichi
NATSUME Soseki lived for a time in Matsuyama, where he taught English at a prefectural middle school. He stayed for 52 days at the same boardinghouse, Gudabutsu-an, as the haiku poet MASAOKA Shiki who had returned to his hometown for medical treatment, and during that time they visited the Dogo Hot Springs together. Eleven years later, in 1906, Natsume published the novel Botchan, which is set in Matsuyama, in Masaoka’s haiku magazine Hototogisu. Thereafter he took a permanent position among Japan’s celebrated literary masters. Botchan is still widely read. In Matsuyama, the main character, Botchan, and the heroine, Madonna, remain deeply appreciated. Their names have been attached to a baseball field and a local type of sweets.
Donated to Matsuyama Central Lions Club CN55th Anniversary (April 2020)
The figures of Botchan and Madonna in this bronze statue come from illustrations by the sumi-e artist and Matsuyama native, SHIGEMOTO Hidekichi