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Museums

Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Museum

4.2 · 3,452 reviews
Quiet and educational
Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Museum, Maeda-81 Mitsuwa, Inawashiro, Yama District, Fukushima 969-3284, Japan
Interesting facts
1

The museum houses the original wooden house where Noguchi was born, complete with the fireplace that caused his childhood hand injury.

2

Noguchi's life story is celebrated for his resilience, having overcome a severe disability to become a nominee for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine multiple times.

3

The collection includes his actual laboratory notebooks and personal letters written to his mother from abroad.

4

The site features a permanent exhibition detailing his final, fatal research trip to Ghana, where he contracted yellow fever.

5

Noguchi appears on the Japanese 1,000 yen banknote, which is showcased in the museum's tribute section.

6

The facility is located in Inawashiro, which provides a mountainous backdrop reflecting the landscape of his childhood.

Overview

The Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Museum preserves the birthplace and personal legacy of the renowned Japanese bacteriologist, Hideyo Noguchi. The facility centers around the preserved wooden cottage where Noguchi was born in 1876, featuring the hearth where he suffered a severe burn injury as a toddler. Exhibits chronicle his extensive research on yellow fever, syphilis, and malaria across North and South America and Africa. The museum displays original medical instruments, personal diaries, and correspondence detailing his rise from rural poverty to international scientific prominence. Visitors can view the laboratory equipment used during his expeditions and study his academic contributions to tropical medicine. The site serves as both a historical record of his life and a monument to his scientific rigor.

Photo spot

The exterior of the preserved childhood home, framed against the local rural landscape.

Insider tips

Review the provided English-language pamphlets to better understand the scientific significance of the displayed medical instruments.

Allow extra time to walk through the original house, as the layout offers a distinct perspective on the living conditions of the Meiji period.

Check the museum's specialized shop for literature specifically concerning Noguchi's scientific correspondence.

What to avoid

Rushing through the exhibits, as the technical nature of his research requires reading the provided context to appreciate the historical impact.

Good to know

Closed during the New Year holidays; sometimes closes temporarily for seasonal facility maintenance.

Etiquette

Maintain a quiet tone within the indoor exhibition spaces; photography is typically restricted inside the original cottage area.

Plan your visit
Typical visit
1-1.5 hours
Best time to visit
Late spring or autumn to enjoy the surrounding garden views without extreme heat or heavy snow.
Address
Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Museum, Maeda-81 Mitsuwa, Inawashiro, Yama District, Fukushima 969-3284, Japan
37.536, 140.074
Get directions
Details
Key exhibitsPreserved childhood home, original medical research diaries, and yellow fever laboratory artifacts

Frequently asked

Plan for about 1-1.5 hours to see the highlights.

The best time to visit is Late spring or autumn to enjoy the surrounding garden views without extreme heat or heavy snow..

The exterior of the preserved childhood home, framed against the local rural landscape.

Close by you'll find Hideyo Noguchi Birthplace, Tenkyokaku, Choshoji Temple.