Misuzu Kaneko was a prolific author of poetry for children active in Shimonoseki from around the end of the Taisho period into the early Showa period. Until the time of her death at the age of 26, Misuzu Kaneko penned over 500 poems including the famous “A bird and a bell and I” (watashi to kodori to kane to) and “big catch” (Tairyo). In 1984 over 50 years after her death, her works gained instant popularity when “The Complete Works of Misuzu Kaneko” (Kaneko Misuzu zenshu) were posthumously published over three volumes. Course 6 will take visitors to cultural heritage sites marking the life of Misuzu Kaneko, such as the site of the former Kamiyama–Buneido stationary shop branch where Misuzu worked (now called Shohinkan-ato, “former store site”), the site of the former Kamiyama-Buneido main store (Kamiyama-buneido honten-atochi) where Misuzu once lived and ultimately passed away, as well as the site of the former Akita-Company building (Kyu-Akita Shokai biru) which held an exhibition of Misuzu’s poetry.
