Aizuwakamatsu Itinerary making you think about Hideyo Noguchi who devoted his whole life to medical science

Do you know Hideyo Noguchi whose face picture is printed on the 1,000 yen bill? He was a great researcher, who was active as a bacteriologist at around 1900s. In 1876, he was born in Mitsuwa village (called Inawashiro-machi at the present) located on the shore of Lake Inawashiro in Fukushima prefecture. He determined to be a doctor at 15 years old and lived in Aizuwakamatsu city to learn medical science from 17 to 20 years old. This time, we’re going to introduce 3 recommended nostalgic spots related to Hideyo Noguchi.

You can get to all of the sightseeing spots by bus without any transfer from Aizuwakamatsu Station.

Japan’s tangible cultural property loved by Hideyo and his mother -“Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura” with 170 years of history

Founded in 1850, “Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura (末廣酒造嘉永蔵)” was operated by the family that a daughter of Hideyo’s benefactor Sakae Kobayashi married into. It seems that not only Hideyo but also his mother often visited here. It consists of 7 buildings constructed between the late 1800s and the early 1900s, and most of them are registered as Japan’s tangible cultural properties. Aged lumbers looks like telling us the history of Suehiro. You can take a part in Sake Brewery visit tour for free and learn how to make Japanese sake while feeling an old but good atmosphere. In the hall on the 2nd floor, calligraphy works that are said to be written by Hideyo and photographs of him are displayed, so check them as well! After finishing the visit tour, why not have a relaxing cafe time in space reusing sake brewery? It might also be a good idea to find your favorite Japanese sake in a shop with ones carefully selected by Suehiro Sake Brewery.

Opening Hours	9:00AM – 5:00PM *Sake Brewery Tour is carried out every hour between 10:00AM and 4:00PM.
Address	12-38 Nisshin-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture
Access	A 1-minute walk from Yamatomachi Bus Stop where it takes 12 minutes by Haikarasan Bus from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station
URL	https://aizuwakamatsu.mylocal.jp/de/trip/spot-list/-/spotdetail/spotinfo/1000000004/3999496

The building that used to be a hospital where Hideyo lived and studied medical science
-“The Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Hall/ The Aizu Ichiban-kan Cafe”

The imposing western-style building decorated with black stucco is “The Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Hall/ The Aizu Ichiban-kan Cafe.” Built as a hospital in 1884, this building is a place where a doctor, returned from the U.S., performed an operation of Hideyo’s left hand. Hideyo had left hand’s disability because of burning, but the surgery changed his life. Thus, he decided to become a doctor and lived here to learn medical science for 3 years and a half. Currently, this building is reused as “The Aizu Ichiban-kan Cafe (會津壹番館)” on the 1st floor and “The Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Hall (野口英世青春館)” on the 2nd floor. The Aizu Ichiban-kan Cafe is famous for Dutch Coffee made by roasting raw beans carefully selected and brewing them with spring water from Mt. Bandaisan. On coffee cups and saucer, adorable illustrations of Hideyo are painted. We recommend you get them as a souvenir.

Opening Hours	8:00AM – 8:00PM　Closed on 1st January
Address	4-18 Naka-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture
Access	Close to Noguchi Hideyo Seishunkan Mae Bus Stop where it takes 15 minutes by Haikarasan Bus from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station
URL	https://aizuwakamatsu.mylocal.jp/en_US/trip/spot-list/-/spotdetail/spotinfo/1000000012/3999496

The spot where Hideyo learned English from missionaries and came across his first love -“Wakamatsusakae Church”

Reference from 那須高原のとっておき！ “会津若松七日町への旅　＜８＞　　（おわり）“

“Wakamatsusakae Church” is known as the place where Hideyo got baptized. The church was firstly built in 1894, and Hideyo learned English from missionaries here when he lived in the hospital we mentioned. In addition, this church is filled with his bittersweet memories of that he came across his first love, Yoneko Yamauchi. After all, his first love didn’t come true, but he had the baptism because he learned the Bible while hearing pastors’ opinions about love and life. It’s moved to the current place in 1911 and built as the first authentic Western-style architecture in Aizuwakamatsu. White timbers make the Gothic structure, and it’s’ designated as Japan’s tangible cultural property and Aizuwakamatsu’s historic landscape building.

Opening Hours	Available only from 10:30AM on Sunday *For details, please contact the church directly.
Address	8-36 Nishisakae-machi, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fykushima Prefecture
Access	A 6-minute walk from Noguchi Hideyo Seishunkan Mae Bus Stop where it takes 15 minutes by Haikarasan Bus from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station
URL	http://etsuya.cocolog-nifty.com/