Isho-an  -  where Tanizaki lived

Let me show you around our neighborhood along the Sumiyoshi River. This is Isho-an, where Tanizaki lived with his wife and her sisters. Isho-an is an old wooden house and was completely crashed down in the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. But recently it was reconstructed to the original state.

 
Distant view from south.                                     From east.
 
  
Front view from south-east                                      From north-east.

 

The inscription before the gate reads:

The great writer Jun-ichiro Tanizaki had lived in this "Isho-an"
With his beloved wife Matsuko
Her two sisters came and stayed here for a while

Despite the darkness of the war
The three sisters from the rich old family of Semba
Never lost their gracefulness

Glittered the eyes of the writer
And in this very house
Born was his masterpiece "Sasameyuki"
With the people and  the place just as they were

*Semba: An area in Osaka where rich marchants lived.

Across the road flows the Sumiyoshi River. It looks rather like a brook, but it did flood 50 years ago, causing tremendous damage, just as described in "Sasameyuki" (The Makioka Sisters).

 

Evening view of the Sumiyoshi River. Walking a few minutes upstream from Isho-an, looking over the opposite side.  You can see Mt. Rokko over there.

The picture on the above right is taken at Kyoto, where the heroines used to visit to appreciate sakura (cherry blossoms). We had the luxury this year.