This museum celebrates the novel Saka no Ue no Kumo (Clouds Above the Hill), a sweeping historical epic by Ryotaro Shiba that follows three men from Matsuyama through the Meiji era and the Russo-Japanese War. The novel is one of the most widely read works of historical fiction in Japan, and Matsuyama takes considerable pride in its connection to the story.
The building itself is a standout — designed by Tadao Ando, it descends several floors below street level with exhibitions about the novel, the Meiji period, and the city's literary tradition. Even without reading the book, the architecture and the presentation of Meiji-era Japan are worth the visit. Located in the center of the city between the castle and the shopping streets.