Kenji Miyazawa (1896–1933) is the literary soul of Iwate — poet, agricultural scientist, Buddhist teacher, and author of some of the most unusual children's stories in Japanese literature. The Kenji Miyazawa Memorial Museum in Hanamaki, the town where he was born and spent most of his life, is the principal place to understand both the man and his work.
The museum, designed by architect Maki Fumihiko, perches dramatically on the edge of a hill in the woods above Hanamaki, in the landscape that inspired so many of Miyazawa's images. Inside, manuscripts, notebooks, and personal belongings tell the story of a life devoted to writing, farming, and helping the rural poor of Tohoku. The permanent collection includes original manuscripts of his most celebrated works. The surrounding hillside path leads to the site of the small house Miyazawa built himself, where he lived simply and gave free agricultural advice to local farmers. The museum is about 20 minutes by bus from Hanamaki Station.