About Magome Bunshimura Writers’ Village
The area encompassing Magome, Sanno, Chuo, and other neighborhoods in Ota City is known as “Magome Bunshimura,” a place with deep connections to the many writers and artists who once lived there.
As you visit museums, memorial sites, and information panels throughout the area, you can trace their footsteps and feel closer to the lives and works of these literary figures.
Writers and Artists Associated with Magome Bunshimura
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Kobayashi Kokei
Itan (Apostasy), Taketori Monogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter), Ideyu (Hot Spring), Kiyohime (Princess Kiyohime), Kami (Hair), Kujaku (Peacock)
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Yoshida Kinetaro
Genta no Boken (Genta’s Adventure), Kyodai Itoko Monogatari (A Story of Brothers and Cousins)
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Mano Kitaro
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Kitahara Hakushu
Zamboa, Jashumon (Heretics), Kiri no Hana (Paulownia Blossoms), Azarashi to Kumo (Seals and Clouds)
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Kumagai Tsuneko
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Shimozawa Kan
Shinsengumi Shimatsuki (Shinsengumi Chronicles), Yatarogasa (Yataro’s Hat), Kunisada Chuji (Chuji Kunisada), Katsu Kaishu (Kaishu Katsu), Oyakodaka (Father and Son Falcons)
Soeda Satsuki
Tokyobushi (Tokyo Song), Heiwabushi (Peace Song), Kyoikusha (Educator), Jinsei no Kijutsu (The Art of Living), Asakaze Kaido (Asakaze Road), Enka no Meiji Taisho-shi (Enka in the Meiji and Taisho Periods)
Mamiya Mosuke
Mushanokoji Saneatsu Zenshu (Complete Collection of Saneatsu Mushanokoji), Kuchiyuku Boro (The Decaying Watchtower)
Fujiura Koh
Wakare no Blues (Farewell Blues), Radio Taiso no Uta (Radio Exercise Song)
Sakakiyama Jun
Rekishi (History), Magome Bunshimura (Magome Writers’ Village)
Kinumaki Seizo
Keshikakerareta Otoko (The Man Who Was Provoked), Tasogare Gakko (Twilight School), Parapin no Seijo (The Saint of Paraffin), Kowareta Machi (The Broken Town), Ashifukin (The Reed Organ)
Ozaki Shiro
Gokuchu Yori (from jail), Jinsei Gekijo (The Theater of One’s Life), Kagaribi (Beacon Fires), Takasugi Shinsaku (Shinsaku Takasugi)
Uno Chiyo
Shifun no Kao (Made-up Face), Style, Iro Zange (Confessions of Love), Ohan
Hagiwara Sakutaro
Tsuki ni Hoeru (Howling at the Moon), Shi no Genri (Principle of Poetry), Junsei Shiron (Pure Poetry Theory), Nihon eno Kaiki (Return Back to Japan)
Katayama Hiroko
Hisui (Jade), Tokasetsu (Candlemas)
Imai Tatsuo
Mita Bungaku, Aoi Tori o Sagasu Hoho (How to Find a Blue Bird)
Murobuse Koshin
Bunmei no Botsuraku (The Decline of Civilization), Tsuchi ni Kaeru (Returning to the Earth), Nihonron (The Study of Japan)
Hirotsu Kazuo
Shinkeibyo Jidai (The Neurotic Age), Sanbun Geijutsu no Ichi (The Place of Prose Art), Fuu Tsuyokarubeshi (The Wind and Rain Will Be Fierce), Nengetsu no Ashioto (The Footsteps of Time)
Muro Saisei
Kanjo, Ai no Shishu (Poetry Collection of Love), Jojo Shokyoku Shu (Collection of Lyrical Verses), Yonen Jidai (Childhood), Ani Imoto (Brother and Sister), Anzukko (Apricot Girl)
Sato Chozan
Princess Shakuntala and King Dushyanta, Taka (Hawk), Magokoro-zo (Statue of Sincerity)
Mafune Yutaka
Kano (The Winter Duck), Taiyo no Ko (The Child of the Sun), Kogan (The Lone Wild Goose)
Yamamoto Yuzo
Theater plays: Seimei no Kanmuri (The Crown of Life), Sakazaki Dewa no Kami (Sakazaki, Lord of Dewa), Umihiko Yamahiko, Kome Hyappyo (One Hundred Sacks of Rice) Novels: Nami (Waves), Onna no Issho (A Woman’s Life), Shinjitsu Ichiro (Towards the Truth), Robo no Ishi (A Stone by the Roadside) Novellas: Kobu (The Hump), Senso to Futari no Fujin (The War and the Two Women)
Watsuji Tetsuro
Søren Kierkegaard, Guzo Saiko (Revival of Idols), Koji Junrei (Pilgrimages to the Ancient Temples in Nara), Nihon Kodai Bunka (Ancient Japanese Culture), Ningen no Gaku to shite no Rinrigaku (Ethics as the Study of Man), Fudo Ningengakuteki Kosatsu (Climate and Culture), Rinrigaku (Ethics), Nietzsche Kenkyu (Studies on Nietzsche)
Hinatsu Konosuke
Tenshin no Sho (Song of Transformation), Kokui Seibo (Black-Robed Madonna), Meiji Taisho Shishi (History of Poetry in the Meiji and Taisho Periods)
Kurata Hyakuzo
Theater plays: Shukke to Sono Deshi (The Priest and His Disciples), Shunkan (The Priest Shunkan), Fuse Taishi no Nyuzan (Fuse Taishi’s Retreat to the Mountains), Utawanu Hito (The Person Who Does Not Sing), Chichi no Shinpai (A Father’s Concern) Essay collections: Seishi (Silent Reflection), Chokoku (Overcoming) Ai to Ninshiki tono Shuppatsu (The Beginning of Love and Understanding)
Miyoshi Tatsuji
Sokuryosen (The Surveying Ship), Haru no Tabibito (Travelers in Spring), Hagiwara Sakutaro (The Poet Sakutaro Hagiwara)
Inagaki Taruho
Chokoreto (Chocolate), Hoshi o Tsukuru Hito (Star Maker), Issen Ichibyo Monogatari (One Thousand and One-Second Stories), A-Kankaku to V-Kankaku (Sense A and Sense V), Shonen'ai no Bigaku (The Aesthetics of Boyhood Love)
Yamamoto Shugoro
Sumadera Fukin (Sumadera and Its Environs), Momi no Ki wa Nokotta (The Fir Trees Remained), Akahige Shinryotan (Red Beard’s Clinic), Ao Beka Monogatari (This Madding Crowd)
Kawabata Ryushi
Ishizaka Yojiro
Wakai Hito (Young People), Aoi Sanmyaku (Blue Mountains), Hi no Ataru Sakamichi (A Hill in the Sun)
Kawabata Bosha
Kawabata Yasunari
Izu no Odoriko (Izu Dancer), Yukiguni (Snow Country), Senbazuru (Thousand Cranes), Yama no Oto (The Sound of the Mountain)
Explore Magome Bunshimura Writers’ Village with Meandering through Magome!
Meandering through Magome is more than just a sightseeing guide app.
As you walk through Magome Bunshimura, where traces of history remain, you can experience the lives and stories of the writers who once lived there, right in the places where they unfolded.
No App Installation Required
Enjoy the experience instantly in your browser, with no installation required. Simply access it on your smartphone and start exploring the neighborhood.
GPS Integration
Check your current location on the map as you explore Magome Bunshimura at your own pace. As you approach each spot, you can enjoy content about the writers and history connected to that location.
A Variety of Exclusive Content
Original Audio Guide
by Shizuka Ishibashi
Let the audio guide introduce you to the writers’ lives and stories.
Experience Magome Bunshimura through sound with an entirely original audio guide created specifically for this app.
Listen to the Audio Guide
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AR Content
Door AR
Travel back to the days of Magome Bunshimura through AR experiences around town. Open the “doors” that appear on your smartphone, and historic scenes come to life before your eyes. Peek into the lives of the writers and discover how they spent their days here.
Photo Spot AR
Hold your smartphone up to a photo spot panel, and famous quotes from the writers will pop up. You can discover many of the words they left behind. Some of them may even resonate with us today. This AR content can be enjoyed at Ota Bunka-no-mori.
Mystery Hunt Course
Where Mysteries and Incidents Lead: A Gossip Rhapsody of the Writers
Set in Magome Bunshimura, once home to many literary greats, this immersive, real-world mystery game challenges you to track down writers on the run from their deadlines.
Explore the neighborhood, solve puzzles, and uncover the lesser-known sides of these literary figures through stories based on real events.
Can you find every writer and collect all their manuscripts...!?
How to Enjoy
Walking Map
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STEP 1 Find a Writer to Visit
Find a writer who interests you on the map, then explore the neighborhood as you make your way to their information panel.
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STEP 2 Enjoy the Audio Guide
Scan the 2D barcode on the information panel to start the audio guide.
Discover stories about the writers and the neighborhood. -
STEP 3 Visit More Spots and Level Up!
The more information panels you visit, the higher your “Bunshimura Rank” will rise.
Meet the requirements to receive a special gift!Novelty gifts can be collected at Ota Bunka-no-mori. Please ask a staff member for assistance. Gifts are available in limited quantities.
Please collect your gift each time you reach a new rank. Once you advance to the next rank, it may no longer be possible to claim the gift for the previous rank.
Mystery Hunt Course
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STEP 1 Step Into the Writers’ Story
Step into a story set in Magome Bunshimura and immerse yourself in the world of the writers who once lived there.
Each of the three courses starts from a different station.-
Course 1:
Starts from Omori Station
(Available from October 1, 2026) -
Course 2:
Starts from Magome Station
(Scheduled for release around December 2026) -
Course 3:
Starts from Nishi-magome Station
(Scheduled for release around January 2027)
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Course 1:
Starts from Omori Station
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STEP 2 Explore the Town and Solve the Mysteries
Search for clues hidden in the streetscape and on the writers’ information panels, and take on the mystery at each spot!
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STEP 3 Discover How the Story Ends
Solve every mystery and uncover the truth hidden within the writers’ story.
Access
- Recommended Starting Point
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Omori Station
Open in Google Maps
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Magome Station
Open in Google Maps
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Nishi-magome Station
Open in Google Maps
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Omori Station
As the surrounding area is residential, please use public transportation when visiting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to download (install) the app?
No, you don’t. Simply access it from your smartphone’s browser to start enjoying Meandering through Magome right away.
Do I need to register to use it?
No registration is required. You can enjoy Magomeguri without creating an account or signing up.
Is there a fee to use it?
Meandering through Magome is free to enjoy. *Data charges and other communication costs incurred while using the service are the responsibility of the user.
What are the recommended requirements (supported OS)?
The app supports iOS and Android smartphones. For the best experience, we recommend using the latest version of your OS and browser.
How should I get around the area?
Some of the spots are located in residential areas. Please be considerate of local residents and travel on foot or by public transportation, such as buses.
Are there any precautions I should take when using the app?
For your safety, please do not use your smartphone while walking. When enjoying audio content, keep the volume at a level that allows you to hear your surroundings, and please be considerate of pedestrians and local residents. For other important information, please refer to the Terms of Use.
News
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“Magomeguri” has launched!
Explore Magome Writers’ Village with audio guides, AR experiences, and puzzles along the way.
For inquiries about Meandering through Magome, please send an email to the address below.
machi@city.ota.tokyo.jpRelated Links
- Bura Magome (Instagram of the Magome District Neighborhood Association Federation)
- Magome District Neighborhood Association Federation Website
- Magome Food Walk Map
- Unique Ota | Ota City Promotion
- Ota City’s Culture Is Heating Up! – Launch of the OMAISEN PROJECT
- Ota City Community Cycle
- Explore Ota City’s Public Bathhouses — the Most in Tokyo!
- Otaful – Ota City Shopping District Guide
- Ota Tourism Association