The House of NINOMIYA SONTOKU

Ninomiya Sontoku ー　regional reformer , moral leader

You might not know who he is, but Sontoku was well known

in Japan such as to learn all about him.

For general information of his profile,

please click the above of name tag.

The house where he was born today remains as museum.  

The admission is free.

You can see the housing of middle class farmers’ house

in the 18th century in Japan.

It's a waste to leave Odawara without visiting the house!

Allow myself to introduce you the one of episodes

of which he was definitely intelligent , I love it.

Teen age Sontoku stayed at the uncle’s

since his parents have passed away by grand terrible flood.

He loved acquiring knowledge and tried to read books at night.

And his uncle didn’t agree on the habit of reading

for the reason why reading at night

increases consumption of rapeseed oil for lightening a room.

Then an idea flashed across his mind.

Farmers habitually  get rid of some amount of young rice grasses

just after having planted seedling of rice on May.

Young man , Sontoku picked them up to plant again

outside of frame of rice field. Autumn has come.

He gained some money

by selling rice planted outside of the frame of rice field.

As to make a room  bright for night time reading,

his uncle didn't claim any longer his nephew .

“ In the case which someone doesn’t get go-ahead

for the reason of short of money,

《gaining money first》 is the solution. “

Just 18-year-old young Sontoku concluded that.

I personally love this above episode.  

The 18-year-old youth thought and thought

till finding the solution.

This behavior leads him to be later a great reformer

in regional finance, I think.

His first milestone was here in Odawara.

As far as you are interested in him,

Odawara will be the place to visit.

When you in Odawara, I'm looking forward to showing you

at and around the house of Ninomiya Sontoku.

Your contact via Facebook message would be appreciated.

Thank you.

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