The writing practice model which Ichiyo wrote for younger sister Kuni.
Ichiyo was born in 1872 in Saiwaibashi (present-day Hibiya, Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda Ward) as the second girl of Noriyoshi and Taki Higuchi, and named "Natsu." Ichiyo had a good memory and could read rapidly from childhood. Her younger sister "Kuni" (Kuniko) wrote down that Ichiyo finished reading "Biographies of Eight Dogs" by Bakin Kyokutei in three days, and that Ichiyo mimicked voices of her elder brothers who read aloud new papers so perfectly that everyone was surprised. Ichiyo skipped some grades and graduated at the 5th of her class from the Seikai school in May, 1882.
Then, she entered the 4th grade of the upper elementary school, and finished the grade at the top of her class in December, 1882. However, yielding to her mother's opinion "Women do not need to study," she left the school. Later, following her father's recommendation, she obtained admission to "Hagino-ya," a Japanese poem school, and began to attend the school in 1885. It can be said that her enthusiasm and talent for literature was awakened in the school.
Ichiyo's degree diploma (December, 1883) from the Seikai upper elementary school, the 4th grade, in Ikenohata -- she entered the school after moving to Ueno Okachimachi, and finished the grade at the top of her class. (Kept by Yamanashi Prefectural Literary Pavilion)
"Eiso" -- composed from December, 1891 to August, 1892 / 15 pages. Comments and corrections on it were written by Utako Nakajima who run "Hagino-ya," a Japanese poem school.
Commemorative photograph taken at the time of the opening of "Hagino-ya" in February, 1887 -- Ichiyo is the 3rd from the right in the back row, and Utako Nakajima is in the middle of the second row. (Kept by Yamanashi Prefectural Literary Pavilion)
Ichiyo (14 years old) is in the middle. Although she was painfully aware of the gap between other pupils from decent families and herself, who did not have a festive dress, she won the highest score in the first poem competition in this year, excelling all the other pupils.
Shitaya Ryusenji-machi, Daionji Street (present-day Chaya-machi Street), in 1893 when Ichiyo moved in the area -- the location of Ichiyo's house was around the center of the model, on which the white plate is placed. Mishima Shrine is located in this side of the street. In the other side, there was a drawbridge leading to Shin-yoshiwara. (Checked by Kintaro Ueshima, Ryohei Shiota and Yoshie Wada)
Shitaya Ryusenji-machi, Daionji Street (present-day Chaya-machi Street), in 1893 when Ichiyo moved in the area -- the location of Ichiyo's house was around the center of the model, on which the white plate is placed. Mishima Shrine is located in this side of the street. In the other side, there was a drawbridge leading to Shin-yoshiwara. (Checked by Kintaro Ueshima, Ryohei Shiota and Yoshie Wada)