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Utsukushima Fukushima Story
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The dreamer : Chieko Takamura
Chieko Takamura
(1886-1938)
Chieko Takamura was the beloved wife of Kotaro Takamura,
a prominent sculptor and poet.
Their pure and deep-felt love as recorded in the compilation
of her poems, "Chieko's Sky," continues to entrance readers.
Looking back upon her life, we are deeply moved by the ethereal
beauty of their love story.
Chieko's Life: Living in Love and Art
Eldest of eight children
Verdant home country with the Abukuma River in the east and Mount Adatara in the west.Chieko (a.k.a. Chie) Naganuma was born on May 20, 1886 in what is now Adachi-machi, Adachi-gun, Fukushima Prefecture. She was the eldest daughter of her father, Kesakichi, and her mother, Sen. She had five sisters--Seki, Mitsu, Yoshi, Setsu, and Chiyo--and two younger brothers, Keisuke and Shuji.
The house in which she was born was one of the largest sake breweries in the region and was called "Yoneya." Her grandfather, Jisuke, created "Hanagasumi," a superior sake brand.
Chieko was raised in a privileged environment in this prosperous home.
In front of "Yoneya," the former Naganuma Brewery, the house of Chieko's birth.
Wise Girl, Chieko
The student records of the Yui Elementary School that Chieko attended shows that she achieved meritorious records in diverse subjects including art.
Former Yui Elementary School That Chieko Attended
Going Out Into the World
When Chieko was fifteen she entered the Fukushima Municipal Women's High School. This meant leaving her parents and living alone. We can feel her loneliness and recreate the tenor of her daily life from her humorous writing in the "get-well-soon" letter to her former teacher, Usaku Yasuda.
The "get-well-soon" letter to Mr. Usaku Yasuda, Chieko's former teacher
New Woman
In 1903, when she was seventeen, Chieko went to Tokyo and entered the Japan Women's University General Preparatory Course; she later transferred to the Home Economics Department. During her college days, Chieko recognized her gift, and decided how to live her life. Her classmates, talking about Chieko, said, "She is calm, reticent, and shows enthusiastic concentration in whatever she does. She is also very humorous and amazing. For instance, she learned to ride a bicycle more quickly than the rest of us. She also invented an "easy hakama" (Japanese pleated skirt-like garment) that required no folding. She was good at playing tennis and surprised us with her sizzling shots that we were hardly in keeping with her meek and quiet character.
"Seeking Beauty": Meeting Kotaro
Chieko did not return home even after her graduation from university in 1907. She continued her activities as an oil painter, which was very rare for the women of her day. As one of members of the "new women's group," she created with an original approach the cover art for the first issue of the "Seito" magazine.Then she met Kotaro Takamura, a sculptor and poet who had just returned from study in France.
Chieko painted and stayed with Kotaro for about a month while he was in Kamikochi busy with his work. They mutually understood each other's art, and this their love and trust deepened. In February 1914 when Chieko was 29, they told their friends of their marriage.
 Oil painting: "Hyacinths" created by Chieko |
 The cover art for the first issue of "Seito" magazine |
Father's Death and Disintegration of Her Childhood Home
After her marriage Chieko demonstrated great writing skill and also gained distinction as a "new woman" by authoring "Byokan Zakki." She also answered inquiries from magazines. In 1918, however, following the death of her father Kesakichi, the prosperity of her childhood home gradually diminished.Chieko Suffers
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Following the bankruptcy in 1929 of her family's Naganuma Brewery, managed by her brother Keisuke, the family scattered.
This breakup of her "loving home," to which she had been strongly attached, was a great shock to Chieko who had been under considerable mental stress.
In 1931, when she was 45, she sometimes showed symptoms of schizophrenia while Kotaro was away at Sanriku collecting material for his works. In 1933, Kotaro and Chieko visited spas such as Tsuchiyu, Shiobara, and Kawakami for treatment. Her condition nevertheless worsened. During this period Kotaro stopped by the Yui-mura village office (in today's Adachi-machi), which administered Chieko's permanent address, and registered their marriage. It was Kotarao's affectionate gesture for Chieko who was now in precarious straits. After staying at Chiba Prefecture's Kujukurihama for recuperation, Chieko moved to Minami-Shinagawa James-Zaka Hospital. During her hospitalization she created about 1,500 paper cutouts as personal presents for her husband, Kotaro, who visited her faithfully. Finally, during the night of October 5, 1938, Chieko passed away, thus ending her fifty-two-year life. It was said that just before her death she took a bite of lemon, her favorite fruit, which Kotaro had brought for her. Then with a faint smile she breathed her last. The poetic anthology, "Chieko's Sky," gave vicarious life to the magic of Chieko's mind, and still enchants the hearts of readers. Moreover, the pure and genuine love story of Chieko and Kotaro remains inspirational long after her passing. |
 "Lovers' lane" on the hill behind Chieko's childhood home |
[ Kan'ichi Asakawa | Chieko Takamura | Hideyo Noguchi ]
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