The Setagaya Literary Museum will be holding an exhibition titled "Hayashi Fumiko: Damn You, Poverty! - A Life Prescription for You" from April 28th to July 1st, showcasing approximately 250 documents, including manuscripts, letters, and paintings by the fatefully wandering writer Hayashi Fumiko.


After working as a peddler in her childhood, Hayashi Fumiko continued to write poetry and fairy tales while changing jobs frequently. As if confronting her own life of poverty, she poured out the pain of life and described her bloody life in an unrestrained style. In particular, "Hōrōki" has been adapted into film, television drama, and stage productions, and continues to captivate readers throughout the prewar and postwar eras as a masterpiece depicting a woman living a strong, focused life.

In 1925, Hayashi lived with the poet Nomura Yoshiya in a two-story tenement house in Taishido, Setagaya Ward. Nomura, who suffered from lung disease, was violent and their life was full of constant conflicts, but they also received support from fellow writers living nearby. However, the following year, she separated from Nomura and left Setagaya.

Hayashi moved frequently and loved to travel before settling down in Nakai, Shinjuku Ward. Her work is underpinned by the artist's positive outlook on life, and its depth is shaped by her own life experiences, many of which were difficult. This exhibition presents Hayashi's words as a message to us today and a "prescription for living a happy life," showcasing approximately 250 exhibits.


The highlight of this work is the poverty and struggles of young people, a theme that has remained unchanged since ancient times. Hayashi's youth, spent changing jobs frequently to survive on a living, is a harsh one that is reminiscent of the working poor of today. This exhibition interprets Hayashi's life from the perspective of the precariat, and is divided into five chapters (planned): "Family," "Setagaya," "Men and Women," "Poverty," and "Living."

Also noteworthy are his powerful poems and words. Hayashi loved to intertwine poetry within prose. Wanderings in particular is written in diary style, with separate lines for each sentence and plenty of white space, so that one day's description takes on the appearance of a poem. Hayashi's wild words, in which she freely pours out her feelings, combined with her free-spirited spirit, have blown away hunger and poverty and continue to inspire us across the ages.

This time, "Konchikusho Cards" will also be available, allowing you to take home a poem by Hayashi. Why not collect all 20 different cards as you tour the exhibition, and use a verse from a poem that touches your heart as a prescription for life? In addition to featuring selected poems by Hayashi, the museum shop will also be selling original "Konchikusho Notebooks," in which you can write your own words. Related events include "Reading Hayashi Fumiko," a reading session by the Shinjuku Historical Museum Volunteer Reading Group, Fumino Shiori, on April 28th from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM in the first-floor Literature Salon, and "Reading Show: Poor People, Damn It," featuring the Delicious Sweets, a Japanese eclectic revue with a Showa-era feel, on June 30th from 2:00 PM and 4:30 PM in the second-floor exhibition room. On May 26th from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM, "Fieldwork: Walking Through Fumiko's Town: Ochiai Edition" will be held, visiting the Nakai home in Shinjuku Ward where Hayashi spent the last 10 years of her life. For details and registration for each event, please visit the official website (https://www.setabun.or.jp/). Additionally, on June 2nd from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, "Setabun Market + Karasuyama Shitamachi Festival," a mini-market featuring select bookstores and workshops, will be held. In honor of Hayashi, who spent his adolescence in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Hiroshima Brand Shop TAU will be selling local Hiroshima delicacies. The exhibition will also be free on the day.