Former Residence of

literary giant

Shiga Naoya

An Intimate Window

into Japan’s Modern Literary Mind

Tucked into the serene hills of Nara, the Former Residence of Naoya Shiga offers a rare glimpse into the daily life and creative mind of one of Japan’s most celebrated modern authors. Known as the “God of the Novel,” Naoya Shiga (1883–1971) was a central figure in Japan’s literary world during the Taishō and early Showa periods. He built this house in 1929, and lived here with his family until 1938.

The residence, now preserved as a cultural site, is a beautiful example of early 20th-century Japanese architecture, combining traditional design with Western-influenced elements like large windows, spacious rooms, and study spaces filled with natural light. The house sits on a gentle slope, offering scenic views of Mt. Wakakusa and the surrounding forested hills—views that no doubt inspired some of Shiga’s reflective prose.

Visitors can walk through the very rooms where Shiga wrote many of his later works, admire the original furnishings, and appreciate the tranquil setting that nurtured his creativity. For literature lovers and cultural travelers alike, this home offers an intimate and authentic experience of Japan’s literary heritage.

Explore the Sights

See photos that bring this location to life.

The image shows a traditional Japanese entrance gate with a tiled roof, wooden frame, and stone walls. There is a pathway leading inside with trees and foliage in the background. Various signs and notices are posted near the gate.
A traditional Japanese garden pathway with cobblestones, moss, and trees leading to a small wooden building with a tiled roof.
Interior of a room with a large arched window with grid bars, showing trees and blue rooftops outside, with warm sunlight casting shadows inside.
Strings of persimmons hanging to dry hang in front of a window, sunlight illuminating the scene, with a view of trees and rooftops outside.
Sunlight streams into a traditional Japanese room with tatami mats and shoji screens, revealing a scenic view of trees and mountains outside.
Inside a traditional Japanese room with wooden furniture and shoji windows showing a view of trees and rooftops outside at sunset.
Empty traditional Japanese room with sliding wooden doors, tatami mats, and framed photographs on a dark wooden shelf.
Traditional Japanese-style interior with wooden floors, shoji paper sliding doors, and tatami mat flooring.
Traditional Japanese room viewing a garden with rocks, bushes, and trees through an open sliding door.
Empty room with a large dining table, wooden chairs, and traditional Japanese windows, illuminated by a ceiling light and a space heater.
A long wooden hallway with traditional Japanese sliding paper doors and windows, warm lighting, and a polished wooden floor.
View of a traditional Japanese garden with trees and rocks, seen through large glass windows from a wooden corridor with sliding doors and white walls.
Interior of a traditional Japanese room with tatami mats, sliding shoji doors, and a view of a garden with trees outside.
View of a serene Japanese garden through sliding glass doors with wooden frames, showing trees and bushes with autumn foliage and a traditional building in the background.
Traditional Japanese shoji window with wooden frame and translucent paper panels in a room with tatami mats.
Interior of a traditional Japanese room with shoji sliding doors and a wooden lattice window, lit by warm natural light.
Traditional Japanese house with wooden exterior, surrounded by trees and outdoor seating area with wooden stools and a table, illuminated by warm sunlight during sunset.
A winding stone path through a garden with trees and bushes, next to a house with a window and bamboo blinds
A small pond with koi fish surrounded by moss and greenery, including a fern and other plants, with a small pink flower on the moss.
Traditional Japanese garden with a stone pathway, trees, shrubs, moss, and a wooden house with shoji door in the background.