Yoshimaru Kazumasa Memorial Museum

Yoshimaru Kazumasa Memorial Museum (吉丸一昌記念館) celebrates the life of Kazumasa Yoshimaru, a renowned lyricist and professor born in Usuki. He contributed lyrics to many popular songs, including "Ode to Early Spring" and "Song of Leaving My Hometown." After graduating high school, Yoshimaru moved to Tokyo, where he became a teacher and later a professor at Tokyo Music School (now Tokyo University of the Arts). He played a key role in the Ministry of Education's music education efforts, writing innovative nursery rhymes and school songs that influenced generations.

The Yoshimaru Kazumasa Memorial Museum is housed in his wife's family home and showcases a collection of sheet music, personal artifacts, and memorabilia related to his life and work. A visit here offers a glimpse into the life of a man whose contributions to Japanese music and education continue to resonate today.