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Yakumo Koizumi, also known as Lafcadio Hearn, was a writer and teacher who helped people in the West learn about Japan. He was born in Greece in 1850 and later lived in Ireland and the United States. There, he worked as a newspaper writer. In 1890, he came to Japan, and his life changed when he learned about Japanese culture and daily life.
He lived in places such as Matsue, Kumamoto, and Tokyo. He taught English and learned more about Japanese society. Later, he became a Japanese citizen and took the name Koizumi Yakumo. He married a Japanese woman and had children in Japan. Do you know Japanese ghost stories? His famous book Kwaidan introduced these stories to Western readers in a clear and respectful way.
His life in Japan later inspired the NHK TV drama ばけばけ, which helps today’s viewers understand his life between different cultures and his love for Japan.
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(Image by AI)