The Birthplace of the Miyazaki Brothers is a historic site in Arao City, Kumamoto Prefecture, designated as a cultural property by Kumamoto Prefecture. It commemorates the Miyazaki brothers, including Miyazaki Tōten, Miyazaki Hachirō, Miyazaki Tamizō, and Miyazaki Yajirō, and their relationship with Sun Yat-sen, the Chinese revolutionary leader often called the “Father of the Chinese Revolution.” The Miyazaki Brothers Museum stands on the same grounds and displays historical materials related to their lives and activities.
The family’s history in the area began in 1647, when its first-generation ancestor, Miyazaki Yajihē Masayuki, moved from Saga in Hizen Province to Arao Village in Tamana District, Higo Province. The family subsequently became established in the region as hereditary local samurai, a status it maintained through the eighth generation, Miyazaki Masaaki.
The best-known members of the family include Miyazaki Tōten and Miyazaki Hachirō. The brothers supported Sun Yat-sen and contributed to his revolutionary activities. After Sun’s unsuccessful uprising in Guangzhou in 1895, he went into exile in Japan in 1897 and stayed at the Miyazaki family home at Tōten’s invitation.
Following the success of the Xinhai Revolution, Sun Yat-sen returned to the family home in 1913 to express his gratitude for the brothers’ support. His visit strengthened the friendship between Sun and the Miyazaki family, a relationship that later became an important symbol of friendship between Japan and China.
After Miyazaki Tamizō’s death, the family home was purchased in 1931 by Jinbei Kawaguchi, who was associated with the Mitsui Miike Coal Mine. The site was designated a historic site by Arao City in 1965 and by Kumamoto Prefecture in 1973. Arao City, Kumamoto Prefecture, and the Kawaguchi family worked together to preserve it.
In 1992, Arao City purchased the property and carried out restoration work. The following year, the Birthplace of the Miyazaki Brothers and the Miyazaki Brothers Museum opened to the public, allowing visitors to learn about the family’s history in the place where it unfolded.
The Miyazaki Brothers Museum displays approximately 440 items, including documents, photographs, and newspapers related to Miyazaki Tōten, Hachirō, Tamizō, Yajirō, and Sun Yat-sen.
Among the important materials are a letter Sun Yat-sen addressed to Tamizō and Tōten’s autobiographical work, Sanju-san-nen no Yume, or A Thirty-Three-Year Dream. These records provide insight into the brothers’ political ideals, personal relationships, and support for revolutionary movements. They also help visitors understand the historical ties between Japan and China.
The garden contains an old plum tree known as the “Plum Tree of Friendship.” It is estimated to be approximately 250 to 300 years old. According to tradition, the Miyazaki family’s ancestors brought the tree from Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. The tree can also be seen in a photograph taken when Sun Yat-sen revisited the family home in 1913.
A bodhi tree in the garden was brought back by Miyazaki Tōten from Thailand, then known as Siam. Together, the two trees serve as living reminders of the family’s history and its friendship with Sun Yat-sen.
The brothers were influenced by their father, Chōzō, who taught them not to depend on government employment. None of them entered official government service. The eldest brother, Hachirō, died during the Satsuma Rebellion, and his death deeply affected the family.
The remaining brothers continued to support Sun Yat-sen and other revolutionaries, sometimes selling their own land to fund their activities. Their financial circumstances became difficult, but they remained committed to their ideals and continued their efforts to support political change.
After Tamizō’s death, the family home was put up for auction and acquired by the Kawaguchi family. Arao City later preserved the property and developed it into a historical attraction.
Interest in the site grew again around 2011, the centenary of the Xinhai Revolution, when more visitors from China came to learn about the relationship between Sun Yat-sen and the Miyazaki brothers. In 2013, China’s ambassador to Japan visited and left the phrase “Keiou Kairai” (継往開来), expressing the idea of carrying forward the past to open the way to the future.
The Birthplace of the Miyazaki Brothers remains an important historical site symbolizing friendship between Japan and China. The brothers’ dedication and their relationship with Sun Yat-sen offer visitors an opportunity to reflect on the ideals and personal bonds that helped shape modern history.