The Sympathy Pavilion

The Sympathy Pavilion

The Sympathy Pavilion, also known as the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, is located in Higashimaioka, Tarumi-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, adjacent to the world’s largest suspension bridge over the sea—the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge. Established in November 1984, it is the only public facility in Japan dedicated to commemorating Sun Yat-sen, the Chinese revolutionary, politician, and thinker. Its purpose is to deepen historical understanding between modern Japan and China and to promote the development of friendship and academic exchanges between the two countries.

Originally, the Sympathy Pavilion was the villa of Chinese entrepreneur Wu Jin-tang, named “Songhai Villa.” On March 14, 1913, Sun Yat-sen visited Kobe, where a welcome luncheon for him was held at the “Songhai Villa” by local Chinese residents and business leaders. Later, in November 1983, the Kobe Overseas Chinese Association, which had been managing the “Sympathy Pavilion,” donated it to Hyogo Prefecture. On November 12, 1984, on the anniversary of Sun Yat-sen’s birth, Hyogo Prefecture renamed it the “Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall” and opened it to the public.

The Sympathy Pavilion houses a rich collection of materials and memorabilia, documenting not only the revolutionary activities of Dr. Sun Yat-sen but also preserving the historical memory of his revolutionary journey in Japan and the history of friendly exchanges between China and Japan. In November 2001, it was designated as an Important Cultural Property by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Ijokaku

Must-visit reason: The only public facility in Japan dedicated to commemorating Sun Yat-sen

Continent: Asia [Asia]

Country/Region: Japan [Japan]

Prefecture/State: Hyogo Prefecture [Hyōgo Prefecture]

City: Kobe City [Kobe]