The Museum of Literature was built to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the city of Himeji, in becoming a municipality. The museum is dedicated to Tetsuro Watsuji philosopher (1889 - 1960) and eight other local writers. The set consists of the main building, an annex built in 1996 to serve as a library and archive of the works of writer Ryotaro Shiba, and the call bokeitei, built by the powerful local family Hamamoto, which moved above Watsuji study.