A museum in London dedicated to Japanese novelist Soseki Natsume (1867-1916), who spent two years in the British capital, will close in September, a year earlier than initially planned, its operator told Kyodo News on Sunday.

Ikuo Tsunematsu had previously planned to close the Soseki Museum in September 2017 as next year marks 150 years since the novelist's birth, but Britain's decision in June to leave the European Union forced the director to give up operating the museum for another year.

Following the Brexit vote, the outlook for Britain's economy has become uncertain and real estate prices in the country have fallen and are unlikely to turn around anytime soon.