Chogoro Kaionji
Encyclopedia
was the pen-name of , a Japanese
author
. Noted for his historical fiction
novels, he was active during the Shōwa period
of Japan
.
city Kagoshima Prefecture
. He was a voracious reader as a youth, and although it was forbidden to read books on school grounds outside of the classroom, he would sneak books out of the library and read in secret on the school roof.
, he began writing fiction while teaching at a junior high school, at first in his native Kagoshima, and later in Kyoto
. His early novel Utakata Zoshi(Transient Notes) won prizes a contest run by the Mainichi Shimbun
weekly magazine, Sunday Mainichi in 1929, and he repeated this feat in 1932 with his second novel Fuun (Bad Luck).
Kaionji moved to Kamakura
, Kanagawa prefecture
from Kyoto
in 1934, when he made a resolution to pursue a career as a professional writer. He won the prestigious Naoki Prize
in 1936 with Tensho Onna Gassen ("Tensho Women's Battle"), about the life of the tea master Sen no Rikyu
and his daughter Ogin. He followed this with Budo Denraiki ("Samurai Chronicles") and other works with a similar medieval warrior theme, which were serialized in newspapers.
With the start of the Pacific War
, he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army
in 1941, and served for a year in Malaya
. Life in the army did not agree with him, and he returned to Japan in 1942 on medical leave, which he managed to stretch out for the next three years until the end of the war.
In the postwar years, he completed epic historical novels such as Moko Kitaru ("Mongol Attack"), Taira no Masakado
and Ten to Chi to ("Heaven and Earth (1990 film)
", 1960–1962), which formed the basis of some equally epic movies. He won the 16th Kikuchi Prize in 1968, and was made a member of the review committee for the Naoki Prize in 1970.
While writing TV dramas on the side, he contributed to the field of historical/biographical novels with Busho Retsuden ("Biographies of Warriors") and Akunin Retsuden ("Biographies of Villains"). He considered his life's work to be a biography of Saigō Takamori
, which he failed to complete due to his death of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1977.
His grave is at the Tsukiji Hongan-ji
in Tokyo
.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. Noted for his historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
novels, he was active during the Shōwa period
Showa period
The , or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989.The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor...
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Early life
Chōgorō was born in present-day OkuchiOkuchi, Kagoshima
was a city located in Kagoshima, Japan. It is now part of the city of Isa.Ōkuchi is the northernmost city on the mainland part of Kagoshima Prefecture. Only the island portion of Nagashima extends further north. Ōkuchi is a mountainous area that borders on Kumamoto Prefecture and Miyazaki Prefecture...
city Kagoshima Prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
. He was a voracious reader as a youth, and although it was forbidden to read books on school grounds outside of the classroom, he would sneak books out of the library and read in secret on the school roof.
Literary career
After graduating from Kokugakuin UniversityKokugakuin University
Kokugakuin University is a private university, whose main office is located in Tokyo's Shibuya district...
, he began writing fiction while teaching at a junior high school, at first in his native Kagoshima, and later in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. His early novel Utakata Zoshi(Transient Notes) won prizes a contest run by the Mainichi Shimbun
Mainichi Shimbun
The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by .-History:The history of the Mainichi Shimbun begins with founding of two papers during the Meiji period. The Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun was founded first, in 1872. The Mainichi claims that it is the oldest existing Japanese daily newspaper...
weekly magazine, Sunday Mainichi in 1929, and he repeated this feat in 1932 with his second novel Fuun (Bad Luck).
Kaionji moved to Kamakura
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
, Kanagawa prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
from Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
in 1934, when he made a resolution to pursue a career as a professional writer. He won the prestigious Naoki Prize
Naoki Prize
The Naoki Prize is a Japanese literary award presented semiannually. The official name is Naoki Sanjugo Prize. It was created in 1935 by Kikuchi Kan, then editor of the Bungeishunjū magazine, and named in memory of novelist Naoki Sanjugo...
in 1936 with Tensho Onna Gassen ("Tensho Women's Battle"), about the life of the tea master Sen no Rikyu
Sen no Rikyu
, is considered the historical figure with the most profound influence on chanoyu, the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of wabi-cha...
and his daughter Ogin. He followed this with Budo Denraiki ("Samurai Chronicles") and other works with a similar medieval warrior theme, which were serialized in newspapers.
With the start of the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
in 1941, and served for a year in Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
. Life in the army did not agree with him, and he returned to Japan in 1942 on medical leave, which he managed to stretch out for the next three years until the end of the war.
In the postwar years, he completed epic historical novels such as Moko Kitaru ("Mongol Attack"), Taira no Masakado
Taira no Masakado
was a samurai in the Heian period of Japan, who led one of the largest insurgent forces in the period against the central government of Kyoto.-History:...
and Ten to Chi to ("Heaven and Earth (1990 film)
Heaven and Earth (1990 film)
Heaven and Earth is a 1990 film directed by Haruki Kadokawa starring Enoki Takaaki, Tsugawa Masahiko, Asano Atsuko, Zaizen Naomi and Nomura Hironobu.-Plot summary:...
", 1960–1962), which formed the basis of some equally epic movies. He won the 16th Kikuchi Prize in 1968, and was made a member of the review committee for the Naoki Prize in 1970.
While writing TV dramas on the side, he contributed to the field of historical/biographical novels with Busho Retsuden ("Biographies of Warriors") and Akunin Retsuden ("Biographies of Villains"). He considered his life's work to be a biography of Saigō Takamori
Saigo Takamori
was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history, living during the late Edo Period and early Meiji Era. He has been dubbed the last true samurai.-Early life:...
, which he failed to complete due to his death of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1977.
His grave is at the Tsukiji Hongan-ji
Tsukiji Hongan-ji
, sometimes archaically romanized Hongwan-ji, is a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist temple located in the Tsukiji district of Tokyo, Japan.Tsukiji Hongan-ji's predecessor was the temple of Edo-Asakusa Gobo , built in Asakusa in 1617 at the behest of the 12th monshu, Junnyo Shōnin.The temple burned during a...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
.