Gomi Kosuke
Encyclopedia
was the pen-name of Gomi Yasusuke, a Japanese
novelist active during the Showa period
of Japan
. He is primarily known for his popular fiction on historical themes.
, and graduated from the Literature Department of Meiji University
. Conscripted into the Imperial Japanese Army
during World War II
, he met author Yasuda Yojuro, who encouraged him to pursue his interest in history and historical fiction
with a career as a writer. After the end of the war, he began writing popular fiction with swordsmen of the Edo period
as his protagonists. In particular, he wrote many stories using the historical Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi
as his hero. He also created a character named Aoi Shingo, a fictional illegitimate son of Shogun
Tokugawa Yoshimune
, who travels around Japan in disguise, righting wrongs done by the government.
Gomi won the 28th Akutagawa Prize
in 1952.
His novel, The Secret Scrolls, was made into a movie Yagyu Secret Scrolls starring Toshirō Mifune
in 1958.
In addition to his career as a writer, Gomi was also a noted music critic of classical music
, and also a reviewer and critic of audio systems. He was a man of wide ranging hobbies, from mahjong
to palmistry, and he left numerous monograph
s of his hobbies as well.
His grave is at the temple of Kenchō-ji
in Kamakura, Kanagawa
.
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...
novelist active during the Showa 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...
. He is primarily known for his popular fiction on historical themes.
Biography
Gomi was born in OsakaOsaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, and graduated from the Literature Department of Meiji University
Meiji University
is a private university in Tokyo and Kawasaki, founded in 1881 by three lawyers of the Meiji era, Kishimoto Tatsuo, Miyagi Kōzō, and Yashiro Misao. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Japanese universities in Tokyo, Japan....
. Conscripted 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...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he met author Yasuda Yojuro, who encouraged him to pursue his interest in history and 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...
with a career as a writer. After the end of the war, he began writing popular fiction with swordsmen of the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
as his protagonists. In particular, he wrote many stories using the historical Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi
Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi
Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi is one of the most famous and romanticized of the samurai in Japan's feudal era.Very little is known about the actual life of Yagyū Mitsuyoshi as the official records of his life are very sparse. Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi grew up in his family's ancestral lands, Yagyū no Sato,...
as his hero. He also created a character named Aoi Shingo, a fictional illegitimate son of Shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
Tokugawa Yoshimune
Tokugawa Yoshimune
was the eighth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1716 until his abdication in 1745. He was the son of Tokugawa Mitsusada, the grandson of Tokugawa Yorinobu, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu.-Lineage:...
, who travels around Japan in disguise, righting wrongs done by the government.
Gomi won the 28th Akutagawa Prize
Akutagawa Prize
The is a Japanese literary award presented semi-annually. It was established in 1935 by Kan Kikuchi, then-editor of Bungeishunjū magazine, in memory of author Ryūnosuke Akutagawa...
in 1952.
His novel, The Secret Scrolls, was made into a movie Yagyu Secret Scrolls starring Toshirō Mifune
Toshiro Mifune
Toshirō Mifune was a Japanese actor who appeared in almost 170 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration with filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, from 1948 to 1965, in works such as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, and Yojimbo...
in 1958.
In addition to his career as a writer, Gomi was also a noted music critic of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, and also a reviewer and critic of audio systems. He was a man of wide ranging hobbies, from mahjong
Mahjong
Mahjong, sometimes spelled Mah Jongg, is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players...
to palmistry, and he left numerous monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
s of his hobbies as well.
His grave is at the temple of Kenchō-ji
Kencho-ji
Kenchō-ji is a Rinzai Zen temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, which ranks first among Kamakura's so-called Five Great Zen Temples and is the oldest Zen training monastery in Japan. These temples were at the top of the Five Mountain System, a network of Zen temples started by the Hōjō...
in Kamakura, Kanagawa
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...
.
See also
- Japanese literatureJapanese literatureEarly works of Japanese literature were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, often written in Classical Chinese. Indian literature also had an influence through the diffusion of Buddhism in Japan...
- List of Japanese authors