Hinatsu Konosuke
Encyclopedia
was the pen-name of a Japanese poet known for his romantic and gothic poetry patterned after English literature
. His real name was Higuchi Kunito.
in Nagano prefecture
, Hinatsu graduated from Waseda University
, and was later a professor of English literature
at Waseda. He was influenced by the works of Oscar Wilde
and Edgar Allan Poe
, and the Japanese writers Mishima Yukio and Shibusawa Tatsuhiko. His specialty was the translation of romantic
and gothic poetry from English
into Japanese
. Always in poor health, and a fervent Roman Catholic, he always had an icon of the Virgin Mary in his room.
In 1915 Hinatsu founded the magazine Shijin (Poets) with Horiguchi Daigaku
and Saijo Yaso.
In 1917, Hinatsu published the first anthology of his own works, Tenshin no sho, which combined elements from both genre
into what he described as “gothic romanticism”. Using complex symbol
ism, his works were a distinct contrast from the realistic poetry then in vogue.
His critical study, Meiji Taisho shi shi (1929) was the first scholarly history of modern Japanese poetry
, and was awarded the 1st Yomiuri Prize
in 1949.
Hinatsu suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1956, and returned to his native Iida. However, in 1961, he accepted a post as professor of English literature at Aoyama Gakuin University
, and returned to Tokyo, where he lived until 1971.
In 1986, the Hinatsu Kōnosuke Memorial Museum was opened in his honor in Iida, Nagano.
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
. His real name was Higuchi Kunito.
Biography
A native of what is now part of Iida cityIida, Nagano
is a city located in southern Nagano Prefecture, Japan.Located on the Iida Line, an old local train line that runs through the valley of the Tenryū River in the southern Japan Alps, Iida lies 90 minutes northeast of the major city of Nagoya by automobile via the Chūō Expressway...
in Nagano prefecture
Nagano Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...
, Hinatsu graduated from Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
, and was later a professor of English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
at Waseda. He was influenced by the works of Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
and Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
, and the Japanese writers Mishima Yukio and Shibusawa Tatsuhiko. His specialty was the translation of romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
and gothic poetry from English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
into Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. Always in poor health, and a fervent Roman Catholic, he always had an icon of the Virgin Mary in his room.
In 1915 Hinatsu founded the magazine Shijin (Poets) with Horiguchi Daigaku
Horiguchi Daigaku
was a poet and translator of French literature in Taishō and Shōwa period Japan.-Early life:Horiguchi was born in the Hongo district of Tokyo. His father, Horiguchi Kumaichi was an ex-samurai from Echigo and a career diplomat with the Foreign Ministry...
and Saijo Yaso.
In 1917, Hinatsu published the first anthology of his own works, Tenshin no sho, which combined elements from both genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
into what he described as “gothic romanticism”. Using complex symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
ism, his works were a distinct contrast from the realistic poetry then in vogue.
His critical study, Meiji Taisho shi shi (1929) was the first scholarly history of modern Japanese poetry
Japanese poetry
Japanese poets first encountered Chinese poetry during the Tang Dynasty. It took them several hundred years to digest the foreign impact, make it a part of their culture and merge it with their literary tradition in their mother tongue, and begin to develop the diversity of their native poetry. For...
, and was awarded the 1st Yomiuri Prize
Yomiuri Prize
The is a prestigious literary award in Japan. The prize was founded in 1948 by the Yomiuri Shinbun Company to help form a "cultural nation". The winner is awarded one million Japanese yen and an inkstone.-Award categories:...
in 1949.
Hinatsu suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1956, and returned to his native Iida. However, in 1961, he accepted a post as professor of English literature at Aoyama Gakuin University
Aoyama Gakuin University
, abbreviated AGU, is a Japanese Christian university in Shibuya near Omotesandō, Tokyo, Japan. Aoyama Gakuin University is part of a comprehensive educational institute called Aoyama Gakuin, which includes a kindergarten, an elementary school, junior and senior high schools, and a women's junior...
, and returned to Tokyo, where he lived until 1971.
In 1986, the Hinatsu Kōnosuke Memorial Museum was opened in his honor in Iida, Nagano.