Ooka Shohei
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese
novelist, literary critic, and translator of French literature
who was active during the Shōwa period
of Japan
. Ōoka belongs to the group of postwar writers whose World War II
experiences at home and abroad figure prominently in their works. Over his lifetime, he contributed short stories and critical essays to almost every literary magazine
in Japan.
. His parents were from Wakayama prefecture
, and his father was a stock broker
. He graduated from Kyoto Imperial University School of Literature. Raised to study literature from early childhood, he mastered French
while in high school. His parents also hired the famed literary critic Kobayashi Hideo
to be his tutor. Under Kobayashi's instruction, be became acquainted with poet Nakahara Chuya
, the critic Kawakami Tetsutaro, and other literary figures.
After graduation, Ōoka became a journalist
with the Kokumin Shimbun, a pro-government newspaper, but quit after one year to devote himself to the study and translate the works of the French writer
, Stendhal
, and other European writers into Japanese
. To support himself, he found a job in 1938 with a Franco-Japanese company based in Kobe
as a translator.
However, in 1944, he was drafted
into the Imperial Japanese Army
, given only three months of rudimentary training and sent to the front line at Mindoro Island in the Philippines
, where he served as his battalion's communications man until his battalion was routed and numerous men killed. In January 1945, he was captured by the American forces in the Philippine defeat and sent to a prisoner of war
camp on Leyte Island. Survival was very traumatic for Ōoka, who was troubled that he, a middle-aged and unworthy soldier, had survived when so many others had not. He returned to Japan at the end of the year.
, he published an autobiographical short-story of his experiences as a prisoner of war
entitled Furyoki ("Taken Captive: A Japanese POW's Story", 1948), in separate parts between 1948 and 1951. Its publication, along with winning the Yokomitsu Prize in 1949, encouraged him to take up writing as a career.
His next work, Musashino Fujin, ("A Wife in Musashino", 1950), is a psychological novel
patterned after the works of Stendhal.
His best-known novel, Nobi (Fires on the Plain
, 1951), was also well received by critics, and won the prestigious Yomiuri Prize
in 1951. Considered one of the most important novels of the postwar period, and based loosely on his own wartime experiences in the Philippines, Nobi explores the meaning of human existence through the struggle for survival of men who are driven by starvation to cannibalism
. It was subsequently made into a prize-winning film
by Ichikawa Kon in 1959, although the film substantially changes the protagonist's relationship to the theme of cannibalism.
In 1958, Ōoka veered from his usual subjects and produced Kaei ("The Shade of Blossoms", 1958–1959), depicting an aging naive nightclub hostess’ struggle and ultimate demise from the destructive forces of desire and wealth in the decadent 1950s Ginza
. The setting had changed but the recurring themes had not. His characters were still adrift and struggling for survival in an inhospitable jungle. Kaei won the Shichosha Prize in 1961.
Along with translations and fiction, Ōoka also devoted himself to writing the critical biographies of Nakahara Chuya
(which won the Noma Prize
) and Tominaga Taro. From 1953 to 1954, he was a Fulbright Visiting Professor
at Yale University
. He was also a lecturer on French literature
at Meiji University
in Tokyo
.
In the late 1960s, Ōoka revisited the subject of the Pacific War
and the Japanese defeat in the Philippines to produce one of his last books, the detailed historical novel Reite senki ("A Record of the Battle of Leyte
"). He compiled and researched an enormous amount of information for three years in order to produce it. As with all his writing, it looks at war critically from the perspective of a person who, despite ethical reservations, was forced to serve.
Ōoka died in 1988 at the age of 79. His grave is at the Tama Reien in the outskirts of 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...
novelist, literary critic, and translator of French literature
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
who 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...
. Ōoka belongs to the group of postwar writers whose 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...
experiences at home and abroad figure prominently in their works. Over his lifetime, he contributed short stories and critical essays to almost every literary magazine
Literary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
in Japan.
Early life
Ōoka was born in the Magome Ward of TokyoTokyo
, ; 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...
. His parents were from Wakayama prefecture
Wakayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...
, and his father was a stock broker
Stock broker
A stock broker or stockbroker is a regulated professional broker who buys and sells shares and other securities through market makers or Agency Only Firms on behalf of investors...
. He graduated from Kyoto Imperial University School of Literature. Raised to study literature from early childhood, he mastered French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
while in high school. His parents also hired the famed literary critic Kobayashi Hideo
Kobayashi Hideo
was a Japanese author, who established literary criticism as an independent art form in Japan.-Early life:Kobayashi was born in the Kanda district of Tokyo. He studied French literature at Tokyo Imperial University and graduated in 1927...
to be his tutor. Under Kobayashi's instruction, be became acquainted with poet Nakahara Chuya
Nakahara Chuya
was a Japanese poet active during the early Shōwa period of Japan.-Early life:Nakahara Chūya was born in Yamaguchi Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1907, where his father was an army doctor. In his early life, his father was posted to Hiroshima and Kanazawa, returning to Yamaguchi in 1914...
, the critic Kawakami Tetsutaro, and other literary figures.
After graduation, Ōoka became a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
with the Kokumin Shimbun, a pro-government newspaper, but quit after one year to devote himself to the study and translate the works of the French writer
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
, Stendhal
Stendhal
Marie-Henri Beyle , better known by his pen name Stendhal, was a 19th-century French writer. Known for his acute analysis of his characters' psychology, he is considered one of the earliest and foremost practitioners of realism in his two novels Le Rouge et le Noir and La Chartreuse de Parme...
, and other European writers 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...
. To support himself, he found a job in 1938 with a Franco-Japanese company based in Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
as a translator.
However, in 1944, he was drafted
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
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...
, given only three months of rudimentary training and sent to the front line at Mindoro Island in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, where he served as his battalion's communications man until his battalion was routed and numerous men killed. In January 1945, he was captured by the American forces in the Philippine defeat and sent to a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camp on Leyte Island. Survival was very traumatic for Ōoka, who was troubled that he, a middle-aged and unworthy soldier, had survived when so many others had not. He returned to Japan at the end of the year.
Literary career
It was not until his repatriation after the war's end that Ōoka began his career as a writer. On the recommendation of his mentor Hideo KobayashiHideo Kobayashi
was a Japanese author, who established literary criticism as an independent art form in Japan.-Early life:Kobayashi was born in the Kanda district of Tokyo. He studied French literature at Tokyo Imperial University and graduated in 1927...
, he published an autobiographical short-story of his experiences as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
entitled Furyoki ("Taken Captive: A Japanese POW's Story", 1948), in separate parts between 1948 and 1951. Its publication, along with winning the Yokomitsu Prize in 1949, encouraged him to take up writing as a career.
His next work, Musashino Fujin, ("A Wife in Musashino", 1950), is a psychological novel
Psychological novel
A psychological novel, also called psychological realism, is a work of prose fiction which places more than the usual amount of emphasis on interior characterization, and on the motives, circumstances, and internal action which springs from, and develops, external action...
patterned after the works of Stendhal.
His best-known novel, Nobi (Fires on the Plain
Fires on the Plain
Fires on the Plain is a Yomiuri Prize-winning novel by Ooka Shohei, published in 1951. It describes the experiences of a soldier in the routed Imperial Japanese Army on the Philippines in the final days of World War II....
, 1951), was also well received by critics, and won the prestigious 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 1951. Considered one of the most important novels of the postwar period, and based loosely on his own wartime experiences in the Philippines, Nobi explores the meaning of human existence through the struggle for survival of men who are driven by starvation to cannibalism
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
. It was subsequently made into a prize-winning film
Fires on the Plain (film)
is a 1959 Japanese war film directed by Kon Ichikawa, starring Eiji Funakoshi. The screenplay, written by, Natto Wada, is based on the novel Nobi by Shohei Ooka, translated as Fires on the Plain. It initially received mixed reviews from both Japanese and international critics concerning its...
by Ichikawa Kon in 1959, although the film substantially changes the protagonist's relationship to the theme of cannibalism.
In 1958, Ōoka veered from his usual subjects and produced Kaei ("The Shade of Blossoms", 1958–1959), depicting an aging naive nightclub hostess’ struggle and ultimate demise from the destructive forces of desire and wealth in the decadent 1950s Ginza
Ginza
is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi.It is known as an upscale area of Tokyo with numerous department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffeehouses. Ginza is recognized as one of the most...
. The setting had changed but the recurring themes had not. His characters were still adrift and struggling for survival in an inhospitable jungle. Kaei won the Shichosha Prize in 1961.
Along with translations and fiction, Ōoka also devoted himself to writing the critical biographies of Nakahara Chuya
Nakahara Chuya
was a Japanese poet active during the early Shōwa period of Japan.-Early life:Nakahara Chūya was born in Yamaguchi Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1907, where his father was an army doctor. In his early life, his father was posted to Hiroshima and Kanazawa, returning to Yamaguchi in 1914...
(which won the Noma Prize
Noma Prize
The Noma Prizes were established by Shoichi Noma, or in his honor. More than one award is conventionally identified as the Noma Prize.Noma was the former head of Kodansha, the Japanese publishing and bookselling company...
) and Tominaga Taro. From 1953 to 1954, he was a Fulbright Visiting Professor
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He was also a lecturer on French literature
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
at 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....
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...
.
In the late 1960s, Ōoka revisited the subject 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...
and the Japanese defeat in the Philippines to produce one of his last books, the detailed historical novel Reite senki ("A Record of the Battle of Leyte
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
"). He compiled and researched an enormous amount of information for three years in order to produce it. As with all his writing, it looks at war critically from the perspective of a person who, despite ethical reservations, was forced to serve.
Ōoka died in 1988 at the age of 79. His grave is at the Tama Reien in the outskirts of Tokyo.
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
- The Second Generation of Postwar WritersThe Second Generation of Postwar WritersThe is a classification in modern Japanese literature used for writers who appeared on the postwar literary scene between 1948 and 1949.Exceptional in this generation of postwar writers is Mishima Yukio and Abe Kōbō, both of whom have received acclaim in Japan and abroad...