Ozaki Kihachi
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese
poet
active during the Shōwa period
of Japan
.
. He atended the Keika Shogyo School, where he learned the English language
and developed an interest in anthologies of English poetry
. In 1911, he came to the attention of poet and sculptor, Takamura Kōtarō
, who encouraged his fledgling literary efforts.
While working as an employee of a company, Ozaki translated English poetry as a hobby, and submitted these translations together with his own original works to the literary magazine
, Shirakaba ("White Birch"). In 1922, he published his first anthology, Sora to Jumoku ("Sky and Trees"). As a follower of the Shirakaba philosophy of humanism
, he became close friends with Mushanokōji Saneatsu
and Senge Motomaro
. He was also fond of travel and mountaineering.
Ozaki later taught himself French
and German
, and was greatly influenced by writers such as Romain Rolland
and Herman Hesse.
His later works include Takamura Shisho ("Takamura Anthology") and Hana Sakeru Kodoku ("Flowering Loneliness"). Ozaki also published Yama no Ehon ("Mountain Picture Book") a collection of miscellaneous thoughts, and many translations of Romain Rolland, Herman Hesse and Georges Duhamel
.
From 1946 to 1954, he lived in a cottage in the mountains of Fujimi Kogen
, and left numerous works in which he praised the beauty of nature and rural life.
Ozaki died in 1974 at the age of 82. His grave is at the temple of Meigetsu-in
in Kamakura, Kanagawa
, the town where he lived from 1966 to his death.
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...
poet
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...
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...
.
Biography
Ozaki was born in 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...
. He atended the Keika Shogyo School, where he learned the English language
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...
and developed an interest in anthologies of English poetry
English poetry
The history of English poetry stretches from the middle of the 7th century to the present day. Over this period, English poets have written some of the most enduring poems in Western culture, and the language and its poetry have spread around the globe. Consequently, the term English poetry is...
. In 1911, he came to the attention of poet and sculptor, Takamura Kōtarō
Kotaro Takamura
was a Japanese poet and sculptor.-Biography:Kōtarō was the son of Takamura Kōun, a renowned Japanese sculptor.He graduated from the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1902, where he studied sculpture...
, who encouraged his fledgling literary efforts.
While working as an employee of a company, Ozaki translated English poetry as a hobby, and submitted these translations together with his own original works to the 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...
, Shirakaba ("White Birch"). In 1922, he published his first anthology, Sora to Jumoku ("Sky and Trees"). As a follower of the Shirakaba philosophy of humanism
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
, he became close friends with Mushanokōji Saneatsu
Mushanokoji Saneatsu
was the pen name of a Japanese novelist, playwright, poet, artist and philosopher active during the late Taishō and Shōwa periods of Japan. He was also sometimes known as Mushakōji Saneatsu, other pen-names included Musha and Futo-o.-Early life:...
and Senge Motomaro
Senge Motomaro
was a Japanese poet active during the Taishō and Shōwa periods of Japan.-Biography:Motomaro Senge was born in Tokyo as the younger son of the Shinto high priest of Izumo-taisha in Shimane Prefecture, who was also a member of the House of Peers. He was a member of the Shirakaba literary circle, and...
. He was also fond of travel and mountaineering.
Ozaki later taught himself 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...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, and was greatly influenced by writers such as Romain Rolland
Romain Rolland
Romain Rolland was a French dramatist, novelist, essayist, art historian and mystic who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915.-Biography:...
and Herman Hesse.
His later works include Takamura Shisho ("Takamura Anthology") and Hana Sakeru Kodoku ("Flowering Loneliness"). Ozaki also published Yama no Ehon ("Mountain Picture Book") a collection of miscellaneous thoughts, and many translations of Romain Rolland, Herman Hesse and Georges Duhamel
Georges Duhamel
Georges Duhamel , was a French author, born in Paris. Duhamel trained as a doctor, and during World War I was attached to the French Army. In 1920, he published Confession de minuit , the first of a series featuring the anti-hero Salavin...
.
From 1946 to 1954, he lived in a cottage in the mountains of Fujimi Kogen
Fujimi, Nagano
is a town located in Suwa District, Nagano, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 15,525 and a density of 107.32 persons per km². The total area is 144.66 km².-External links:*...
, and left numerous works in which he praised the beauty of nature and rural life.
Ozaki died in 1974 at the age of 82. His grave is at the temple of Meigetsu-in
Meigetsu-in
is a Rinzai Zen temple of the Kenchō-ji school in Kita-Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. Famous for its hydrangeas, it's also known as The Temple of Hydrangeas . The main object of worship is goddess Shō Kannon .- History :...
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...
, the town where he lived from 1966 to his death.