Tachihara Masaaki
Encyclopedia
was the pen-name of a Japan
ese novelist of Korean descent, active during the Shōwa period
.
city, Gyeongsangbuk-do
province, Korea
to Korean
parents, during the period when Korea was under Japanese occupation
. His father was a former member of the Korean aristocracy and a military officer serving the Joseon Dynasty
, who became a Zen
priest after the Japanese annexation of Korea.
Four years after his father's death in 1931, Tachihara moved with his mother to Yokosuka
city, Kanagawa prefecture
, Japan
. His Korean name
was Kim Yun Kyu (金胤奎: 김윤규), but he changed his name to when his mother married a Japanese man. Later, he registered his name as Kanai Masaaki under the soushi-kaimei policy, but after his own marriage (to a Japanese woman), he once again changed his name to . He has been naturalized in Japan in 1947.
He was a student at Waseda University
in Tokyo
, and was initially enrolled in the Law Department. However, he gradually shifted over the literature department, drawn by his interest in the novels of Kawabata Yasunari
and the literary criticism
of Kobayashi Hideo
.
Tachihara was strongly attracted to medieval Japanese culture, particularly Noh
drama
, ceramics
, and traditional Japanese garden
s, and his novel
s are patterned after Zeami's Noh treatise Fushi Kaiden.
Bungei Kenkyukai. It was well received by literary critics, which led to his decision to become a professional writer. In 1958, he published Tanin no Jiyu (Other People's Freedom) in the magazine Gunzo, followed by Takigi Noh and Tsurugi-ga-saki.
He won the 55th Naoki Award for his novel Shiroi Kesho ("White Poppy", 1965), as well as being nominated for the Akutagawa Prize
twice. One of his books, Wind and Stone, translated into English
by Stephen W. Kohl, is highly appreciated in the West.
Tachihara's interests in Japanese culture led to his becoming a collector of ceramics including many Korean Yi Dynasty
works. He lived in Kamakura
, Kanagawa prefecture
from 1950 until his death of esophageal cancer
. Before he died, he officially changed his name to Tachihara Masaaki. His grave is at the temple of Zuisen-ji
in Kamakura.
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...
ese novelist of Korean descent, 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...
.
Early life
Tachihara was born in AndongAndong
Andong is a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, South Korea. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 in October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city...
city, Gyeongsangbuk-do
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Gyeongsangbuk-do or shortly Gyeongbuk is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea.The Gyeongsangbuk-do Office is...
province, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
to Korean
Korean people
The Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. Koreans are one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous groups in the world.-Names:...
parents, during the period when Korea was under Japanese occupation
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
. His father was a former member of the Korean aristocracy and a military officer serving the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
, who became a Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
priest after the Japanese annexation of Korea.
Four years after his father's death in 1931, Tachihara moved with his mother to Yokosuka
Yokosuka, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 419,067 and a population density of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km²...
city, 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...
, 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...
. His Korean name
Korean name
A Korean name consists of a family name followed by a given name, as used by the Korean people in both North Korea and South Korea. In the Korean language, 'ireum' or 'seong-myeong' usually refers to the family name and given name together...
was Kim Yun Kyu (金胤奎: 김윤규), but he changed his name to when his mother married a Japanese man. Later, he registered his name as Kanai Masaaki under the soushi-kaimei policy, but after his own marriage (to a Japanese woman), he once again changed his name to . He has been naturalized in Japan in 1947.
He was a student at 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...
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...
, and was initially enrolled in the Law Department. However, he gradually shifted over the literature department, drawn by his interest in the novels of Kawabata Yasunari
Yasunari Kawabata
was a Japanese short story writer and novelist whose spare, lyrical, subtly-shaded prose works won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968, the first Japanese author to receive the award...
and the literary criticism
Literary criticism
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...
of Kobayashi Hideo
Hideo 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...
.
Tachihara was strongly attracted to medieval Japanese culture, particularly Noh
Noh
, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, ceramics
Ceramics (art)
In art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
, and traditional Japanese garden
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
s, and his novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s are patterned after Zeami's Noh treatise Fushi Kaiden.
Literary career
Tachihara's first novel, Bakushu (Autumn Wheat) was published in the literary magazineLiterary 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...
Bungei Kenkyukai. It was well received by literary critics, which led to his decision to become a professional writer. In 1958, he published Tanin no Jiyu (Other People's Freedom) in the magazine Gunzo, followed by Takigi Noh and Tsurugi-ga-saki.
He won the 55th Naoki Award for his novel Shiroi Kesho ("White Poppy", 1965), as well as being nominated for the 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...
twice. One of his books, Wind and Stone, translated into 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...
by Stephen W. Kohl, is highly appreciated in the West.
Tachihara's interests in Japanese culture led to his becoming a collector of ceramics including many Korean Yi Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
works. He lived in 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 1950 until his death of esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes, primarily squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma . Squamous cell cancer arises from the cells that line the upper part of the esophagus...
. Before he died, he officially changed his name to Tachihara Masaaki. His grave is at the temple of Zuisen-ji
Zuisen-ji
is a Buddhist temple of the Rinzai sect in Nikaidō's near Kamakura, Japan. During the Muromachi period it was the family temple of the Ashikaga rulers of Kamakura : four of the five kubō are buried there in a private cemetery closed to the public and first kubō Ashikaga Motouji's is also known...
in Kamakura.
See also
- Lee HoesungLee HoesungLee Hoesung is a Zainichi Korean novelist in Japan. In 1972, he became the first ethnic Korean to win the Akutagawa Prize. Other representative works of his include Mihatenu Yume and Hyakunenno tabibitotachi .-Biography:Lee was born in 1935 to Korean immigrant parents in Maoka, Karafuto Prefecture...
, first Zainichi KoreanZainichi KoreanKoreans in Japan are the ethnic Korean residents of Japan. They currently constitute the second largest ethnic minority group in Japan. The majority of Koreans in Japan are Zainichi Koreans, also often known as Zainichi for short, who are the permanent ethnic Korean residents of Japan...
winner of the Akutagawa Prize - 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