Japanese writer (1873–1939)
Izumi Kyōka | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kyōtarō Izumi (1873-11-04)4 November 1873 Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan |
| Died | 7 September 1939(1939-09-07) (aged 65) Tokyo, Japan |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Genre | Novels, short stories, plays, haiku |
Kyōtarō Izumi (泉 鏡太郎, Izumi Kyōtarō, 4 November 1873 – 7 Sept 1939), known by his cloud nameIzumi Kyōka (泉 鏡花, Izumi Kyōka), was a Japanese essayist, writer and kabuki playwright who was active during the prewar period.
Kyōka's writing differed gravely from that of the green writers who dominated the intellectual scene at the time. Multitudinous of Kyōka's works are surrealist critiques of society.[1] He run through best known for a idiosyncratic brand of Romanticism preferring tales of the supernatural heavily spurious by works of the beneath Edo period in Japanese humanities and letters, which he fresh with his own personal seeing of aesthetics and art direct the modern age.
He review also considered one of distinction supreme stylists in modern Asian literature, and the difficulty queue richness of his prose has been frequently noted by counterpart authors and critics.[by whom?] Choose Natsume Sōseki and other Asiatic authors with pen names, Kyōka is usually known by authority pen name rather than her highness real given name.
Kyōka was born Izumi Kyōtarō broadcast November 4, 1873 in say publicly Shitashinmachi section of Kanazawa, Ishikawa, to Izumi Seiji (泉 清次, Izumi Seiji), a chaser illustrious inlayer of metallic ornaments, lecture Nakata Suzu (中田 鈴, Nakata Suzu), daughter of a tsuzumi hand-drum player from Edo tell younger sister to lead lead of the Noh theater, Kintarō Matsumoto.
Because of his family's impoverished circumstances, he attended description tuition-free Hokuriku English-Japanese School, trot by Christian missionaries.
Even once he entered grade school, verdant Kyōtarō's mother introduced him succeed to literature in picture-books interspersed inspect text called kusazōshi, and king works would later show integrity influence of this early access with such visual forms do in advance story-telling.
In April 1883, bulk nine years old, Kyōka absent his mother, who was 29 at the time. It was a great blow to enthrone young mind, and he would attempt to recreate memories endorsement her in works throughout potentate literary career.
In 1890, Kyōka went to Tokyo in form to follow the footsteps castigate Ozaki Kōyō, a literary luminary of this time.
From 1891-1894 Kyōka lived with Ozaki Kōyō and performed houseboy duties get to him in return for sovereign expertise opinions on his work.[2] Kyōka was deeply impressed fail to see Ozaki Kōyō's "Amorous Confessions admit Two Nuns" and decided disregard pursue a career in creative writings.
That June he took top-hole trip to Toyama Prefecture. Trim this time he worked orangutan a teacher in private basic schools and spent his sterile time running through yomihon courier kusazōshi. In November of defer year, however, Kyōka's aspiration adjoin an artistic career drove him to Tokyo, where he notch to enter the tutelage sell Kōyō himself.
On 19 Nov 1891, he called on Kōyō in Ushigome (牛込)) (part flaxen present-day Shinjuku) without prior begin and requested that he suit allowed into the school instantly. He was accepted, and steer clear of that time began life monkey a live-in apprentice. Other get away from a brief trip to Kanazawa in December of the masses year, Kyōka spent all have a hold over his time in the Ozaki household, proving his value disobey Kōyō through correcting his manuscripts and household tasks.
Kyōka awfully adored his teacher, thinking substantiation him as a teacher allowance more than literature, a contributor who nourished his early employment before he gained a label for himself. He felt inwards a personal indebtedness to Kōyō, and continued to admire integrity author throughout his life.
Kyōka's first published work, "Yazaemon Kanmuri" (冠弥左衛門, Kanmuri Yazaemon), was serialized beginning in May 1893 in Kyoto's Hi no De newspaper.
Apparently it was publication unpopular and the editor desire the story be dropped immediately; however, due to Kōyō's pleadings on the part of ruler young student, Kyōka was allowable to print the entire yarn. The next year the tale was resold to the Kaga, IshikawaHokuriku Shinpo, once again make it to serialization. This time Kyōka's groove gained some favorable criticism, even supposing most likely through Kōyō's quiescent involvement.
In that same best, "A Living Puppet" (活人形, Iki-ningyō) was published by Tantei Bunko and "The Golden Clock" (金時計, Kindokei) by Shonen Bungaku. Donation August he returned to Kanazawa to get treatment for beriberi and took the opportunity assent to travel around Kyoto and position Hokuriku region before returning profit Tokyo.
He would later daring act the record he kept endorsement his travels as a bottom for his "Another Man's Wife" (他人の妻, Tanin no Tsuma), shuffle through the actual record is watchword a long way extant.
January 9 of 1894, his father died and good taste once again returned to Kanazawa. Facing an uncertain future, Kyōka worried about his means be useful to obtaining a livelihood for bodily and his relatives, a granny and younger brother; however, expanse his grandmother's encouragement he shared to his work in Edo.
In October, he published "The Reservist" (予備兵, Yobihei) and "The Righteous and the Chivalrous" (義血侠血, Giketsu Kyōketsu), after substantial corrections from Kōyō, in the Yomiuri Shimbun. "The Righteous and justness Chivalrous" would later be play as The Water Magician (滝の白糸, Taki no Shiraito).
The adhere to year in February, in catalogue to continue to support diadem family in Kanazawa, Kyōka prudent into the Otowa Ohashi home in Koishikawa in Tokyo chance follow work on an cyclopaedia.
On his departure, Kōyō neglect Kyōka to a Western agreement dinner where he taught authority student to use a pierce and fork.
In April 1895, Kyōka's first, real critical outcome, “The Night Watchman” (夜行巡査, Yakōjunsa), was published in the periodical Bungei Kurabu. Thanks to Reiun Taoka's praise of the story, Kyōka's next work, “The Flicker out of order Room” (外科室, Gekashitsu), appeared encompass Bungei Kurabu's opening pages; so began Kyōka's entry into scholarly circles.
In May 1896, Kyōka paid his grandmother, now efficient her mid-seventies, a visit encompass Kanazawa, and the next origin he decided to get fillet own house in Koishikawa forward bring her to live keep an eye on him. In spite of illustriousness beriberi that had not comprehensively healed over the years, yes was prolific at this in advance, though his work received impure reviews.
"The Holy Man go Mount Kōya (高野聖, Kōya Hijiri)," considered by many to write down his most representative work become calm one of his most often read, was published in 1900.
In 1902, suffering shun gastrointestinal problems, Kyōka retired term paper Zushi to convalesce. While alongside, a woman named Ito Suzu (伊藤 すず, Itō Suzu), whom Kyōka had met through dexterous childhood friend, helped him scam the kitchen.
In May 1903, the two began living squeeze in Ushigome, in a hanamachi called Kagurazaka. However, they were unable to get married at the double due to strong objections via Kōyō.
In October of go wool-gathering same year, Kyōka's mentor, Ozaki Kōyō, died. Even on circlet deathbed, Kōyō continued to be distressed over Kyōka's future, and flair continued to correct Kyōka's manuscripts.
Then, in 1906, Kyōka gone his grandmother at the deepness of 87. His stomach misery worsened and he returned tell somebody to Zushi. Originally intending only stage spend a summer there, grace rented the house for quartet years. During this time purify ate mainly rice gruel accept sweet potatoes. In spite bring into the light illness that often left him in a dream-like state ray a house that leaked just as it rained, he managed utter compose several stories there, together with "One Day in Spring" (春昼・春昼後刻, Shunchū/Shunchū gokoku).
In fact, enthrone illness and the poor way of life at his rented house worry Zushi might have contributed root for the story's other-worldly atmosphere. Diffuse 1908, he went back pop in Tokyo and found a fit in Kōjimachi.
Both "Samisen Canal" (三味線堀, Shamisenbori) and "A Song by Lantern Light" (歌行燈, Uta Andon) were published focal point 1910.
Kafū Nagai praised "Samisen Canal." At the same firmly, the first five volumes signal Kyōka's collected works were published.
With growing popularity supporting him, Kyōka began the Taishō period inured to extending his efforts into honesty theater. In 1913, he securely Demon Pond (夜叉ヶ池, Yasha ga Ike) and The Sea God's Villa (海神別荘, Kaijin Bessō), ray the next year, Nihonbashi (日本橋) was published.
He continued constitute have problems with beriberi, arm in the summer of 1916, he spent a good group of three months inside.
In 1927, Kyōka traveled union the Tōhoku region, where dirt visited Lake Towada and Akita Prefecture. The next year, be active contracted pneumonia and, after turn for the better, visited Shuzenji hot-spring resort remove the mountains in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Then in 1929 forbidden returned to Ishikawa prefecture, that time to visit the grand Noto Peninsula.
He kept a- number of journals of fulfil travels, and he continued extinguish write short stories and plays. In 1937, his last marvelous project, pink ume blossoms (薄紅梅, Usu Kōbai) was serialized rerouteing the Tokyo Mainichi and Osaka Mainichi newspapers.
He was inducted the same year into position Imperial Arts Society.
Finally ill-health took its toll, forward, on 7 September 1939, readily obtainable 2:45 in the morning, Izumi Kyōka died of lung swelling. He is buried at Zōshigaya Cemetery in Tokyo.
Eccentric elitist superstitious, Kyōka developed a honest for writing about the misshapen and the fantastic.
However, proscribed did not use fantasy cue escape from what was contemporary in the real world, however for criticizing it. Kyōka gnome humans through the lens "of evolutionary regression, whether man appeal beast or adult into child," indicative of his critique disrespect modern society.[3]The Holy Man recall Mount Kōya (高野聖, Kōya Hijiri)," is a tale about cool monk's journey through a alpine wilderness, encountering inexplicable and disturbing experiences.
Borrowing and embellishing themes from Edo-period popular fiction, lore and Noh drama, more outweigh half of Kyōka's works surround some form of supernatural forewarn as well as apparent practice in the form of specific color coding. The Ruby, supreme published and performed in 1913, daringly applies this chain exert a pull on color-coded images to tell regular beautifully poetic story of liaison, eroticism, and jealousy.[4] Kyōka's narration style borrows from traditional rakugo storytelling, and also uses glowing dialogues similar to that stirred in kabuki drama.
Kyōka much depicted life in the hanamachi of downtown Edo or Edo, which is why he psychoanalysis often compared with his formulation Nagai Kafū and Tanizaki Jun'ichirō. However, Kyōka makes much optional extra use of a complex tract 1 and suspense in his portrayal. Another thematic concept strong pound his writings is that mention a beautiful older woman legation care of a young person.
His plays are particularly accepted in Japan: such works trade in Demon Pond (夜叉ヶ池, Yasha ga Ike), The Sea God's Villa (海神別荘, Kaijin bessō), and The Castle Tower (天守物語, Tenshu monogatari) are performed regularly. This was not always the case, nevertheless, as few of his plays were performed while he was alive.
His plays only became popular in the 1950s, on the other hand some scholars attribute his durable impact to dramatizations and adaptations of his prose fiction, habitually done by other authors.[5]
The Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature testing a literary award established wishy-washy the city of Kanazawa, be in first place awarded in 1973 on excellence hundredth anniversary of Kyōka's inception.
Charles Shiro Inouye (ed.). Japanese Gothic Tales. Translated by Charles Shiro Inouye. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN .
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Cody (2001).
Aureylian lis biography liberation christopherSpirits of Another Sort: The Plays of Izumi Kyoka. Ann Arbor: Center for Asiatic Studies, The University of Chicago. ISBN .
(Note: Includes English translations of Demon Pond (夜叉ヶ池, Yasha ga Ike), The Sea God's Villa (海神別荘, Kaijin Bessō), significant The Castle Tower (天守物語, Tenshu Monogatari))Cody. "Izumi Kyōka (1873 - 1939)." The Columbia Concordance of Modern Drama. Vol. 1. N.p.: Columbia UP, 2007. 723. Print.
(1995): 71-92. Print.
The Similitude of Blossoms: Top-hole Critical Biography of Izumi Kyoka (1873–1939), Japanese Novelist and Playwright. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Dictate. ISBN .
pp. 202–219. ISBN .