NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Yukio Mishima

Yukio Mishima (三島由紀夫 Mishima Yukio^?) was the public name of Kimitake Hiraoka (平岡公威 Hiraoka Kimitake^?, January 14, 1925–November 25, 1970), a Japanese author and playwright, famous for both his highly notable nihilistic post-war writings and the circumstances of his ritual suicide by seppuku. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A pseudonym (Greek: , pseudo + -onym: false name) is an artificial, fictitious name, also known as an alias, used by an individual as an alternative to a persons legal name. ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Shinjuku ) is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. ... is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... JSDF is an abreviation for Japanese Self-Defense Forces. ... Tokyo ), the common English name for the Tokyo Metropolis ), is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and, unique among the prefectures, provides certain municipal services characteristic of a city. ... For the album by the Kaiser Chiefs see Employment (album) Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... A novel is an extended work of written, narrative, prose fiction, usually in story form; the writer of a novel is a novelist. ... A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or drama. ... The poor poet A poet is a person who writes poetry. ... An essayist is an author who writes compositions which can be about any particular subject. ... In English usage, nationality is the legal relationship between a person and a country. ... Paul Thomas Mann (June 6, 1875 â€“ August 12, 1955) was a German novelist, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and 1929 Nobel Prize laureate, known for his series of highly symbolic and often ironic epic novels and mid-length stories, noted for their insight into the psychology of the artist and intellectual. ... It has been suggested that Cultural depictions of Fyodor Dostoevsky be merged into this article or section. ... FranÃ§ois Mauriac (October 11, 1885 â€“ September 1, 1970) was a French author, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Authorship redirects here. ... A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or drama. ... Nihilism (from the Latin nihil, nothing) is a philosophical position which argues that the world, especially past and current human existence, is without objective meaning, purpose, comprehensible truth, or essential value. ... Ritual suicide is the act of suicide motivated by a religious, spiritual, or traditional ritual. ... â€œhara-kiriâ€ redirects here. ...

Early life

Mishima was born in the Yotsuya district of Tōkyō (now part of Shinjuku). His father was Azusa Hiraoka, a government official while his mother Shizue was the daughter of a school's principal in Tokyo. His paternal grandparents were Jotaro and Natsuko Hiraoka. He had a younger brother named Chiyuki and a sister named Mitsuko who died of typhus. Mishima's early childhood was dominated by the shadow of his grandmother, Natsu, who took the boy and separated him from his immediate family for several years.^[1] Natsu was the illegitimate granddaughter of Matsudaira Yoritaka, the daimyo of Shishido in Hitachi province, and had been raised in the household of Prince Arisugawa Taruhito; she maintained considerable aristocratic pretensions even after marrying Mishima's grandfather, a commoner but nevertheless a bureaucrat who had made his fortunes in the newly opened colonial frontier, and who rose to become Governor-General of Karafuto. She was stubborn, and this was exacerbated by her sciatica. The young Mishima was employed to massage her to help alleviate her pain. She was also prone to violence, even morbid outbursts bordering on madness, which are occasionally alluded to in Mishima's works.^[2] It is to Natsu that some biographers have traced Mishima's fascination with death^[3], and to the exorbitant; she read French and German, and had an aristocrat's taste for the Kabuki, Nō and the works of Izumi Kyoka. Natsu famously did not allow Mishima to venture into the sunlight, to engage in any kind of sport, or to play with boys; he spent much of his time alone, or with female cousins and their dolls.^[2] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Yotsuya ) is a neighborhood in the Chiyoda special ward in Tokyo, Japan. ... The modern skyline of Tokyo is highly decentralized. ... Shinjuku ) is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. ... Matsudaira Yoritaka ); (March 17, 1810-November 1886) was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo Period who served as daimyo of Shishido han. ... Daimyo Matsudaira Katamori visits the residence of a retainer. ... Categories: Japan geography stubs | Old provinces of Japan ... HIH Arisugawa Taruhito ); (13 March 1835 â€“ 15 January 1895) became the 9th head of Arisugawa-no-miya ) line of shinnÅke cadet branches of the Imperial Family of Japan on 9 September 1871. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Sciatica is pain caused by general compression and/or irritation of one of five nerve roots that are branches of the sciatic nerve. ... The oldest Kabuki theatre in Japan: the Minamiza in Kyoto The Kabukiza in Ginza is one of Tokyos leading kabuki theaters. ... Noh performance at Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima, Hiroshima Noh or No (Japanese: èƒ½, nÅ) is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. ... Kyoka Izumi (泉鏡花 Izumi Kyōka) (November 4, 1873 - September 7, 1939) is the pen name of a Japanese author of novels and kabuki plays whose real name was Taro Sakai. ...

Mishima returned to his immediate family at 12. It was to his mother that he turned always for reassurance and proof-reading. His father, a brutal man with a taste for military discipline, employed such tactics as holding the young boy up to the side of a speeding train; he also raided Mishima's room for evidence of an "effeminate" interest in literature, and ripped up adolescent Mishima's manuscripts wantonly. Mishima is reported to have had no response to these gestures. (One important rejoinder one might add to his oft-fictionalised early life is that biographers have often taken certain off-the-cuff remarks and Confessions of a Mask as expressions of autobiography. This is problematic, and has led to the more general issue of Mishima as larger-than-life.)^{[citation needed]} Confessions of a Mask (ä»®é¢ã®å‘Šç™½ Kamen no kokuhaku) is Japanese author Yukio Mishimas first novel. ...

Schooling and early works

At 12, Mishima began to write his first stories. He read voraciously the works of Oscar Wilde, Rainer Maria Rilke, and numerous Japanese classics. Although his family was not as affluent as those of the other students of this institution, Natsu insisted that he attend the elite Peers School.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links Mishima_HighSchool. ... Image File history File links Mishima_HighSchool. ... Oscar Fingal OFlahertie Wills Wilde (October 16, 1854 â€“ November 30, 1900) was an Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and author of short stories. ... Rainer Maria Rilke (4 December 1875 â€“ 29 December 1926) is considered one of the German languages greatest 20th century poets. ... The Gakushuin University (学習院大学 Gakushūin Daigaku) or formerly Peers School (now incorporated as the Gakushuin School Corporation) is an educational institution in Tokyo established in 1877, during the Meiji era, for the education of the children of the Japanese aristocracy, though it eventually also...

After six miserable years at school, he still was a pale and frail teenager, but he started to do well and became the youngest member of the editorial board in the literary society at the school. Mishima was attracted to the works of Tachihara Michizo, which in turn created an appreciation for the classical poetry form of the waka. Mishima's first published works included waka poetry, before he turned his attention to prose. Tachihara Michizo(ç«‹åŽŸ é“é€ , July 30, 1914 - March 29, 1939) is a Japanese author. ... Waka (å’ŒæŒ) or Yamato uta is a genre of Japanese poetry. ...

He was invited to write a prose short story for the Peers' School literary magazine and submitted Hanazakari no Mori (The Forest in Full Bloom), a story in which the narrator describes the feeling that his ancestors somehow still live within him, due to a shared love of the sea and the southern sun.^{[citation needed]} Mishima’s teachers were so impressed with the work that they recommended it for the prestigious literary magazine, Bungei-Bunka (Literary Culture) which they helped edit.^{[citation needed]} The story, which makes use of the metaphors and aphorisms which later came to typify his writing, was published in book form in 1944, albeit in a limited fashion (4000 copies) due to the wartime shortage of paper. In order to protect young Hiraoka from a possible backlash from his schoolmates, his teachers coined the pen-name "Mishima Yukio". This article is in need of attention. ... A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. ... Look up metaphor in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A pen name, nom de plume, or nom de guerre, is a pseudonym adopted by an author for various reasons. ...

Mishima's story Tabako (The Cigarette) published in 1946, describes some of the scorn and bullying he faced at school when he later confessed to members of the school's rugby club that he belonged to the school’s literary society. This trauma also provided material for the later story Shi o Kaku Shōnen (The Boy Who Wrote Poetry) in 1954. A rugby union scrum. ...

Mishima received a draft notice for the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. At the time of his medical check up he had a cold and spontaneously lied to the army doctor about having symptoms of tuberculosis and thus was declared unfit for service. Although Mishima was greatly relieved of not having to go to war, he continued to feel guilty for having survived and having missed the chance for an heroic death. â€œConscriptâ€ redirects here. ... The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) (KyÅ«jitai: å¤§æ—¥æœ¬å¸åœ‹é™¸è», Shinjitai: , Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus) is a common and deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacteria, mainly Mycobacterium tuberculosis. ...

Although his father had forbidden him to write any further stories, Mishima continued to write secretly every night, supported and protected by his mother Shizue, who was always the first to read a new story. Attending lectures during the day and writing at night, Mishima graduated from the elite University of Tokyo in 1947. He obtained a position as an official in the government's Finance Ministry and was set up for a promising career. The place of the establishment of the University of Tokyo The University of Tokyo ), abbreviated as Todai ), is one of the leading research universities in Japan. ... The finance minister is a cabinet position in a government. ...

However, Mishima had exhausted himself so much that his father agreed to Mishima's resignation of his position during his first year in order to devote his time to writing.

Post-war literature

Mishima began the short story Misaki nite no Monogatari (A Story at the Cape) in 1945, and continued to work on it through the end of World War II. In January 1946, he visited famed writer Kawabata Yasunari in Kamakura, taking with him the manuscripts for Chūsei (The Middle Ages) and Tabako, asking for Kawabata’s advice and assistance. In June 1946, per Kawabata's recommendations, Tabako was published in the new literary magazine Ningen (Humanity). Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Yasunari Kawabata (川端 康成 Kawabata Yasunari, June 14, 1899 - April 16, 1972) was a Japanese novelist who became the first Japanese, and second Asian, to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 1968. ... Kamakuras location in Japan Crowds of visitors in Kamakura (Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine) Great Buddha at KÅtoku-in Kamakura (Japanese: éŽŒå€‰å¸‚; -shi) is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan, about 50 km south-south-west of Tokyo (to which it is linked by the railway line to Yokosuka). ...

Also in 1946, Mishima began his first novel, Tōzoku (Thieves), a story about two young members of the aristocracy drawn towards suicide. It was published in 1948, placing Mishima in the ranks of the Second Generation of Postwar Writers. He followed with Kamen no Kokuhaku (Confessions of a Mask), a semi-autobiographical account of a young latent homosexual who must hide behind a mask in order to fit into society. The novel was extremely successful and made Mishima a celebrity at the age of 24. The Second Generation of Postwar Writers ) is a classification in modern Japanese literature used for writers who appeared on the postwar literary scene between 1948 and 1949. ... Confessions of a Mask (ä»®é¢ã®å‘Šç™½ Kamen no kokuhaku) is Japanese author Yukio Mishimas first novel. ... Cover of the first English edition of 1793 of Benjamin Franklins autobiography. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ...

Around 1949, Mishima published a series of essays in Kindai Bungaku on Kawabata Yasunari, of whom he always had a deep appreciation. Mishima was a disciplined and versatile writer. He wrote not only novels, popular serial novellas, short stories, and literary essays, but also highly-acclaimed plays for the Kabuki theater and modern versions of traditional Nō drama. Yasunari Kawabata (川端 康成 Kawabata Yasunari, June 14, 1899 - April 16, 1972) was a Japanese novelist who became the first Japanese, and second Asian, to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 1968. ... The oldest Kabuki theatre in Japan: the Minamiza in Kyoto The Kabukiza in Ginza is one of Tokyos leading kabuki theaters. ... Noh performance at Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima, Hiroshima Noh or No (Japanese: èƒ½, nÅ) is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. ...

His writing gained him international celebrity and a sizable following in Europe and America, as many of his most famous works were translated into English. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Mishima traveled extensively; in 1952 he visited Greece, which had fascinated him since childhood. Elements from his visit appear in Shiosai (Sound of the Waves), which was published in 1954, and which drew inspiration from the Greek legend of Daphnis and Chloe. The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the Ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. ... Longus was a Greek sophist and romancer, and author of Daphnis and Chloe. ...

Mishima made use of contemporary events in many of his works. Kinkakuji (The Temple of the Golden Pavilion) in 1956 is a fictionalization of the burning of the famous temple in Kyōto. Utage no Ato (After the Banquet), published in 1960, so closely followed the events surrounding politician Arita Hachiro's campaign to become governor of Tokyo that Mishima was sued for invasion of privacy.^{[citation needed]} In 1962, Mishima's most avant-garde work, Utsukushii Hoshi (Beautiful Planet), which at times comes close toscience-fiction, was published. Its failure to attract attention came as a discouraging blow to Mishima's pride, and may have been one factor in his drift away from writing and into radical politics. Its about a crazy kid who stutters and burns down the great Golden Temple in Kyoto. ... This page is about the city Kyoto. ... Hachiro Arita (æœ‰ç”°å…«éƒŽ, Arita Hachirou, born September 21, 1884, died March 4, 1965) was a Japanese general and political leader who served as the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs three times between; April 12, 1936 - March 2, 1937 October 30, 1938 - August 29, 1939 January 15, 1940 - July 21, 1940 Categories... Invasion of privacy is a legal term essentially defined as a violation of the right to be left alone. ... A work similar to Marcel Duchamps Fountain Avant garde (written avant-garde) is a French phrase, one of many French phrases used by English speakers. ... For the song from The Rocky Horror Show, see Science Fiction/Double Feature. ...

Mishima was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature three times and was the darling of many foreign publications. However, in 1968 his early mentor Kawabata won the Nobel Prize and Mishima realized that the chances of it being given to another Japanese author in the near future were slim. It is also believed that Mishima wanted to leave the prize to the aging Kawabata, out of respect for the man who had first introduced him to the literary circles of Tokyo in the 1940s. The Nobel Prize in literature is awarded annually to an author from any country who has produced the most outstanding work of an idealistic tendency. The work in this case generally refers to an authors work as a whole, not to any individual work, though individual works are sometimes...

Private life

After Confessions of a Mask, Mishima tried to leave behind the young man who had lived only inside his head, continuously flirting with death. He tried to tie himself to the real, physical world by taking up stringent physical exercise. In 1955, Mishima took up weight training, and his workout regimen of three sessions per week was not disrupted for the final 15 years of his life. From the most unpromising material he forged an impressive physique, as the photographs he had taken show. In a later essay published in 1968, Taiyō to Tetsu (Sun and Steel), Mishima deplores the emphasis given by intellectuals to the mind over the body. Mishima later also became very skillful at kendō (the Japanese martial art of swordfighting). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The modern skyline of Tokyo is highly decentralized. ... Shintaro Ishihara (right) in a typical election poster pose with local lawmaker Ichiro Akita (left). ... The term Exercise can refer to: Physical exercise such as running or strength training Exercise (options), the financial term for enacting and terminating a contract Category: ... A complete weight training workout can be performed with a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a set of weight disks (plates). ... Kendo (å‰£é“ KendÅ) or way of the sword, is the martial art of Japanese fencing. ... Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ...

Although he visited gay bars in Japan, Mishima's sexual orientation remains a matter of debate. After briefly considering an alliance with Michiko Shōda – she later became the wife of Emperor Akihito – he married Yoko Sugiyama in 1958, June 11th. The couple had two children, a daughter named Noriko, born in June 2, 1959 and a son named Iichiro, born in May 2, 1962. Empress Michiko of Japan, (born October 20, 1934) formerly Michiko ShÅda (æ£ç”° ç¾Žæ™ºå ShÅda Michiko) and later the Crown Princess of Japan (April 10, 1959 to January 7, 1989), is the wife and consort of the reigning Emperor of Japan, HIM Emperor Akihito. ... Emperor Akihito reads the Speech from the Throne to the Japanese Diet His Imperial Majesty Akihito (明仁) (born December 23, 1933) is the current and 125th Emperor of Japan. ...

In 1967, Mishima enlisted in the Ground Self Defense Force (GSDF) and underwent basic training. A year later, he formed the Tatenokai (Shield Society), a private army composed primarily of young patriotic students who studied martial principles and physical discipline and who were trained through the GSDF under Mishima's tutelage, and who swore to protect the emperor. However, under Mishima's ideology, the emperor was not necessarily the reigning emperor, but rather the abstract essence of Japan. In Eirei no Koe (Voices of the Heroic Dead) Mishima actually denounces Emperor Hirohito for renouncing his divinity at the end of World War II, as this dishonored the memory of the kamikaze fliers who gave up their lives for him. The Japan Self-Defense Forces ), or JSDF, are the military forces in Japan that were established after the end of World War II. The force has not been engaged in real combat but has been engaged in some international peacekeeping operations. ... The Tatenokai (盾の会) or Shield Society was a private militia in Japan dedicated to traditional Japanese values and veneration of the Emperor. ... Hirohito (裕仁), the Shōwa Emperor (昭和天皇), (April 29, 1901 - January 7, 1989) reigned over Japan from 1926 to 1989. ... USS Bunker Hill was hit by Ogawa (see picture left) and another kamikaze near KyÅ«shÅ« on May 11, 1945. ...

In the last ten years of his life, Mishima wrote several full length plays, acted in several movies and co-directed an adaptation of one of his stories, Patriotism, the Rite of Love and Death. He also continued work on his final tetralogy, Hōjō no Umi (Sea of Fertility), which appeared in monthly serialized format starting in September 1965.

Ritual suicide

On November 25, 1970, Mishima and four members of the Tatenokai, under pretext, visited the commandant of the Ichigaya Camp - the Tokyo headquarters of the Eastern Command of Japan's Self-Defense Forces. Inside, they barricaded the office and tied the commandant to his chair. With a prepared manifesto and banner listing their demands, Mishima stepped onto the balcony to address the soldiers gathered below. His speech was intended to inspire a coup d'etat restoring the Emperor to his rightful place. He succeeded only in irritating them, and was mocked and jeered. As he was unable to make himself heard, he finished his planned speech after a few minutes. He returned in to the commandant's office and committed seppuku. The customary kaishakunin duty at the end of this ritual had been assigned to Tatenokai member Masakatsu Morita, but Morita, rumored to have been Mishima's lover, was unable to properly perform the task: after several attempts, he allowed another Tatenokai member, Hiroyasu Koga, to do the task. Morita then committed seppuku, and then Koga beheaded him. Image File history File links Mishima701125. ... Image File history File links Mishima701125. ... The Japan Self-Defense Forces ), or JSDF, are the military forces in Japan that were established after the end of World War II. The force has not been engaged in real combat but has been engaged in some international peacekeeping operations. ... Tokyo ), the common English name for the Tokyo Metropolis ), is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and, unique among the prefectures, provides certain municipal services characteristic of a city. ... is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Ichigaya (市谷) is a neighborhood in Tokyo, Japan. ... Tokyo ), the common English name for the Tokyo Metropolis ), is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and, unique among the prefectures, provides certain municipal services characteristic of a city. ... The Japan Self-Defense Forces ), or JSDF, are the military forces in Japan that were established after the end of World War II. The force has not been engaged in real combat but has been engaged in some international peacekeeping operations. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... â€œhara-kiriâ€ redirects here. ... A kaishakunin (Japanese: ä»‹éŒ¯äºº) is an appointed second whose duty is to behead one who has committed seppuku at the moment of agony. ... A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value, which is prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. ... Masakatsu Morita (Yokkaichi, July 1945 - Tokyo, 25 November 1970) was the Tatenokai member who committed seppuku with Yukio Mishima at the Ichigaya Camp. ... Hiroyasu Koga ï¼ˆå¤è³€æµ©é–ï¼‰was a young Tatenokai member responsible for the decapitation of Yukio Mishima during his seppuku on November 25, 1970. ...

Another traditional element of the suicide ritual was the composition of jisei (death poems), before their entry into the headquarters.^[4] Mishima prepared his suicide meticulously for at least a year and no one outside the group of hand-picked Tatenokai members had any indication of what he was planning. Mishima must have known that his coup plot would never succeed and his biographer, translator, and former friend John Nathan suggests that the scenario was only a pretext for the ritual suicide of which Mishima had long dreamed. Mishima made sure his affairs were in order and even had the foresight to leave money for the defense trial of the three surviving Tatenokai members. General Akashi Gidayu preparing to commit seppuku after losing a battle for his master in 1582. ... John Nathan is the translator of Japanese works for such famous authors such as Yukio Mishima and Kenzaburo Oe, Emmy-award winning director of several documentaries, and author of numerous works on Japan. ...

Aftermath

Much speculation has surrounded Mishima's suicide. At the time of his death he had just completed the final book in his The Sea of Fertility tetralogy. He was recognized as one of the most important post-war stylists of the Japanese language. The Sea of Fertility (Japanese: Hojo no Umi) is a series of four novels by Yukio Mishima: Spring Snow (1966) Runaway Horses (1969) The Temple of Dawn (1970) The Decay of the Angel (1971) The series, which Mishima began in 1964, is usually thought of as his masterpiece. ... A tetralogy is a compound work that is made up of four (numerical prefix tetra-) distinct works. ...

Mishima wrote 40 novels, 18 plays, 20 books of short stories, and at least 20 books of essays as well as one libretto. A large portion of this oeuvre comprises books written quickly for profit, but even if these are disregarded, a substantial body of work remains. Antonio Ghislanzoni, nineteenth century Italian librettist. ...

Mishima espoused a very individual brand of 'nationalism' towards the end of his life (and in death). While he was hated by leftists (particularly students), in particular for his outspoken and anachronistic commitment to the bushido code of the samurai, he was also hated by mainstream nationalists for his contention, in Bunka Boeiron (A Defense of Culture), that Emperor Hirohito should have abdicated and taken responsibility for the war dead. Japanese samurai in armor, 1860s. ... Emperor ShÅwa ) (April 29, 1901 â€“ January 7, 1989) was the 124th emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from December 25, 1926 until his death in 1989. ...

Awards

The Sound of Waves (æ½®é¨’ Shiosai) (1954) is a Japanese novel written by celebrated Japanese author Yukio Mishima. ... The Yomiuri Prize for Literature (Japanese: Yomiuri Bungaku ShÅ) is a prestigious literary award. ... Its about a crazy kid who stutters and burns down the great Golden Temple in Kyoto. ...

Major works

*For the Kinkaku-ji temple, see: Kinkaku-ji Confessions of a Mask (ä»®é¢ã®å‘Šç™½ Kamen no kokuhaku) is Japanese author Yukio Mishimas first novel. ... Thirst for Love (or æ„›ã®æ¸‡ã, Ai no Kawaki) is a 1950 novel by the Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. ... Kinjiki ) is a novel by Yukio Mishima, translated as Forbidden Colors. The name kinjiki is a euphemism for homosexuality. ... The Sound of Waves (æ½®é¨’ Shiosai) (1954) is a Japanese novel written by celebrated Japanese author Yukio Mishima. ... Its about a crazy kid who stutters and burns down the great Golden Temple in Kyoto. ... Ivan Morris (1925-1978) was a British author and teacher in the field of Japanese Studies. ... Kyokos House (KyÅko no ie) is a 1959 novel by the Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. ... After the Banquet (å®´ã®ã‚ã¨, Utage no Ato) is a novel by Yukio Mishima. ... Donald Lawrence Keene is a noted Japanologist, scholar, teacher, writer, translator and interpreter of Japanese literature and culture. ... The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, a novel written by Yukio Mishima and published in 1963, chronicles the story of Ryuji, a sailor with vague notions of a special honor awaiting him at sea. ... John Nathan is the translator of Japanese works for such famous authors such as Yukio Mishima and Kenzaburo Oe, Emmy-award winning director of several documentaries, and author of numerous works on Japan. ... Acts of Worship ) is a short story by Japanese writer Yukio Mishima, and the title of a collection of his short stories. ... John Bester, born and educated in England, is one of the foremost translators of modern Japanese fiction. ... Donald Lawrence Keene is a noted Japanologist, scholar, teacher, writer, translator and interpreter of Japanese literature and culture. ... This article, image, template or category should belong in one or more categories. ... Edward G. Seidensticker (born February 11, 1921, in Castle Rock, Colorado) is a noted scholar and translator of Japanese literature, particularly known for his accurate English version of The Tale of Genji (1976) and for his landmark translations of Yasunari Kawabata, which led to Kawabatas winning the Nobel Prize... Ivan Morris (1925-1978) was a British author and teacher in the field of Japanese Studies. ... Donald Lawrence Keene is a noted Japanologist, scholar, teacher, writer, translator and interpreter of Japanese literature and culture. ... Sun and Steel: Art, Action and Ritual Death is a book by Yukio Mishima. ... John Bester, born and educated in England, is one of the foremost translators of modern Japanese fiction. ... The Sea of Fertility (Japanese: Hojo no Umi) is a series of four novels by Yukio Mishima: Spring Snow (1966) Runaway Horses (1969) The Temple of Dawn (1970) The Decay of the Angel (1971) The series, which Mishima began in 1964, is usually thought of as his masterpiece. ... A tetralogy is a compound work that is made up of four (numerical prefix tetra-) distinct works. ... Spring Snow is a (1964) novel by Yukio Mishima. ... Michael Gallagher (born 1930) is an author and translator of Japanese literature. ... Runaway Horses is a novel by Yukio Mishima. ... Michael Gallagher (born 1930) is an author and translator of Japanese literature. ... The Temple of Dawn (in Japanese Akatsuki no tera) is the third novel in the Sea of Fertility tetralogy by the Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. ... E. Dale Saunders (1919-1995) was an American scholar of Romance languages and literature, Japanese Buddhism, Classical Japanese Literature, and East Asian Civilisation. ... The Decay of the Angel is a novel by Yukio Mishima, the fourth and last in his Sea of Fertility tetralogy. ... Edward G. Seidensticker (born February 11, 1921, in Castle Rock, Colorado) is a noted scholar and translator of Japanese literature, particularly known for his accurate English version of The Tale of Genji (1976) and for his landmark translations of Yasunari Kawabata, which led to Kawabatas winning the Nobel Prize... Kinkaku-ji from across the water Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion Temple) is the informal name of Rokuon-ji (é¹¿è‹‘å¯º, Deer Garden Temple) in Kyoto, Japan, the Pavilion being the main attraction of the temple grounds. ...

Plays for the classical Japanese theatre

In addition to contemporary-style plays such as Madame de Sade, Mishima wrote for two of the three genres of classical Japanese theatre: Nō and Kabuki (as a proud Tokyoite he would not even attend the Bunraku puppet theatre, always associated with Ōsaka and the provinces).^[5] Noh performance at Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima, Hiroshima Noh or No (Japanese: èƒ½, nÅ) is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. ... The oldest Kabuki theatre in Japan: the Minamiza in Kyoto The Kabukiza in Ginza is one of Tokyos leading kabuki theaters. ... Bunraku (Japanese: æ–‡æ¥½), also known as NingyÅ jÅruri (äººå½¢æµ„ç‘ ç’ƒ), is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater, founded in Osaka in 1684. ... Osaka Castle Location in Japan Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan) Osaka railway station View from Osaka Castle. ...

Though Mishima took themes, titles and characters from the Nō canon, his twists and modern settings such as hospitals and ballrooms startle audiences accustomed to the long-settled originals.

Donald Keene translated Five Modern Noh Plays (Tuttle, 1981; ISBN 0-8048-1380-9). Most others remain untranslated, and so lack an "offical" English title; it such cases it is therefore preferable to use the rōmaji title. Donald Lawrence Keene is a noted Japanologist, scholar, teacher, writer, translator and interpreter of Japanese literature and culture. ... Japanese writing Kanji æ¼¢å— Kana ä»®å Hiragana å¹³ä»®å Katakana ç‰‡ä»®å Uses Furigana æŒ¯ã‚Šä»®å Okurigana é€ã‚Šä»®å RÅmaji ãƒãƒ¼ãƒžå— Category RÅmaji (ãƒãƒ¼ãƒžå— Roman characters, sometimes misunderstood as romanji in English), is a Japanese term for the Latin alphabet. ...

The Great Stupa at Sanchi. ... Aoi no Ue (jp: kanji è‘µã®ä¸Š, hiragana ã‚ãŠã„ã®ã†ãˆ) is a fictional character in The Tale of Genji (genji monogatari). ...

Films

Yasuzo Masumura (å¢—æ‘ ä¿é€ , August 25, 1924 - November 23, 1986) was a Japanese film director. ... Kinji Fukasaku (æ·±ä½œæ¬£äºŒ Fukasaku Kinji) (3 July 1930 â€“ 12 January 2003) was a Japanese film actor, writer and director. ... Hitokiri (人斬) is a term given to four different samurai during the period of time known as the Bakumatsu in Japanese history. ... Hideo Gosha (1931–August 30, 1992) was a Japanese film director. ... Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters is an episodic, stylized (1985) film based on the life of the Japanese author Yukio Mishima. ... Paul Joseph Schrader (born July 22, 1946 in Grand Rapids, Michigan) is a screenwriter and film director, renowned for his characters that fall into desperation while their world crumbles around them. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GBÂ£4 billion. ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ...

Works about Mishima

Eikoh Hosoe (ç´°æ±Ÿè‹±å…¬, Hosoe EikÅ; b. ... This article is about the University of Hawaii system. ... The University of Hawaii Press is a university press that is part of the University of Hawaii. ... John Nathan is the translator of Japanese works for such famous authors such as Yukio Mishima and Kenzaburo Oe, Emmy-award winning director of several documentaries, and author of numerous works on Japan. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area - City 232. ... Little, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... Marguerite Yourcenar was the pseudonym of French novelist Marguerite Cleenewerck de Crayencour (June 8, 1903 - December 17, 1987). ... Colin Henry Wilson (born June 26, 1931) is a prolific British writer. ... Henry Scott Stokes (born 15 June 1938 in Glastonbury, Somerset, U.K.) is a British journalist who has been the Tokyo bureau chief for The Financial Times (1964-67), The Times (1967-1970s?) and The New York Times (1978-83)[1]. ^ Tokyo Weekender - Writer Bio - Henry Scott Stokes Accessed 12... Westport is the name of several communities around the world. ... Official language(s) English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Largest metro area Hartford Area Ranked 48th - Total 5,543[2] sq mi (14,356 kmÂ²) - Width 70 miles (113 km) - Length 110 miles (177 km) - % water 12. ... Peter Wolfe (more commonly known as Wolfman) is a London musician of the band Wolfman and the Side-Effects. ... Paul Joseph Schrader (born July 22, 1946 in Grand Rapids, Michigan) is a screenwriter and film director, renowned for his characters that fall into desperation while their world crumbles around them. ...

Notes and references

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Donald Lawrence Keene is a noted Japanologist, scholar, teacher, writer, translator and interpreter of Japanese literature and culture. ... The Pleasures of Japanese Literature is a short nonfiction work by Donald Keene, which deals with Japanese aesthetics and literature; it is intended to be less academic and encyclopedic than his other works dealing with Japanese literature such as Seeds in the Heart, but better as an introduction for students...

External links

Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | Kabuki playwrights | Noh playwrights | Japanese dramatists and playwrights | Japanese novelists | Japanese short story writers | Japanese poets | Seppuku | People from Tokyo | Writers who committed suicide | 1925 births | 1970 deaths | University of Tokyo alumni A novel is an extended work of written, narrative, prose fiction, usually in story form; the writer of a novel is a novelist. ... A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or drama. ... The poor poet A poet is a person who writes poetry. ... An essayist is an author who writes compositions which can be about any particular subject. ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Shinjuku ) is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. ... is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... JSDF is an abreviation for Japanese Self-Defense Forces. ... Tokyo ), the common English name for the Tokyo Metropolis ), is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and, unique among the prefectures, provides certain municipal services characteristic of a city. ...

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