Hakuchō Masamune
Encyclopedia
, a pseudonym of Tadao Masamune (March 3, 1879 - October 28, 1962) was a noted Japanese critic, novelist, and dramatist, and a leading member of the Japanese Naturalist
school of literature.
Masamune was born in Bizen, Okayama
as the eldest son, where his birthplace is now a museum. In 1896 he joined the English department of the Tokyo Senmon Gakko (now Waseda University
). He was baptized as a Christian by priest Uemura Masahisa
in 1897. After graduation, he worked in the university's Publishing Department, then in 1903 began writing literary, art, and cultural criticism for the Yomiuri Shinbun newspaper. In 1904 he published his first novel, Sekibaku (Solitude), in the Shinshosetsu literary magazine, Jin’ai (Dust) in 1907, and gained attention with a naturalist novel, Doko-e (Whither?), published in serial form in Waseda bungaku through 1908. He left the newspaper in 1910 to become a full-time author, and in 1911 his novel Doro ningyō (The Mud Doll) gained further acclaim.
Although Masamune is perhaps most remembered for his criticism, he wrote a variety of works throughout his career, including short stories, dramas, and literary criticism. Major novels include Ushibeya no nioi (The Stench of the Stable, 1916) and Shisha seisha (The Dead and the Living, 1916); his best known plays are perhaps Jinsei no kōfuku (The Happiness of Human Life, 1924) and Tenshi hokaku (Captive Angels, 1947); and outstanding examples of his criticism include Bundan jimbutsu hyōron (Critical Essays on Literary Figures), Shisō mushisō (Thought and Non-Thought, 1938), Bundanteki jijoden (A Literary Autobiography, 1938), Sakka ron (A Study of Writers, 1941-2), Shizenshugi seisuishi (The Rise and Fall of Naturalism, 1948), and Uchimura Kanzō (1949).
Masamune received the 1959 Yomiuri Prize
in literature for Kotoshi no aki.
Naturalism (literature)
Naturalism was a literary movement taking place from the 1880s to 1940s that used detailed realism to suggest that social conditions, heredity, and environment had inescapable force in shaping human character...
school of literature.
Masamune was born in Bizen, Okayama
Bizen, Okayama
is a city located in Okayama, Japan. The city is particularly famous for its Bizen-yaki pottery. It is also home to literary critic Hakuchō Masamune's birthplace, which is now a museum....
as the eldest son, where his birthplace is now a museum. In 1896 he joined the English department of the Tokyo Senmon Gakko (now 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...
). He was baptized as a Christian by priest Uemura Masahisa
Uemura Masahisa
thumb|200px|Rev.Uemura Masahisa was a Japanese Christian pastor, theologian and critic of Meiji and Taishō periods.Uemura was the eldest son of Tojuiro and Tei, of the family of hatamoto . His birth name was Michitarō. Though his family was wealthy, they fell into bankruptcy at the time of the...
in 1897. After graduation, he worked in the university's Publishing Department, then in 1903 began writing literary, art, and cultural criticism for the Yomiuri Shinbun newspaper. In 1904 he published his first novel, Sekibaku (Solitude), in the Shinshosetsu literary magazine, Jin’ai (Dust) in 1907, and gained attention with a naturalist novel, Doko-e (Whither?), published in serial form in Waseda bungaku through 1908. He left the newspaper in 1910 to become a full-time author, and in 1911 his novel Doro ningyō (The Mud Doll) gained further acclaim.
Although Masamune is perhaps most remembered for his criticism, he wrote a variety of works throughout his career, including short stories, dramas, and literary criticism. Major novels include Ushibeya no nioi (The Stench of the Stable, 1916) and Shisha seisha (The Dead and the Living, 1916); his best known plays are perhaps Jinsei no kōfuku (The Happiness of Human Life, 1924) and Tenshi hokaku (Captive Angels, 1947); and outstanding examples of his criticism include Bundan jimbutsu hyōron (Critical Essays on Literary Figures), Shisō mushisō (Thought and Non-Thought, 1938), Bundanteki jijoden (A Literary Autobiography, 1938), Sakka ron (A Study of Writers, 1941-2), Shizenshugi seisuishi (The Rise and Fall of Naturalism, 1948), and Uchimura Kanzō (1949).
Masamune received the 1959 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 literature for Kotoshi no aki.