Hikari Oe
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese composer
who has autism
. He is the son of Japanese author Kenzaburō Ōe
.
Hikari Ōe was born developmentally disabled. Doctors tried to convince his parents to let their son die, but they refused to do so. Even after an operation, Ōe remained visually impaired, developmentally delayed, epileptic
and with limited physical coordination. He does not speak much.
Ōe's parents report that his first "word" was spoken when he was walking with his parents near his house and heard a bird calling. He imitated the call with great precision. His parents were fascinated. They bought him tracks of bird calls, which he learned. This was how they got the idea to recruit a music teacher for Ōe. His parents arranged a piano teacher, Kumiko Tamura, for him. Instead of speaking, Ōe began to express his feelings in music and through musical composition. Eventually he was taught musical notation.
As an adult, Hikari creates chamber music. Hikari's first CD sold more than one million copies in the first few years of release.
In 1994, Kenzaburō won the Nobel Prize for Literature, in part because of his 1964 book, A Personal Matter, in which the writer describes his pain in accepting the brain-damaged child into his life, and of how he arrived at his resolve to live with his son. Hikari figures prominately in many of the books singled out for praise by the Nobel committee:
Hikari's life is the core of the first book published after Kenzaburō was awarded the Nobel Prize. The 1996 book, A Healing Family, celebrates the small victories in Hikari's life.
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 composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
who has autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
. He is the son of Japanese author Kenzaburō Ōe
Kenzaburo Oe
is a Japanese author and a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature. His works, strongly influenced by French and American literature and literary theory, deal with political, social and philosophical issues including nuclear weapons, social non-conformism and existentialism.Ōe was awarded...
.
Hikari Ōe was born developmentally disabled. Doctors tried to convince his parents to let their son die, but they refused to do so. Even after an operation, Ōe remained visually impaired, developmentally delayed, epileptic
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
and with limited physical coordination. He does not speak much.
Ōe's parents report that his first "word" was spoken when he was walking with his parents near his house and heard a bird calling. He imitated the call with great precision. His parents were fascinated. They bought him tracks of bird calls, which he learned. This was how they got the idea to recruit a music teacher for Ōe. His parents arranged a piano teacher, Kumiko Tamura, for him. Instead of speaking, Ōe began to express his feelings in music and through musical composition. Eventually he was taught musical notation.
As an adult, Hikari creates chamber music. Hikari's first CD sold more than one million copies in the first few years of release.
Hikari reflected in the works of the Nobel laureate
Kenzaburō Ōe credits his son for influencing his literary career. Kenzaburō tried to give his son a "voice" through his writing. Several of Kenzaburō's books feature a character based on his son.In 1994, Kenzaburō won the Nobel Prize for Literature, in part because of his 1964 book, A Personal Matter, in which the writer describes his pain in accepting the brain-damaged child into his life, and of how he arrived at his resolve to live with his son. Hikari figures prominately in many of the books singled out for praise by the Nobel committee:
- A Personal Matter is the first of a series of works which describe aspects of Hikari's life.
- Teach Us to Outgrow our Madness in 1969 provides insight into the life of a family with an unspeaking infant child.
- My Deluged Soul in 1973 describes a father's difficulties in relating to an infant child who, through the medium of the songs of the wild birds, slowly started to communicate with his family.
- Rouse Up O Young Men of the New Age!Rouse Up O Young Men of the New Age!Rouse Up, O Young Men of the New Age! is a 1983 semi-autobiographical novel by Japanese author Kenzaburō Ōe, about his day-to-day life with his mentally handicapped son, Hikari and the effect that William Blake's poetry has had on both his life and work.-Plot summary:Ōe wishes to write a set...
in 1983 describes Hikari's development from a child to a young man.
Hikari's life is the core of the first book published after Kenzaburō was awarded the Nobel Prize. The 1996 book, A Healing Family, celebrates the small victories in Hikari's life.
Selected works
Ōe's published works have no linguistic content. His music and music scores encompass 12 works in 30 publications in 5 languages and 1,721 library holdings.- Music of Hikari Ōe (1994), music
- Music of Hikari Ōe, Vol. 2 (1994), music
- Atarashii Ōe Hikari (2000), musical score
- Mou Ichido Oe Hikari (2005), music