Jiro Osaragi
Encyclopedia
was the pen-name of a popular Japanese
writer in Shōwa period
Japan
, known primarily for his historical fiction
novels, which appeared serialized in newspapers and magazines. His real name was .
. His older brother Hōei Nojiri, was a noted scholar of English literature
and an astronomer
.
Osaragi Jirō began writing while still in high school, publishing his first work Ichiko Romance, which described life in the school dormitory. He also became interested in the theatre. He attended Tokyo Imperial University
, where he developed a strong sense of resistance to authoritarianism
. After graduation, he obtained a posting as a teacher at the Kamakura Higher Girls' School (present-day Kamakura Jogakuin High School), located in Kamakura
, Kanagawa prefecture
. Because of his language skills, he was recruited by the Foreign Ministry
in 1922, and worked there for about a year. However after the Great Kantō Earthquake
of 1923, he decided to devote himself full time to writing.
, Hayabusa no Genji which was serialized in the magazine, Pocket. At this time he was living in Kamakura behind the famous . The Chinese characters for Daibutsu can also be read Osaragi which became the source of his pen-name, Osaragi Jirō. However, his choice of pen name of Osaragi was not mere whimsy: The Osaragi branch of the Hōjō clan
descended from Hojo Tokufusa, were prominent warriors in the Kamakura period
chronicle Taiheiki
. Their estates were located near the Great Buddha.
Osaragi's popular fiction novels with historical settings such as Kurama Tengu (novel) (1924–1959), Teru Hi Kumoru Hi ("Sunny Days Cloudy Days", 1926–1927), and Ako Roshi ("Loyal Retainers of Ako", 1927–1928), were serialized in newspapers and magazines, and gained him a tremendous following. Many were later made into movies and television series, with Kanjūrō Arashi
, for instance, making a name for himself playing Kurama Tengu.
However, Osaragi also wrote works of contemporary fiction such as Shiroi Ane ("White Sister") and Kiribue ("Misty Flute"). Kikyō ("Homecoming", 1948) described the author's anger at petty attitudes which surfaced after World War II
.
Osaragi was deeply influenced by French literature
and culture, and wrote a number non-fiction pieces displaying his deep understanding of controversial events in Europe: Dorefyus jiken ("The Dreyfus Affair
"), Buranje Shogun no Higeki ("The Tragedy of General Boulanger"), and Pari Moyu ("Paris is Burning"; a history of Paris Commune
). When he died in 1973 at the age of 75, he was still writing Tennō no Seiki ("Century of Emperors"), a historical chronicle based on the spiritual history of the Japanese people.
, Kanagawa prefecture
from 1921 to his death in 1973. Osaragi was a central figure in Kamakura's literary life, and he also campaigned avidly for the protection of Kamakura's scenic beauty. When housing developers threatened the mountainside behind Kamakura's famous Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, he banded together with a number of famous literati and artists (including Hideo Kobayashi
, Nagai Tatsuo
, Yasunari Kawabata
, Riichi Yokomitsu, Itō Shinsui
, Kiyokata Kaburagi
), residing in Kamakura to oppose the development. This led to the foundation of the Japan National Trust
, modeled after the National Trust
in Great Britain
, and which has been successful in preserving the historical ambience of Kamakura and parts of other cities around Japan.
Osaragi Jirō was a noted cat
lover. Friends and neighbors claimed that he fed at least 500 semi-feral cats at his house in Kamakura.
Osaragi also served for two months in the cabinet of Prime Minister
Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko as a councillor.
In 1964, he was awarded the Order of Culture
by the Japanese government.
Osaragi Jirō's grave is at the temple of Jufuku-ji
in Kamakura. Despite Osaragi's long association with Kamakura, due to a dispute over inheritance tax
es, his manuscripts and artifacts were donated to the city of Yokohama by his heirs, where they now form the collection of the Osaragi Jirō Commemorative Museum. His house in Kamakura remains in private hands, and is open (occasionally) to the public.
After his death, the Asahi Shimbun
established a literary prize, the Osaragi Jiro Prize, which is awarded for the best book published in Japan in the field of social sciences.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
writer in 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...
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...
, known primarily for his historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
novels, which appeared serialized in newspapers and magazines. His real name was .
Early life
Osaragi Jirō was born in YokohamaYokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
. His older brother Hōei Nojiri, was a noted scholar of English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
and an astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
.
Osaragi Jirō began writing while still in high school, publishing his first work Ichiko Romance, which described life in the school dormitory. He also became interested in the theatre. He attended Tokyo Imperial University
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
, where he developed a strong sense of resistance to authoritarianism
Authoritarianism
Authoritarianism is a form of social organization characterized by submission to authority. It is usually opposed to individualism and democracy...
. After graduation, he obtained a posting as a teacher at the Kamakura Higher Girls' School (present-day Kamakura Jogakuin High School), located 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...
. Because of his language skills, he was recruited by the Foreign Ministry
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)
The is a cabinet level ministry of Japan responsible for the country's foreign relations.The ministry is due to the second term of the third article of the National Government Organization Act , and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Establishment Act establishes the ministry...
in 1922, and worked there for about a year. However after the Great Kantō Earthquake
1923 Great Kanto earthquake
The struck the Kantō plain on the Japanese main island of Honshū at 11:58:44 am JST on September 1, 1923. Varied accounts hold that the duration of the earthquake was between 4 and 10 minutes...
of 1923, he decided to devote himself full time to writing.
Literary career
In 1924 Osaragi Jirō published his first popular historical novelHistorical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
, Hayabusa no Genji which was serialized in the magazine, Pocket. At this time he was living in Kamakura behind the famous . The Chinese characters for Daibutsu can also be read Osaragi which became the source of his pen-name, Osaragi Jirō. However, his choice of pen name of Osaragi was not mere whimsy: The Osaragi branch of the Hōjō clan
Hojo clan
See the late Hōjō clan for the Hōjō clan of the Sengoku Period.The in the history of Japan was a family who controlled the hereditary title of shikken of the Kamakura Shogunate. In practice, the family had actual governmental power, many times dictatorial, rather than Kamakura shoguns, or the...
descended from Hojo Tokufusa, were prominent warriors in the Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
chronicle Taiheiki
Taiheiki
The is a Japanese historical epic , written in the late 14th century. It deals primarily with the Nanboku-chō, the period of war between the Northern Court of Ashikaga Takauji in Kyoto, and the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in Yoshino....
. Their estates were located near the Great Buddha.
Osaragi's popular fiction novels with historical settings such as Kurama Tengu (novel) (1924–1959), Teru Hi Kumoru Hi ("Sunny Days Cloudy Days", 1926–1927), and Ako Roshi ("Loyal Retainers of Ako", 1927–1928), were serialized in newspapers and magazines, and gained him a tremendous following. Many were later made into movies and television series, with Kanjūrō Arashi
Kanjūrō Arashi
was a Japanese film actor. He entered the film industry in 1927 and came to fame playing Kurama Tengu, a character in the Bakumatsu era created by Jirō Osaragi in his novels. In the 1950s he portrayed the Emperor Meiji in several hit films and appeared in yakuza films in the 1960s...
, for instance, making a name for himself playing Kurama Tengu.
However, Osaragi also wrote works of contemporary fiction such as Shiroi Ane ("White Sister") and Kiribue ("Misty Flute"). Kikyō ("Homecoming", 1948) described the author's anger at petty attitudes which surfaced after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Osaragi was deeply influenced by French literature
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
and culture, and wrote a number non-fiction pieces displaying his deep understanding of controversial events in Europe: Dorefyus jiken ("The Dreyfus Affair
Dreyfus Affair
The Dreyfus affair was a political scandal that divided France in the 1890s and the early 1900s. It involved the conviction for treason in November 1894 of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young French artillery officer of Alsatian Jewish descent...
"), Buranje Shogun no Higeki ("The Tragedy of General Boulanger"), and Pari Moyu ("Paris is Burning"; a history of Paris Commune
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
). When he died in 1973 at the age of 75, he was still writing Tennō no Seiki ("Century of Emperors"), a historical chronicle based on the spiritual history of the Japanese people.
Private life
Osaragi lived in KamakuraKamakura, 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 1921 to his death in 1973. Osaragi was a central figure in Kamakura's literary life, and he also campaigned avidly for the protection of Kamakura's scenic beauty. When housing developers threatened the mountainside behind Kamakura's famous Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, he banded together with a number of famous literati and artists (including Hideo Kobayashi
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...
, Nagai Tatsuo
Nagai Tatsuo
was a writer of short stories and haiku poetry active in the Shōwa period Japan, known for his portrayals of city life. Nagai was also known as a haiku poet under the pen-name of "Tomonkyo".-Early life:...
, Yasunari Kawabata
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...
, Riichi Yokomitsu, Itō Shinsui
Ito Shinsui
, was the pseudonym of a Nihonga painter and ukiyo-e woodblock print artist in Taishō and Shōwa period Japan. He was one of the great names of the shin hanga art movement, which revitalized the traditional art after it began to decline with the advent of photography in the early 20th century. His...
, Kiyokata Kaburagi
Kiyokata Kaburagi
was the pseudonym of a Nihonga artist and the leading master of the bijinga genre in Taishō and Showa period Japan. His real name was Kaburagi Kenichi...
), residing in Kamakura to oppose the development. This led to the foundation of the Japan National Trust
Japan National Trust
The Japan National Trust is an organization which works to preserve and protect the heritage of Japan.-History:In 1964, a newspaper article "Destruction of the Nature" written by novelist Osaragi Jiro described the activity of British National Trust. A foundation, "Scenic Resources Preservation...
, modeled after the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, and which has been successful in preserving the historical ambience of Kamakura and parts of other cities around Japan.
Osaragi Jirō was a noted cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
lover. Friends and neighbors claimed that he fed at least 500 semi-feral cats at his house in Kamakura.
Osaragi also served for two months in the cabinet of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko as a councillor.
In 1964, he was awarded the Order of Culture
Order of Culture
The is a Japanese order, established on February 11, 1937. The order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japan's art, literature or culture; recipients of the order also receive an annuity for life...
by the Japanese government.
Osaragi Jirō's grave is at the temple of Jufuku-ji
Jufuku-ji
, usually known as Jufuku-ji, is a temple of the Kenchō-ji branch of the Rinzai sect and the oldest Zen temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Ranked third among Kamakura's prestigious Five Mountains, it is number 24 among the pilgrimage temples and number 18 of the temples...
in Kamakura. Despite Osaragi's long association with Kamakura, due to a dispute over inheritance tax
Inheritance tax
An inheritance tax or estate tax is a levy paid by a person who inherits money or property or a tax on the estate of a person who has died...
es, his manuscripts and artifacts were donated to the city of Yokohama by his heirs, where they now form the collection of the Osaragi Jirō Commemorative Museum. His house in Kamakura remains in private hands, and is open (occasionally) to the public.
After his death, the Asahi Shimbun
Asahi Shimbun
The is the second most circulated out of the five national newspapers in Japan. Its circulation, which was 7.96 million for its morning edition and 3.1 million for its evening edition as of June 2010, was second behind that of Yomiuri Shimbun...
established a literary prize, the Osaragi Jiro Prize, which is awarded for the best book published in Japan in the field of social sciences.
Reading
- Miyaji, Sachiro. Osaragi Jiro shisho: Sei to shi o mitsumete. Nihon Bungeisha (1996). ISBN 453702500X (Japanese)
- Osaragi, Jizo. (tr. Ivan MorrisIvan MorrisIvan Ira Esme Morris was a British author and teacher in the field of Japanese Studies.Ivan Morris was born in London, of mixed American and Swedish parentage, to Ira Victor Morris and Edita Morris. He studied at Gordonstoun, before graduating from Phillips Academy...
). The Journey. Tuttle Publishing (2000). ISBN 0804832552 - Osaragi, Jizo. (tr. Harold Strass). Homecoming. Tuttle Publishing (1956). ASIN: B000GUA9S2