Oda Sakunosuke
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese
writer. He is often grouped together with Osamu Dazai
and Ango Sakaguchi
as the Buraiha
. Literally meaning ruffian or hoodlum faction, this label was not a matter of a stylistic school but one bestowed upon them by conservative critics disparaging the authors' attitudes and subject matter.
. An Osaka
native, he wrote mostly of life in Osaka
and the customs and manners of the common people. In 1939, his story Zokushu was a candidate for the Akutagawa Prize
. The following year, he published Meoto Zenzai . Named after an Osaka sweet shop, it follows the life of a couple whose relationship survives despite the persistent wastefulness, debauchery, and unkept promises of the erring man.
Oda's characters usually did not fit into what were traditionally considered appropriate either in their humanness or their stubborn individuality as in Roppakukinsei , or out of the cruel necessity of survival. In the story Sesō, Oda described the first months of the occupation period following Japan's surrender to end World War II
which were marked by food shortages so severe that government rations were not enough even to sustain life: people were forced to turn to the black market just to procure the food they needed for their own survival.
Meoto zenzai, Roppakukinsei, and Sesō, along with another story, Ki no miyako (木の都, 1943-44), have been translated by Burton Watson and published together as Stories of Osaka Life (Columbia University Press, 1990; Weatherhill, 1994).
During his lifetime, several of his works were banned, but he was also championed by others for his ability to write candidly about the human condition with the sympathy and wit for which his native Osaka
is famous. As well as being a fiction writer, he wrote radio drama scenarios and submitted a script to a magazine that was later made into the film Kaette kita otoko, by Kawashima Yuzo, that director's first commercial feature.
In 1947, suffering from a lung hemorrhage, Oda died in Tokyo
Hospital. After the funeral, Osamu Dazai, his friend and fellow writer, published an emotional eulogy blaming the critics for Oda’s sudden death. More likely, it was from a recurrent bout of tuberculosis
.
He is buried in Osaka
.
In 1963, a monument was erected by his friends and colleagues near Hozenji Temple in Osaka
. Hozenji Yokochō and its surrounding alleys were the setting for Meoto Zenzai.
In 1983, under the sponsorship of the Osaka Bungaku Shinkōkai, a literary prize was established in Oda's name to commemorate the 70th anniversary of his birth with the aim of carrying on the long tradition of Kansai
literature. It is awarded annually to an outstanding work of fiction by a new author.
An inscribed photograph of Oda hangs in the Osaka restaurant Jiyūken . Jiyūken opened as a coffee and snack shop in 1910 and has become known for its style of "curry rice
". The shop appeared in Oda's writing. The inscription says that author Oda has passed on but left us some of the good curry rice flavor in his writing. The autographed photograph shows Oda apparently at work on his writing seated at a table in Jiyūken.
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. He is often grouped together with Osamu Dazai
Osamu Dazai
was a Japanese author who is considered one of the foremost fiction writers of 20th-century Japan.-Biography:-Early life:Dazai was born , the eighth surviving child of a wealthy landowner in Kanagi, a remote corner of Japan at the northern tip of Tōhoku in Aomori Prefecture...
and Ango Sakaguchi
Ango Sakaguchi
was a Japanese novelist and essayist. His real name was Heigo Sakaguchi .-History:From Niigata, Sakaguchi was one of a group of young Japanese writers to rise to prominence in the years immediately following Japan's defeat in World War II...
as the Buraiha
Buraiha
The were a group of dissolute writers who expressed the aimlessness and identity crisis of post-World War II Japan. While not comprising a true literary school, the Buraiha writers were linked together by a similar approach to subject matter and literary style. The main characters in works of the...
. Literally meaning ruffian or hoodlum faction, this label was not a matter of a stylistic school but one bestowed upon them by conservative critics disparaging the authors' attitudes and subject matter.
History
Oda’s writing career spans both prewar and postwar JapanJapan
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...
. An Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
native, he wrote mostly of life in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
and the customs and manners of the common people. In 1939, his story Zokushu was a candidate for the Akutagawa Prize
Akutagawa Prize
The is a Japanese literary award presented semi-annually. It was established in 1935 by Kan Kikuchi, then-editor of Bungeishunjū magazine, in memory of author Ryūnosuke Akutagawa...
. The following year, he published Meoto Zenzai . Named after an Osaka sweet shop, it follows the life of a couple whose relationship survives despite the persistent wastefulness, debauchery, and unkept promises of the erring man.
Oda's characters usually did not fit into what were traditionally considered appropriate either in their humanness or their stubborn individuality as in Roppakukinsei , or out of the cruel necessity of survival. In the story Sesō, Oda described the first months of the occupation period following Japan's surrender to end 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...
which were marked by food shortages so severe that government rations were not enough even to sustain life: people were forced to turn to the black market just to procure the food they needed for their own survival.
Meoto zenzai, Roppakukinsei, and Sesō, along with another story, Ki no miyako (木の都, 1943-44), have been translated by Burton Watson and published together as Stories of Osaka Life (Columbia University Press, 1990; Weatherhill, 1994).
During his lifetime, several of his works were banned, but he was also championed by others for his ability to write candidly about the human condition with the sympathy and wit for which his native Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
is famous. As well as being a fiction writer, he wrote radio drama scenarios and submitted a script to a magazine that was later made into the film Kaette kita otoko, by Kawashima Yuzo, that director's first commercial feature.
In 1947, suffering from a lung hemorrhage, Oda died in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
Hospital. After the funeral, Osamu Dazai, his friend and fellow writer, published an emotional eulogy blaming the critics for Oda’s sudden death. More likely, it was from a recurrent bout of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
.
He is buried in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
.
In 1963, a monument was erected by his friends and colleagues near Hozenji Temple in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
. Hozenji Yokochō and its surrounding alleys were the setting for Meoto Zenzai.
In 1983, under the sponsorship of the Osaka Bungaku Shinkōkai, a literary prize was established in Oda's name to commemorate the 70th anniversary of his birth with the aim of carrying on the long tradition of Kansai
Kansai
The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included...
literature. It is awarded annually to an outstanding work of fiction by a new author.
An inscribed photograph of Oda hangs in the Osaka restaurant Jiyūken . Jiyūken opened as a coffee and snack shop in 1910 and has become known for its style of "curry rice
Japanese curry
is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. It is commonly served in three main forms: , karē udon and karē-pan . Curry rice is most commonly referred to simply as ....
". The shop appeared in Oda's writing. The inscription says that author Oda has passed on but left us some of the good curry rice flavor in his writing. The autographed photograph shows Oda apparently at work on his writing seated at a table in Jiyūken.
External links
See also
- Japanese literatureJapanese literatureEarly works of Japanese literature were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, often written in Classical Chinese. Indian literature also had an influence through the diffusion of Buddhism in Japan...
- List of Japanese authors