Shimaki Kensaku
Encyclopedia
was the pen-name of , a Japanese
author
active during the Shōwa period
in Japan
.
in 1903. His father died when he was two years old, and he was raised by his mother. He was forced to drop out of elementary school in order to work to support his mother, and managed to continue his education by obtaining odd jobs at a local middle school and library.
in 1925, but due to extreme poverty was barely able to support himself, and he contracted tuberculosis
. It was during this time that he was attracted to the radical labor movement. He left the university and joined a leftist agrarian movement
in Shikoku
. In 1927, this flirtation with socialism
turned more radical when he signed on as active member of the Japan Communist Party.
When the communist movement was outlawed and forced underground, Shimaki was arrested in a nationwide round-up of communists (the March 15 incident
of 1928), and was forced to renounce his communist beliefs in order to be released from prison. However, it appears that his political renunciation was not sincere, since he was again arrested in 1929, this time under the auspices of the Peace Preservation Law
. Shimaki remained imprisoned until 1932, when his tuberculosis worsened, and he was released for health reasons. He stayed for a while in Tokyo
with his brother (who ran a used bookstore) and he attempted to study the English language
.
called Kunugi no Mi ("Acorn", 1918), containing tanka
poems and essays which he wrote under the pen-name of Asakura Tengai, his literary career did not begin in earnest until after he was released from prison the second time.
In 1934, Shimaki published his first work Rai ("Leprosy"), a serialized novel which appeared in the magazine Bungaku Hyōron (Literary Review). It was based on his experiences while in prison, and was critically well received. Shimaki followed this work with Mōmoku ("Blindness") in the magazine Chūō Kōrōn ("Central Review"), which further established his position as a writer.
Shimaki lived in Kamakura
, Kanagawa prefecture
from 1937 , and was part of a social and literary circle which included Kawabata Yasunari, Kobayashi Hideo
and Takami Jun. He traveled to Manchukuo
in 1939. The success of his early works were followed in quick succession by Goku ("Prison"), Reimei ("Dawn"), Saiken ("Reconstruction") and Seikatsu no Tankyu ("The Quest for Life"); however, Shimaki's struggle against illness was a losing one. Shimaki died in 1945 at the relatively young age of 41. His grave is at the temple of Jōchi-ji
(浄智寺) in Kamakura.
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...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
active during the 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...
in 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...
.
Early life
Shimaki Kensaku was born in Sapporo, HokkaidōHokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
in 1903. His father died when he was two years old, and he was raised by his mother. He was forced to drop out of elementary school in order to work to support his mother, and managed to continue his education by obtaining odd jobs at a local middle school and library.
Life as a political radical
Shimaki entered Tohoku Imperial University in SendaiSendai, Miyagi
is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and the largest city in the Tōhoku Region. In 2005, the city had a population of one million, and was one of Japan's 19 designated cities...
in 1925, but due to extreme poverty was barely able to support himself, and he contracted 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...
. It was during this time that he was attracted to the radical labor movement. He left the university and joined a leftist agrarian movement
Agrarianism
Agrarianism has two common meanings. The first meaning refers to a social philosophy or political philosophy which values rural society as superior to urban society, the independent farmer as superior to the paid worker, and sees farming as a way of life that can shape the ideal social values...
in Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
. In 1927, this flirtation with socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
turned more radical when he signed on as active member of the Japan Communist Party.
When the communist movement was outlawed and forced underground, Shimaki was arrested in a nationwide round-up of communists (the March 15 incident
March 15 incident
was a crackdown on socialists and communists by the Japanese government in 1928. Among those who were arrested in the incident was Marxist economist Kawakami Hajime.-Background:...
of 1928), and was forced to renounce his communist beliefs in order to be released from prison. However, it appears that his political renunciation was not sincere, since he was again arrested in 1929, this time under the auspices of the Peace Preservation Law
Peace Preservation Law
The Public Security Preservation Laws were a series of laws enacted during the Empire of Japan. Collectively, the laws were designed to suppress political dissent.-the Safety Preservation Law of 1894:...
. Shimaki remained imprisoned until 1932, when his tuberculosis worsened, and he was released for health reasons. He stayed for a while 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...
with his brother (who ran a used bookstore) and he attempted to study the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Literary career
Although in his youth, Shimaki published a short-lived literary magazineLiterary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
called Kunugi no Mi ("Acorn", 1918), containing tanka
Waka (poetry)
Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature...
poems and essays which he wrote under the pen-name of Asakura Tengai, his literary career did not begin in earnest until after he was released from prison the second time.
In 1934, Shimaki published his first work Rai ("Leprosy"), a serialized novel which appeared in the magazine Bungaku Hyōron (Literary Review). It was based on his experiences while in prison, and was critically well received. Shimaki followed this work with Mōmoku ("Blindness") in the magazine Chūō Kōrōn ("Central Review"), which further established his position as a writer.
Shimaki lived 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...
from 1937 , and was part of a social and literary circle which included Kawabata Yasunari, Kobayashi Hideo
Kobayashi Hideo
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...
and Takami Jun. He traveled to Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
in 1939. The success of his early works were followed in quick succession by Goku ("Prison"), Reimei ("Dawn"), Saiken ("Reconstruction") and Seikatsu no Tankyu ("The Quest for Life"); however, Shimaki's struggle against illness was a losing one. Shimaki died in 1945 at the relatively young age of 41. His grave is at the temple of Jōchi-ji
Jochi-ji
is a Buddhist Zen temple in Kita-Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It belongs to the Engaku-ji school of the Rinzai sect and is ranked fourth among Kamakura's Five Mountains...
(浄智寺) in Kamakura.
External links
- e-texts of works at Aozora BunkoAozora BunkoAozora Bunko is a Japanese digital library. This online collection encompasses several thousands of works of Japanese-language fiction and non-fiction. These include out-of-copyright books or works that the authors wish to make freely available....
- Literary Figures of Kamakura