Yumiko Kurahashi
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese writer. Her married name was , but she wrote under her birth name.
Her work was experimental
and antirealist, questioning prevailing societal norms regarding sexual relations, violence, and social order. Her antinovel
s employed pastiche
, parody, and other elements typical of postmodernist
writing.
, Japan
, the eldest daughter of Toshio and Misae Kurahashi. Her father was a family dentist in the town of Kami
in Kōchi Prefecture
on the island of Shikoku
. After one year studying Japanese literature at the Kyoto University
, she moved under pressure from her father to Tokyo to obtain a certificate as a dental hygienist and for medical training. Following her completion of the requirements to take the state exam for medical practice, however, she instead entered the Department of French Literature at Meiji University
, where she studied under the guidance of Masanao Saito and attended lectures by prominent Japanese post-war literary figures such as Mitsuo Nakamura
, Kenji Yoshida
, and Ken Hirano. During her university years, Kurahashi was enthusiastically introduced to the body of modern literature, reading Rimbaud, Camus
, Kafka, Blanchot, and Valéry
. Her thesis was devoted to an analysis of Sartre's treatise Being and Nothingness.
. The story was reprinted, and after her story End of Summer (夏の終り) was also published, Kurahashi was nominated for the Akutagawa Prize
. Although she didn't win, she was considered, along with other new writers debuting at the same time - Takeshi Kaiko, Shintaro Ishihara
, and Kenzaburō Ōe
- to be ranked highly among the so-called "third wave" generation of young Japanese writers.
Kurahashi and Kenzaburō Ōe have some biographical similarities: like Kurahashi, Ōe also was born in 1935, grew up on Shikoku, and moved to Tokyo, where he studied French literature, did graduate work on Sartre, and debuted in his student days with politically tinged short stories which drew the recognition of Ken Hirano. At a certain point, though, their paths diverge. Ōe went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature
while the path chosen by Kurahashi led to her ostracization by the Japanese literary world.
Kurahashi's 1961 novel (in fact antinovel
) Grim Journeys (暗い旅), written in the formal second person
caused much controversy among critics and led Jun Etō
to accuse her of plagiarism. In Etō's view, Kurahashi's novel simply imitated the earlier novel Change by the French writer Michel Butor
. A fierce debate broke out in the press; Kurahashi's defenders were joined by Takeo Okuno, while those joining Etō in condemning Kurahashi included Kenzaburō Ōe and Koji Syrah (the translator of Sartre's Nausea).
Whether influenced by the dispute or by the death of her father in 1962, after this Kurahashi left the university and gradually fell out of public view.
. Despite significant health problems, in 1966 she went to study at the University of Iowa
in the United States, where she spent about a year.
In 1969 Kurahashi published the phantasmagoric and dystopia
n novel Adventures of Sumiyakista Q (スミヤキストQの冒険), which received mixed reviews. A dramatic turnaround in her work was heralded by her 1971 novel Floating Bridge in a Dream (夢の浮橋), which, however, was ignored by the critics. But her 1984 work Violent Stories for Adults (大人のための残酷童話), full of twisted black lowdown tales, became her most popular work during her lifetime. In 1987 she was awarded the Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature
for her massive antiutopian work Journey to Amanon (アマノン国往還記).
. She is also widely known for her translations of Shel Silverstein
.
Yumiko Kurahashi died at the age of 69 of dilated cardiomyopathy
. The disease was incurable, but Kurahashi consistently refused even those operations which could have prolonged her life.
Her work was experimental
Experimental literature
Experimental literature refers to written works - often novels or magazines - that place great emphasis on innovations regarding technique and style.-Early history:...
and antirealist, questioning prevailing societal norms regarding sexual relations, violence, and social order. Her antinovel
Antinovel
An antinovel is any experimental work of fiction that avoids the familiar conventions of the novel. The term was coined by the French philosopher and critic Jean-Paul Sartre....
s employed pastiche
Pastiche
A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
, parody, and other elements typical of postmodernist
Postmodern literature
The term Postmodern literature is used to describe certain characteristics of post–World War II literature and a reaction against Enlightenment ideas implicit in Modernist literature.Postmodern literature, like postmodernism as a whole, is hard to define and there is little agreement on the exact...
writing.
Early life and studies
Kurahashi was born in KamiKami, Kochi
is a city located in Kōchi, Japan.As of its founding but with 2003 population estimates, the city has an estimated population of 30,591 and a density of 56.9 persons per km²...
, 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...
, the eldest daughter of Toshio and Misae Kurahashi. Her father was a family dentist in the town of Kami
Kami, Kochi
is a city located in Kōchi, Japan.As of its founding but with 2003 population estimates, the city has an estimated population of 30,591 and a density of 56.9 persons per km²...
in Kōchi Prefecture
Kochi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...
on the island of 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...
. After one year studying Japanese literature at the Kyoto University
Kyoto University
, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...
, she moved under pressure from her father to Tokyo to obtain a certificate as a dental hygienist and for medical training. Following her completion of the requirements to take the state exam for medical practice, however, she instead entered the Department of French Literature at Meiji University
Meiji University
is a private university in Tokyo and Kawasaki, founded in 1881 by three lawyers of the Meiji era, Kishimoto Tatsuo, Miyagi Kōzō, and Yashiro Misao. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Japanese universities in Tokyo, Japan....
, where she studied under the guidance of Masanao Saito and attended lectures by prominent Japanese post-war literary figures such as Mitsuo Nakamura
Mitsuo Nakamura
was the pen-name of a writer of biographies and stage-plays, and a literary critic active in Shōwa period Japan. His real name was Koba Ichiro.-Early life:Nakamura Mitsuo was born in Tokyo, in the plebian district of Shitaya, ....
, Kenji Yoshida
Kenji Yoshida
is a Japanese anime producer and illustrator. He is the co-founder of the Tatsunoko Production animation studio and former president . Yoshida is the younger brother of Tatsuo Yoshida and the older brother of Ippei Kuri.-External links:...
, and Ken Hirano. During her university years, Kurahashi was enthusiastically introduced to the body of modern literature, reading Rimbaud, Camus
Camus
-People:* Albert Camus, French author, philosopher and journalist* Charles Étienne Louis Camus, French mathematician* Jean-Pierre Camus, French bishop and writer* Louis-Auguste Camus de Richemont, French military chief and baron d'Empire...
, Kafka, Blanchot, and Valéry
Valery
The French name Valery [valri] is a given name or surname of Germanic origin Walaric , that has often been confused in modern time with the latin name Valerius, that explains the variant spelling Valéry [valeri]...
. Her thesis was devoted to an analysis of Sartre's treatise Being and Nothingness.
Literary beginnings and controversy
While studying for her masters degree, Kurahashi made her literary debut in 1960 with the publication in the university magazine of the story The Communist Party (パルタイ), an acute satire on the left-wing sentiment commonplace among students at that time. The story was commended by Ken Hirano in his review in the Mainichi ShimbunMainichi Shimbun
The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by .-History:The history of the Mainichi Shimbun begins with founding of two papers during the Meiji period. The Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun was founded first, in 1872. The Mainichi claims that it is the oldest existing Japanese daily newspaper...
. The story was reprinted, and after her story End of Summer (夏の終り) was also published, Kurahashi was nominated 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...
. Although she didn't win, she was considered, along with other new writers debuting at the same time - Takeshi Kaiko, Shintaro Ishihara
Shintaro Ishihara
is a Japanese author, actor, politician and the governor of Tokyo since 1999.- Early life and artistic career :Shintarō was born in Suma-ku, Kobe. His father Kiyoshi was an employee, later a general manager, of a shipping company. Shintarō grew up in Zushi...
, and 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...
- to be ranked highly among the so-called "third wave" generation of young Japanese writers.
Kurahashi and Kenzaburō Ōe have some biographical similarities: like Kurahashi, Ōe also was born in 1935, grew up on Shikoku, and moved to Tokyo, where he studied French literature, did graduate work on Sartre, and debuted in his student days with politically tinged short stories which drew the recognition of Ken Hirano. At a certain point, though, their paths diverge. Ōe went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature
Nobel Prize in Literature
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
while the path chosen by Kurahashi led to her ostracization by the Japanese literary world.
Kurahashi's 1961 novel (in fact antinovel
Antinovel
An antinovel is any experimental work of fiction that avoids the familiar conventions of the novel. The term was coined by the French philosopher and critic Jean-Paul Sartre....
) Grim Journeys (暗い旅), written in the formal second person
Second-person narrative
The second-person narrative is a narrative mode in which the protagonist or another main character is referred to by employment of second-person personal pronouns and other kinds of addressing forms, for example the English second-person pronoun "you"....
caused much controversy among critics and led Jun Etō
Jun Eto
was a Japanese literary critic, active in the Shōwa and early Heisei period Japan.- Early life :Etō was born in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo; his father was a banker, and his grandfather was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. His mother died when he was four years old, and always sickly...
to accuse her of plagiarism. In Etō's view, Kurahashi's novel simply imitated the earlier novel Change by the French writer Michel Butor
Michel Butor
-Life and work:Michel Marie François Butor was born in Mons-en-Barœul. He studied philosophy at the Sorbonne, graduating in 1947. He has taught in Egypt, Manchester, Salonika, the United States, and Geneva...
. A fierce debate broke out in the press; Kurahashi's defenders were joined by Takeo Okuno, while those joining Etō in condemning Kurahashi included Kenzaburō Ōe and Koji Syrah (the translator of Sartre's Nausea).
Whether influenced by the dispute or by the death of her father in 1962, after this Kurahashi left the university and gradually fell out of public view.
Later life and works
In 1964 Kurahashi married Tomihiro Kumagai, who was then working as a producer for the Japan Broadcasting CorporationNHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
. Despite significant health problems, in 1966 she went to study at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
in the United States, where she spent about a year.
In 1969 Kurahashi published the phantasmagoric and dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
n novel Adventures of Sumiyakista Q (スミヤキストQの冒険), which received mixed reviews. A dramatic turnaround in her work was heralded by her 1971 novel Floating Bridge in a Dream (夢の浮橋), which, however, was ignored by the critics. But her 1984 work Violent Stories for Adults (大人のための残酷童話), full of twisted black lowdown tales, became her most popular work during her lifetime. In 1987 she was awarded the Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature
Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature
Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature is the prize for literature in Japan. It was established and started in 1973 to commemorate the 100th year since the birth of Kyōka Izumi...
for her massive antiutopian work Journey to Amanon (アマノン国往還記).
Last years
In her later years, in response to her deteriorating health, Kurahashi almost ceased creative writing and focused instead on translating children's literature. Her last work was a new translation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little PrinceThe Little Prince
The Little Prince , first published in 1943, is a novella and the most famous work of the French aristocrat writer, poet and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry ....
. She is also widely known for her translations of Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein
Sheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein , was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books...
.
Yumiko Kurahashi died at the age of 69 of dilated cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy or DCM is a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged and cannot pump blood efficiently. The decreased heart function can affect the lungs, liver, and other body systems....
. The disease was incurable, but Kurahashi consistently refused even those operations which could have prolonged her life.