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🇯🇵Intro to Modern Japanese Literature

🇯🇵intro to modern japanese literature review

6.1 Mishima Yukio's life, literary career, and cultural significance

3 min read•Last Updated on August 6, 2024

Mishima Yukio, born Kimitake Hiraoka in 1925, was a prolific Japanese author who blended traditional aesthetics with modern themes. His works, including "Confessions of a Mask" and "The Sea of Fertility" tetralogy, explored identity, beauty, and nationalism.

Mishima's life was as dramatic as his fiction. He founded a private militia, staged a failed coup, and committed ritual suicide in 1970. His controversial actions and literary legacy continue to fascinate readers and scholars worldwide.

Early Life and Pen Name

Family Background and Education

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  • Born Kimitake Hiraoka in 1925 to a prominent family in Tokyo
  • Raised primarily by his grandmother, who instilled a love for literature
  • Attended the prestigious Peers School, where he excelled academically
  • Began writing at a young age, influenced by Japanese and Western classics

Adoption of Pen Name

  • Adopted the pen name Mishima Yukio to separate his literary career from his family name
  • "Mishima" was derived from a word meaning "three islands," symbolizing his literary aspirations
  • "Yukio" means "boy of snow," reflecting his delicate appearance and sensitivity

Notable Works

Early Success with Confessions of a Mask

  • Semi-autobiographical novel published in 1949, launching Mishima's career
  • Explores themes of sexual identity, self-discovery, and societal expectations
  • Protagonist struggles with his homosexuality in a conservative post-war Japan

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion

  • Published in 1956, based on the true story of a monk who burned down the Kinkaku-ji temple
  • Examines the destructive nature of beauty and the human desire for perfection
  • Protagonist's obsession with the temple's beauty leads to its ultimate destruction

The Sea of Fertility Tetralogy

  • Mishima's magnum opus, consisting of four novels published between 1965 and 1970
  • Follows the reincarnation of a single soul across different eras of Japanese history
  • Explores themes of Buddhism, reincarnation, and the cyclical nature of life and death
  • Titles: Spring Snow, Runaway Horses, The Temple of Dawn, and The Decay of the Angel

Political Activism and Death

Formation of the Tatenokai (Shield Society)

  • Private militia founded by Mishima in 1968, composed of young nationalist students
  • Dedicated to the preservation of traditional Japanese values and the veneration of the Emperor
  • Trained in martial arts and physical fitness, reflecting Mishima's idealization of the samurai spirit

Attempted Coup and Seppuku

  • On November 25, 1970, Mishima and four Tatenokai members staged a failed coup at the Japan Self-Defense Forces headquarters
  • Delivered a speech calling for a restoration of the Emperor's pre-war powers and a return to traditional values
  • Committed seppuku (ritual suicide) after the speech, shocking the nation and cementing his legacy as a controversial figure

Literary Recognition

Critical Acclaim and International Reputation

  • Mishima's works garnered critical acclaim both in Japan and internationally
  • Recognized for his masterful prose, psychological depth, and exploration of complex themes
  • Translated into numerous languages, expanding his global readership

Nobel Prize Nomination

  • Nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature multiple times during his career
  • Considered one of the most influential Japanese writers of the 20th century
  • His provocative life and dramatic death overshadowed his literary achievements in the eyes of some critics