Hirotsu Kazuo

Hirotsu Kazuo ( Japanese 広 津 和 郎 ; * December 5, 1891 in Tokyo , † September 21, 1968 ) was a Japanese writer.

Life

The son of the narrator Hirotsu Ryūrō studied at Waseda University . After he had published texts in magazines such as Yorozu chōhō ( 万 朝 報 ) and Joshi bundan ( 女子 文壇 ) as a teenager , he founded in 1912 with Funaki Shigeo and Kasai Zenzō the "like-minded magazine " ( dōjin zasshi ) Kiseki ( 奇蹟 ), to the he contributed short stories and translations.

In 1913 his translation of Guy de Maupassant's Une Vie (made from English) appeared , which opened his career as a translator of European literature. In 1916 he became a literary critic for the Kayahara Kazan magazine Kōzui igo ( 以後 ). He made his debut as a novelist in 1917 with Shinkeibyō jidai . This was followed by a number of other novels and stories, some of which belong to the genre of Shishōsetsu , the confessional autobiographical narrative literature that emerged from naturalism. Hirotsu is particularly valued as a critic.

After the war, Hirotsu published some biographical and autobiographical writings. Beginning in 1953, he worked for several years on a detailed defense of those accused of sabotage in the Matsukawa incident . 1958 appeared Matsukawa saiban ("The Matsukawa Trials").

Works (selection)

• Shinkeibyō jidai ( 神 経 病 時代 ), novel, 1917
• Sakusha no kansō ( 作者 の 感想 , “A writer's impressions”), 1920
• Sanbun geijutsu no ichi ( 散文 芸 術 の 位置 , "The Status of Prose"), 1924
• Futari no fukōmono ( 二人 の 不幸 者 ), novel
• Shiji o daite ( 死 児 を 抱 い て ), novel
• Yamori ( や も り ), novel
• Nami no ue ( 波 の 上 ), Roman
• Fūu tsuyokarubeshi ( 風雨 強 か る べ し ), 1934
• Aomugi ( 青 麦 ), 1936
• Rekishi to rekishi no aida ( 歴 史 と 歴 史 の 間 ), 1941
• Ano Jidai ( あ の 時代 )
• Nengetsu no ashiato ( 年月 の あ し お と )
• Matsukawa saiban ( 松川 裁判 ), 1958

literature

• Kazuo Hirotsu: The Spirit of Prose. Literary Resistance in Wartime Japan . Iudicium, Munich 2014, ISBN 978-3-86205-288-2 . , Translations by:
  • Sanbun seishin ni tsuite (Kōen memo) ( 散文 精神 に つ い て (講演 メ モ) ), 1936
  • Sanbun seishin ni tsuite ( 散文 精神 に つ い て )
  • Tsuyosa to yowasa ( 「弱 さ」 と 「強 さ」 ), 1937
  • Ippon no ito ( 一 本 の 糸 ), 1939
  • Kokumin ni mo iwasete hoshii ( 国民 に も 言 は せ て 欲 し い ), 1939
  • Chimata no rekishi ( 巷 の 歴 史 ), 1940
  • Wakaki hi ( 若 き 日 ), 1943
  • Tokuda Shūsei ron ( 徳 田 秋声 論 )
• Asa-Bettina Wuthenow: Resistance in the “spirit of prose”. The writer Hirotsu Kazuo at the time of the Fifteen Years' War (1931–1945) . Heidelberg 2014, urn : nbn: de: bsz: 16-heidok-175746 (dissertation at the University of Heidelberg).

swell

• Kamakura City, Kamakura´s Literary Figures - Biography
• The Japanese Literature Home Page - Biography

Web links

• Dissertation on Hirotsu Kazuo

Japanese name: As is common in Japan, the family name comes before the first name in this article . Thus Hirotsu is the family name, Kazuo the first name.