Kawakami Kikuko

Kawakami Kikuko ( Japanese 川 上 喜 久 子 ; born February 9, 1904 in Shizuoka Prefecture , † October 26, 1985 in Kamakura , Kanagawa Prefecture ) was a Japanese writer of the Shōwa period . Her birth name was Shinoda Kikuko ( 篠 田 喜 久 子 ).

Life

She first completed the Heijō Girls 'High School ( 平壤 高 女 ) and a specialist course ( 専 攻 科 , Senkōka ) at the Yamawaki Girls' High School ( 山 脇 高 女 ). In 1924 she accompanied her husband to Korea , which was then under Japanese rule, and lived there until 1931.

In 1927 she was awarded a prize by the Asahi Shimbun for her novel Aru Minikui Biganjutsu-shi ( 或 る 醜 き 美顔 術 師 ), which then appeared as a serial in the newspaper.

After her return to Japan in 1931, she and her now retired husband moved to Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, where it was possible to receive treatment for a disease that she had contracted in Korea. She lived in Takumagayatsu ( 宅 間 ヶ 谷 ), in Kamakura until her death in 1985.

During her time in Kamakura, she had the opportunity to make the acquaintance of a number of local literary figures , including Hayashi Fusao , Kawabata Yasunari and Yosano Akiko (who taught her how to write Tanka ). Some of her poems appeared in the literary magazine Myōjō ( 明星 ).

In 1936, Hayashi and Kawabata Kawakami encouraged to publish Fuyubi no Kage ( 冬日 の 影 ), Saigetsu ( 歳 月 ) and Metsubō no Mon ( 滅亡 の 門 ) in the Bungakukai , a large, monthly literary magazine. All three stories were critically acclaimed by literary criticism, Metsubō no Mon was awarded the eleventh Bungakukai Prize and nominated for the fourth Akutagawa Prize .

Following this recognition, Kawakami wrote a number of novels in quick succession, including Hikari Honokanari ( 光 仄 か な り ), Bikō ( 微光 ) and Hanazono no Shōsoku ( 花園 の 消息 ), which were also published in the Bungakukai . In a matter-of-fact, sober style, she described the steadily increasing oppression under Japan's growing militarism.

After the Second World War , Kawakami retired from her literary work, but published Kagerō no Banka ( 陽 炎 の 挽歌 ) in later years .

Web links

• Biography on the Kamakura city website

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