List of 15 recommended works of Yukio Mishima and commentaries - Interesting works of Yukio Mishima, one of Japan's most famous writers, and his epic life.

List of 15 recommended works of Yukio Mishima and commentaries - Interesting works of Yukio Mishima, one of Japan's most famous writers, and his epic life.

Yukio Mishima is an undisputed leading Japanese writer.

I first tried to read his work by Shuhei KosakaThe Zenkyoto Generation as an Ideology."was the catalyst.

I originally picked up a copy of "Zenkyoto Generation as an Ideology" after learning about the 1971 student armed uprising in Sri Lanka, but it was also the presence of Yukio Mishima that I came across while learning about the student conflict in Japan. Speaking of Zenkyoto and Yukio Mishima, a movie titled "Mishima Yukio vs. Todai Zenkyoto - 50 Years of Truth" was recently released and has become a hot topic.

When considering Japanese thought and the trends of the times, Yukio Mishima cannot be excluded.

And I had always wanted to read Yukio Mishima's works someday.

I say this because in 2022 I was visiting Rome to research "Shinran and Dostoevsky". And the Italian guide who took care of me at that time said to me, "Yukio Mishima is wonderful. His writing style is very beautiful. If you like Dostoevsky, you will love it.

To my surprise, I had the curious experience of being recommended Yukio Mishima by an Italian. As a lover of Dostoevsky, I was strongly motivated to read this book.

However, with the writing of travelogues and Buddhist studies that followed, I was unable to find the right time to start working on Mishima's literature, but now it seems that the time has finally come. The unexpected intersection of Yukio Mishima with the Sri Lankan Buddhist tradition is an opportunity not to be missed. There is no way to miss this opportunity. I have decided to read all of Mishima's works at once.

However, I thought that it might be too difficult to dive into Mishima's literature, so I first picked up a guidebook titled "Bungo Navi: Mishima Yukio" published by Shinchosha.

This book is just excellent! It is compact, yet provides an easy-to-understand summary of Yukio Mishima's life and its characteristics!

I really appreciate this attempt by Shinchosha. It is an excellent gateway to the great writers, whom we tend to avoid because they seem difficult. The book explains in great detail what is interesting and great about the masterpieces of the great writers, and which works are recommended to read first. I appreciate that there are no difficult literary or philosophical discussions. I applaud this book for making it easy for anyone to get started.

And one more book.

I also recommend "What Did Yukio Mishima Leave Behind?" by Shukun Sakurai, published by Kizuna Publishing in 2020. I was able to learn about the figure that I know only because the author had a close relationship with Yukio Mishima in this book.

After learning about Yukio Mishima and the flow of his works roughly from these introductory books, I finally started working on his masterpiece "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion. I quickly found myself swamped in Mishima's swamp.

In this article, we will introduce some of Yukio Mishima's recommended works and commentaries. Please refer to the links of each work for more detailed information.

Kinkakuji Temple(1956)

This was my first Mishima film. It was a tense moment.

From an early age, my father often told me about the Golden Horn."

The story begins with these words.

Where does Mishima's unique style of writing begin? Where does he find the beauty that is admired around the world?

I read carefully through the opening words, spoken in a matter-of-fact manner.

Then, lo and behold, on the first two pages, a beautiful description appeared that struck me.

Maizuru Bay was located one and a half ri to the west of Shiraku Village, but the sea was blocked by mountains. However, there was always a sense of the sea in the air. When the sea was stormy, many ogres would escape from the village and land in the rice paddies.

Shinchosha, Yukio Mishima, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, p. 6

But there has always been something of a sea premonition hovering over this land."

What an expression! At this point, I began to sense the intense style of Mishima's literature.

And there is no end in sight for the Mishima style in the future.

I experience an unusual staying power after reading this work. It doesn't end when I finish reading it. Even days after reading it, the novel's unusual power to inspire persists, and it still grips me and doesn't let me go, leaving me wondering what it was all about.

This style of writing. This heat..! This is a fearsome work. I look forward to reading more of Yukio Mishima's works.

Well - it was a tremendous piece of work.

The Grief of a Nation.(1961)

This is the shocking story of a lieutenant who, having to avenge his best friend's death in the 2.26 incident, tells his wife that he will "go belly up tonight" and take his own life. It is a short story of only about 30 pages, but it is a very intense story.

Mishima himself described the work as follows.

Although the story itself is simply a biography of the Ni-26 Incident, the scenes of love and death, the perfect fusion and synergy of the erotic and the heroic, are the only bliss I can hope for in this life. Sadly, however, such bliss may be realized only on paper, and I should be satisfied, then, as a novelist, with the fact that I have written one novel, "Melancholy. I once wrote, "If a busy person wants to read just one of Mishima's novels, a novel that is a condensed extract of all that is good and bad about Mishima, he or she should read "Melancholy," and I still feel the same way.

Shinchosha. Yukio Mishima, Hanazakari no Mori, Yuukoku -Self-Selected Short Stories-, p. 331.

If a busy person wants to read one of Mishima's novels that is an extract of all that is good and bad about Mishima, he or she should read one of his novels, "Melancholy.

Mishima himself has described his work as "Melancholy Country". It was my first Mishima experience.Kinkakuji TempleI read this work next to "The Land of Woe," and after reading "The Land of Woe," I finally became obsessed with Mishima's magical powers.

Mishima committed suicide in 1970, nine years after the publication of this novel. He stabbed himself with a sword and then split open his abdomen... Yukio Mishima was a man who lived and died exactly as he described in the novel. This book is a must-read for those who want to know more about Mishima.

An Introduction to Hagakure(1967)

Bushido is found in death.

Yukio Mishima loved "Hagakure," the book from which everyone knows these words, all his life. Three years after he published this work, he himself committed suicide, just like a samurai. There is no doubt that this book had an extraordinary influence on Mishima.

This book contains the secrets of Yukio Mishima's life, which was so spectacular. I highly recommend this "Introduction to Hagakure" together with "Melancholy". Mishima said, "Hagakure during the war was a luminary in the light, so to speak, but it was in the darkness that it really shone.

I believe that this book will resonate with us modern people who have continued to turn our eyes away from the "issues of life and death.

Immoral Education Course."(1959)

Although the title of this work, "Immoral Education Course," conjures up a stimulating and dark image, the content of the work is, surprisingly, not immoral, and the conclusion lands on the royal road to immorality. This challenging title is a great paradox with a sense of humor in the style of Yukio Mishima.

Kinkakuji TempleandThe Grief of a Nation.I read this essay after reading "The World of Yukio Mishima," and I was surprised at how interesting Yukio Mishima is! I was surprised at how interesting Yukio Mishima is!

We recommend this work to enjoy Mishima's humorous words, which are different from those of his profound novels.

Confessions of a Mask."(1949)

The current work, "Confessions of a Mask," is Yukio Mishima's first full-length work. Moreover, despite being such a "beginning work," this novel is quite grim. The inner anguish, conflict, and storm that foreshadowed Mishima's later works are already depicted here.

The protagonist of this work is a peculiar boy who has homosexual tendencies and is even sexually aroused by the blood spilled by young men. But he also agonizes over it and desires the general well-being of the world.

But still, he was not allowed such peace...

This work has been called an autobiographical novel by Yukio Mishima. Mishima himself had a wife and children, so it is not completely the same as the novel, but it is said that the problems he had and his upbringing had a great influence on this work.

Tidal Wave(1954)

This novel, written in the 29th year of Yukio Mishima's life, occupies a unique position among the many works of Mishima.

I say, when I think of Mishima's works, I think ofKinkakuji TempleandConfessions of a Mask."The terrifying psychological drama of the protagonist, who suffers from an unusual degree of self-consciousness and such,The Grief of a Nation.is famous for its violent depictions of bloodshed.

However, "Tidal Wave" is a novel of peace and tranquility, a world in which crime and the smell of blood are kept out, which is exceptional for this writer.

The setting is an isolated island called Utajima in the sea of Ise. On this beautiful island, separated from the mainland, the love story of two young people is told.

In a way, it is an uncharacteristic work of Yukio Mishima, but it is one of the easiest to read. Simply, it is interesting. This work is highly recommended for those who want to read an easy-to-read and interesting Mishima work first.

The Sun, Iron, and My Pilgrim's Progress.

Taiyo to Tetsu, My Pilgrimage Period" is a recommended work that provides insight into Yukio Mishima's youth and the origins of his literary activities.

What kind of days did that Mishima spend as a young man, and how was he able to enter the literary world? This is very interesting. The episode of his first meeting with Osamu Dazai is particularly interesting, and the composition of Mishima vs. Dazai is clearly described here. Even the differences in literary styles between the two men are discussed, and this part alone is a very extravagant episode.

andTidal WaveAs I quoted in the article of "The first round-the-world trip", the episode about Yukio Mishima's first round-the-world trip in his life is the most memorable in my opinion. He started his round-the-world trip at the end of 1951 as a special correspondent for the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. This episode, in which Yukio Mishima discovered the very sun, had a meaning that would later define Mishima's literature.

The charm of this book is that you can hear these precious voices of Mishima. We recommend this book to get to know Yukio Mishima in a different way from his novels. Why not pick up a copy?

The Cup of Apollo.

Yukio Mishima embarked on a round-the-world trip at the end of 1951 as a special correspondent for the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. The travelogue of this trip became "Apollo's Cup.

For more information about this trip, published by Chuo Koron ShinshaSun and Iron: My Pilgrim's Progress.As Mishima himself said, he discovered the sun and developed a strong attachment to Greece on this trip. For more information about this, please refer to our previous articleTidal WaveAs we discussed in our article "The Impact of the Around-the-World Trip on Young Mishima," we hope you will refer to that article as well.

This book, "The Travels of Yukio Mishima," also includes not only "Apollo's Cup" but also Mishima's subsequent travelogues.

So you can read travelogues in Japan as well as abroad. I was personally impressed by the travelogue titled "Beauty and the Other," which refers to Mishima's visit to Disneyland in California in 1960. Mishima highly praised Disneyland in his travelogue.

The appeal of this book, "The Travels of Yukio Mishima," is that you can read these various travelogues by Mishima.

A Beautiful Star(1962)

That Yukio Mishima wrote a full-fledged SF novel! This is a bolt from the blue! I really want to read it! With this in mind, I picked up a copy of this book.

A Beautiful Star" was published when Mishima was 37 years old. Mishima was a prolific writer at that time, and two years prior to this, he had written the masterpiece and short storyThe Grief of a Nation.to the world.

Gyukoku" was a highly ideological work directly related to Mishima's self-determination. That Mishima, who wrote such a work, would write a novel about aliens is a surprise in itself.

However, this is not to say that "Beautiful Stars" is completely devoid of ideological and political elements; it takes the form of a science fiction novel and incorporates them exquisitely.

With this novel, Mishima seems to have attempted to create a unique worldview that is neither serious, coquettish Japanese literature nor a fanciful science fiction novel.

It is true that "A Beautiful Star" is extremely easy to read. It is so easy to read that if the author's name had been withheld, you would not know it was Yukio Mishima. Moreover, the immersive feeling is so strong that you find yourself completely immersed in the world of the novel. The fact that the members of the Osugi family are aliens and the existence of other aliens appear in the middle of the story, but they are so exquisitely balanced that it is difficult to tell where they are real and where they are science fiction. We find ourselves unwittingly caught in the middle of Mishima's calculated literary artifice. This is interesting. Simply interesting! This is a wonderful work.

Kagamiko's House.(1959)

In this novel, Mishima attempted to express the Mishima style of "postwar is over" literature by projecting the times onto the four young men gathered at Kagamiko's house. This was Mishima's first attempt at an ambitious challenge.

However, "Kagamiko's House," which took Mishima 500 days to write with all his heart and soul, was severely criticized by critics and branded as a failure. Mishima was deeply scarred by this incident.

Kagamiko's House" is certainly not a success story. In fact, Yukio Mishima was lonely in that his work, which he had put his heart and soul into, was not accepted by the public, and even the intellectuals did not understand it.

I myself said of this work, "It's interesting! I recommend it highly!" I can't say that I enjoyed it. However, I don't think it was a failure at all. It is true that I had a hard time until about 350 pages. But after that, I was hooked. That is a fact. And the daffodil flower that could lead to "The Sea of Fertility" and the destruction of Natsuo and Shu were very worthwhile reading.

In that sense, it was very meaningful for me to read this work.

After the Banquet(1960)

While Mishima tried to depict "the times" in "Kagamiko's House," his current work, "After the Banquet," was written based on the actual election of Hachiro Arita, a politician, as governor of Tokyo.

However, after the publication of this novel, Mishima was sued by Mr. Arita. This became the first privacy trial in Japan, and Mishima suffered a psychological shock following the house of "Kagamiko's House.

However, as Mr. Tokuoka and Donald Keene state, the work itself is undoubtedly very good. This work seems to be highly appreciated overseas as well.

I also read this work right after "Kagamiko's House" and it is by far the most interesting! I apologize to Yukio Mishima, but compared to "Kagamiko's House," it is incomparably more interesting as a novel.

Above all, it is the energy of the female protagonist, Kazu! Kazu's overwhelming energy pulls you in as you read. She is a reckless and reckless person, but for some reason we can't help but cheer her on. Her husband Noguchi is blunt, stiff, and slow, which makes Kazu's overflowing vitality, ambition, and enthusiasm stand out even more.

The story unfolds speedily, and the political intrigue, gamesmanship, and human drama are woven into the story, so you can't take your eyes off the story. Mishima's novels are interesting! I highly recommend this work.

Music."(1964)

This work is also a novel in which Mishima's challenge to Freudian psychoanalysis is written. I read this book precisely because I was interested in this challenge to Freud.

As mentioned in the commentary at the end of Ongaku, Yukio Mishima was quite familiar with Freud's psychoanalysis. Mishima used this knowledge as the basis for the mystery surrounding the truth of the mysterious beautiful woman in this work.

The protagonist of this work is a psychiatrist. The story progresses in the form of a memoir by this middle-aged psychiatrist.

He presents his own psychoanalysis in abundance in this memoir, but he is not with the right person! His plausible interpretations are overturned one after another by the mysterious actions and words of beautiful women. This is where Mishima's challenge to Freud comes in. No matter how plausible his psychological analysis may be, it can be smoked out depending on the person he is dealing with. Furthermore, it makes us wonder whether psychoanalysis itself is really capable of grasping the psychology of the other person.

The psychiatrist himself admits as much in the work. In the end, it is the concrete facts revealed by actual incidents and relationships that lead to the solution of problems, rather than psychoanalysis. In other words, the novel implicitly shows that no matter how much pretentious psychoanalysis is done, it is not at all certain that it is really correct, and that most of it is merely an after-the-fact interpretation.

An Introduction to Behavioral Science.(1970)

On November 25, 1970, Yukio Mishima committed suicide at the Ichigaya Camp of the Self-Defense Forces. This book, "Introduction to Behavioral Studies," is a series of essays written from 1969 to 1970, the year before his death.

In "Gouken no hito: Mishima Yukio Shiriji" written by Takao Tokuoka, this book was described as follows.

It discusses the "action" from various angles, making it the best commentary for understanding Mr. Mishima's self-determination."

Reading Mr. Tokuoka's words, I decided to read this book, "Introduction to Behavioral Science.

Mishima's suicide remains a mystery to this day.

I am one of those fascinated by the mystery. To learn more about Mishima's suicide, you can read more below.Yukio Mishima and the Tatenokai Incident."is highly recommended, but this book, "Introduction to Behavioral Studies," is also a very important work in that Mishima himself talks about his own self-determination.

We hope that you will pick up a copy.

Impressions of India."(1967)

This is an interview article titled "Impressions of India" that appeared in the Mainichi Shimbun (evening edition) on October 20 and 21, 1967. I read it in the edition of "The Complete Works of Yukio Mishima, Vol. 34" published by Shinchosha.

This interview with Yukio Mishima was conducted by Takao Tokuoka, a reporter for the Mainichi Newspapers.

Mr. Takao Tokuoka was a reporter deeply trusted by Mishima who was called by Yukio Mishima himself to come to Ichigaya to witness the Tate no Kai incident on November 25, 1970. The book, "Goken no Hito: Mishima Yukio," which describes the events of that time, is a truly wonderful work that I have read with great pleasure.

It was in Bangkok that Mr. Tokuoka first became acquainted with Yukio Mishima. Mishima stayed in Bangkok in 1967 and began meeting Mr. Tokuoka, who was stationed there at the time, on a daily basis.

The two were more like old friends than writers and journalists, and it was in this relaxed mood that the interview article, "Impressions of India," was born.

We hope you will find the full text of this article helpful.

The Sea of Fertility.(1965-1970)

Through this tetralogy, Mishima pursues "what is life" and "what is life? What is "life" that we live? What is death for us? What does it mean to live a good life? How should we live? The Sea of Fertility" is a film that depicts these questions on a grand scale. Let me be clear. The enormity of this work is unimaginable. I was literally overwhelmed by this work.

I used to be on this blog.Ten Novels to Replace Your Business Card."I wrote an article about "The Sea of Fertility," and this "Sea of Fertility" will be a new addition to this list. Without a doubt, it is a work that had a great impact on my life.

The extract from Mishima's book had a very strong influence on my trip to the Buddhist sites in India. I wondered what India was as Mishima saw it.

I consider "The Sea of Fertility" to be a major event in the history of world literature beyond Japan. It was such a huge work. I cannot easily say "I recommend it," but there is no doubt that it is a formidable work. Why not pick up a copy?

Recommended Reference Books

Yukio Mishima, Masahiko Akuta, et al.Yukio Mishima vs. the University of Tokyo Zenkyoto, 1969-2000.

This book is about the reunion of the members of the All-Campus Coalition of the University of Tokyo who fought that legendary debate, discussing that day and topics that can only be discussed now.

It was precisely this debate in 1969 that triggered my interest in Yukio Mishima. The book by Shuhei Kosaka, also introduced aboveThe Zenkyoto Generation as an Ideology."I was astonished by the above film, which I saw on the occasion of the

As I mentioned earlier in this article, I later went on to read books on student conflict and the violentization of sects. It was only after that that I started working on the works of Yukio Mishima.

But I had a blur.

After all, what was that Tokyo University Zenkyoto...what was the difference from the students who holed up in the Yasuda Auditorium and threw Molotov cocktails, or the sects who repeatedly engaged in internal rebellions...?

I could not for the life of me figure this out. Who were these people who debated with Yukio Mishima? Were they also engaged in internal strife and violence...?

This book, "Yukio Mishima vs. the University of Tokyo Zenkyoto 1969-2000," was a much-appreciated work for me because I had such questions.

As I mentioned earlier, this book is a reunion of members who participated in that debate. I mentioned above.The Zenkyoto Generation as an Ideology."Shuhei Kosaka, the author of the book, is a core member of this very group, and Osamu Kimura, who served as the moderator, also participated. Listening to them, I realized that that debate in the Zenkyoto at the University of Tokyo was conducted by non-sectarian students who had left the sectarian strife behind. In particular, the ideas of Mr. Kosaka and Mr. Kimura, who were central figures in that discussion, are also frankly discussed in this book. After all, they were in a different place from sectarian strife and internal strife. I felt once again that we should not generally confuse the Yasuda Auditorium Incident, the Yasama-Sanso Incident, and the Red Army in the form of student conflicts.

The book also features Mr. Masahiko Akuta, who was very prominent in the movie.

Perhaps the most stimulating aspect of this book for me was the presence of Mr. Masahiko Akuta. I had no idea what to make of Mr. Akuta's outlandish behavior or his difficult language just by watching his videos. In this book, however, we can read Mr. Akut Masahiko's words in print. The comments and responses by the other members to his words are very interesting! Mr. Kosaka and Mr. Kimura have known Mr. Akutsu since they were students. So it is obvious that they know how to treat Mr. Akutsu. When he is off-topic or questionable, they point out exactly what he is talking about, and when he intervenes and stirs up the discussion, they do not let him get away with it.

This book is a printed record of the discussions among the members. The book is a transcript of the discussions among the members, so the discussions are written down as they are. The book has a sense of realism in that the words were not written as a book from the beginning. I am amazed at how they are able to keep up such a long discussion.

The book also contains extensive annotations of difficult words and events, making it accessible to those who are not familiar with the situation at the time. Of course, it would be best to read this book after seeing the film, but it is a work that is well thought out for the reader. There are also plenty of photos, showing the situation at the time and their current situation, so you can get a better feel for the atmosphere of the debate. It is an amazing book. The book is a textualization of the 15 hours of intense discussion. This book is the best resource to learn what the Zenkyoto of Tokyo University was all about and what the discussion with Yukio Mishima was about. I highly recommend this book to get a feel for the atmosphere of this era.

Masayasu HosakaYukio Mishima and the Tatenokai Incident."

On November 25, 1970, Yukio Mishima and four members of the Tatenokai holed up in the Ichigaya Camp of the Self-Defense Forces, and after making speeches from the balcony urging the uprising against the Self-Defense Forces, both Mishima and Masakatsu Morita committed seppuku (ritual suicide). This book is the best introduction to the background and circumstances of this shocking incident.

The book provides a fairly detailed look at the process that led to Mishima's suicide. I found the explanation of the formation of the Tatenokai, its progress, and Mishima's connection to the Self-Defense Forces to be particularly interesting.

I can't introduce its contents here, but I was also surprised by the number of "eh! I can't tell you about the contents of the book here, but I can tell you that I was surprised by many things that came out. I think my view of Mishima changed before and after reading this book.

Why did Yukio Mishima have to die?

This book is a very important work that offers some very important insights into this matter.

Takao TokuokaGoken no Hito: Yukio Mishima no Shikishi" (The Man of Five Decades: A Personal Memoir of Yukio Mishima)

Takao Tokuoka, the author of "Gokaku no Hito: A Personal Account of Yukio Mishima," was a reporter who was asked by Yukio Mishima himself to come to Ichigaya on the day of the incident and listen to his speech on the balcony. He was a reporter trusted by Yukio Mishima that much.

Tokuoka and Mishima had become friends in Bangkok three years prior to this incident and conducted various interviews. Among them, the part where Mishima talked about India was very interesting to me as a Buddhist monk. The book also includes a valuable interview with Mishima immediately after his enlistment in the Japan Self-Defense Forces and his subsequent development, which is described in detail from the reporter's point of view. This book is truly an insight into the unknown Yukio Mishima.

This book is also invaluable in understanding Mishima's magnificent last work, "The Sea of Fertility". I highly recommend this book.

Houtarou NishiThe Yukio Mishima Incident: 50 Years Later - What Did the Police and Self-Defense Forces Know?'-' (used in place of '-')

As the book title suggests, this book provides a detailed look at how the police and the SDF viewed the incident and what the background was like at the time of the incident.

An interview with Mr. Atsuyuki Sasa, who directed the Yasuda Auditorium incident at the University of Tokyo and the Yasama-Sanso incident, reveals shocking facts.

And in this book, you will learn facts that you could never have imagined, such as the fact that Public Security was aware of Mishima's decision and what kind of decision the upper management made in response to it. I was stunned to read this book....

I would highly recommend this book as well.

Kiyoshi InuzukaThe Life of Yukio Mishima and the Man Who Died: Morita Masakatsu

In "The Life of Yukio Mishima and the Man Who Died: Morita Masakatsu," you can learn more about Morita Masakatsu of the Tatenokai, who committed suicide along with Mishima.

The most important feature of this book is the abundance of photographs of Mr. Morita and the Tatenokai. This book is very valuable to know the various images of these people who were involved in the incident.

Conclusion

Now, I have introduced Mishima's works and their commentaries at length, but what do you think?

I personally recommend "Melancholy" and "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" as an introduction to Yukio Mishima. Before that, I strongly recommend reading "Bungo Navi" as a super-introductory book.

With this "Bungo Navi", you can learn the general flow of the work itself and about Mishima himself. I highly recommend that you read the work on this basis, as it will be much easier and more enjoyable to read.

And if you are fascinated by Mishima's black magic, "The Sea of Fertility" is a must-read as its last boss. It is an extraordinary work. It is a milestone in the history of literature. I was completely blown away by this work.

It was my blessing to have met the extraordinary giant that is Yukio Mishima.

The above is a list of 15 recommended works of Yukio Mishima and a list of commentaries - What is interesting about the works of Yukio Mishima, one of Japan's most famous writers, and his spectacular life.

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