Japanese literature

spider silkYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Ryunosuke Akutagawa's "The Spider's Thread" Synopsis and Impressions - A famous short story, famous as a Buddhist fairy tale! A thread of salvation hung in hell!

The Spider's Thread" is the first children's literature written by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, and is a famous short story that is also famous as a Buddhist tale. As a Buddhist monk, I have seen and heard the story of "The Spider's Thread" in many Dharma talks and Buddhist books, and I believe that this story has been familiar to the Japanese people as a whole, beyond the framework of temple-related works.

In the commentary at the end of the book, there is a detailed explanation of the production of "The Spider's Thread," which was quite a surprise to me. To summarize the main points briefly, (1) it is not known whether "The Spider's Thread" is originally of Buddhist origin or not, and (2) this work is also related to Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. This article will look at this in more detail.
Woman of the SandYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Kobo Abe's "The Woman in the Dunes" Synopsis and Impressions - Internationally acclaimed masterpiece! What is Kafkaesque worldview and international literature?

This work, "The Woman in the Dunes," is an internationally acclaimed masterpiece that has been translated into more than 20 countries.

The story itself is just as simple! The main character suddenly wanders into a dune and is unreasonably trapped in a house in a hole. He struggles to escape from the hole surrounded by sand walls.

The "Box Man" introduced in the previous article had a difficult storyline and was so strange that it was considered a problematic work, but the current work, "The Woman in the Sand," is very easy to read.

However, the absurd worldview typical of Kobo Abe is still present.

This was a valuable read for me as it got me thinking about the international nature of literature. This was an enjoyable read.
man who carries a geisha's shamisenYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Kobo Abe's "Box Man" Synopsis and Impressions - A dazzling world if you wear a box? A major influence on MGS director Hideo Kojima!

The current work, "Box Man," is indescribably exciting.

First of all, the title is a mystery to begin with. What is "The Box Man"?

I had only heard of Kobo Abe's "Hakon Otoko," but now I finally decided to read it for myself.

I had thought it was some kind of conceptual story in the image of Chekhov's "The Man in the Box," but I was surprised when I read it and found that it was really a story about a man who physically wore a box!

I highly recommend this work. I read this work as part of my study of Yukio Mishima, and it was a very enjoyable read as I could feel the differences in his style.
disregard for humanityYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Osamu Dazai's "Ningen Shikkaku" Synopsis and Thoughts - Did Dostoevsky Write Crime and Punishment as Synonyms? Thoughts on Dazai's Last Question

Like "Shayo" introduced in the previous article, "Ningen Shikkaku" also had a strong impact on readers. Dazai's writings have a unique magic power to make each reader think, "This is me! Dazai's writing has a unique magic power to make each reader think, "This is me! Young people who sympathized with the naïve nature of the protagonist became fascinated with Dazai's literature. The term "Shayozoku" was coined to describe these young people.

Among Dazai's works, "Ningen Shikkaku" is one of the most magically powerful works.

And for me personally, the connection between Dostoevsky and "The Human Disqualification" was very interesting.

This is because in the second half of the film, a discussion of Dostoevsky was inserted, in which "Crime and Punishment" was discussed.
setting sunYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Osamu Dazai's "Shayo" Synopsis and Impressions - The Aesthetics of Ruin. A masterpiece that gave birth to the Shayo clan. The work that determined Yukio Mishima's dislike of Dazai.

Shayo" is Osamu Dazai's masterpiece, and has become such a social phenomenon that the term "Shayozoku" was coined to describe young people who are fascinated by his works.

As the book "Bungo Navi: Osamu Dazai" says, "'Shayo' depicts the postwar downfall of people who were wealthy before the war, but there is a palpable sense of emotion at the sight of their beautiful demise.

In the commentary at the end of the book, it was also pointed out that the story is closely related to "The Cherry Orchard" by the great Russian writer Chekhov, and this is precisely the case. In particular, the story of Kazuko, one of the main characters, and her mother is filled with the sorrow of a fallen aristocrat.

However, for me, this novel was very interesting to read not so much because it is Dazai's masterpiece or because of his relationship with Chekhov, but because of his association with Yukio Mishima. In this article, I will discuss that relationship with Mishima.
Run, Meros!Yukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Osamu Dazai's "Running Meros" Synopsis and Impressions - Reading this textbook classic as an adult..!

Running Meros" is indeed a cheerful work. However, when I think of Dazai's later life, I feel sadness at the brightness of the work. Because the idealistic worldview of "Run, Melos" is so beautiful, I feel that Dazai's downfall is foreseen in it.

Maybe this is the kind of thing that we feel more as we grow older and learn more about the many things in life. You will feel what this bright masterpiece throws at you after knowing the sour and sweet sides of life. This is truly a luxurious reading experience. Perhaps it is because you are an adult that you can enjoy "Running Meros.
Run, Meros!Yukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Osamu Dazai's "Running-in Suit" Synopsis and Impressions - A Dazai-style adaptation of Judas' betrayal! The ultimate in human weakness, cunning, and teasing!

This story is called "I say. I say. Sir. That man is terrible. He is terrible." The story begins with the very "run-in complaint". Who is suing what? That is exactly what happened in the famous biblical story of Judas selling Jesus Christ.

Judas' betrayal is also a motif in Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, The Last Supper. At the Last Supper, Jesus predicts that "one of the twelve apostles will betray me," which is depicted in this painting as a scene of great panic.

The traitor is Judas, and this work, "Rush-in Suit," is Dazai's depiction of how Judas committed treachery.

How could he write such a thing? What the hell is going on with Dazai? I can't help but think, "How in the world is Dazai able to write like this? It is an amazing work.
Run, Meros!Yukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Osamu Dazai's "One Hundred Views of Mt. Fuji" Synopsis and Impressions - A famous short story famous for the famous quote "Fuji is well suited for moonflowers".

This film beautifully depicts a man trying to rise from ruin and the beautiful Mt.

I had never heard of this work until I picked up this book, but I think it was a very good first encounter with Dazai's work. I could vividly feel the difference between Dazai's and Mishima's writing styles.

It is also very easy to read, with only about 30 pages.

As an introduction to Dazai, this work may be an apt one.

This is a good short story that I would highly recommend.
beautiful starYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Yukio Mishima's "A Beautiful Star" Synopsis and Impressions - That Mishima wrote a science fiction novel! Also the connection with the Brothers Karamazov!

That Yukio Mishima wrote a full-fledged science fiction novel!

Moreover, this work is extremely easy to read. It is so easy to read that if the author's name was withheld, you would not know it was Yukio Mishima. Furthermore, 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 spoon-fed that it is hard 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!

Well, it was a brilliant piece of work.
Apollo's CupYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Yukio Mishima's "The Cup of Apollo" Synopsis and Impressions - A travelogue of his first trip around the world and his experiences in Greece! Recommended to learn about Mishima's view of art!

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.

Mishima enjoyed the ruins and art of Athens and Delphoi, and wrote about his thoughts in his travel journal. He visited many places during his round-the-world trip, but his impressions of these places clearly stand out.

And this is very interesting because it frankly describes what Mishima thought about Greek art and how it influenced his own view of literature and life.

The Cup of Apollo" is filled with Mishima's original Greek and Roman experiences. It is also a very informative work for understanding Mishima's literature and way of life.