Akutagawa Ryunosuke

cucumberYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Ryunosuke Akutagawa's "Kappa" Synopsis and Impressions - What happens when you wander into the land of kappa? A satirical masterpiece about modern Japan through a strange other world

Through "The World of Kappa," Akutagawa poignantly questions the state of Japan.

How unique and humorous are each (each and every?) kappa! How unique and humorous each kappa is. And how eerie....

It is horrifying to think that this work was Ryunosuke Akutagawa's desperate protest, a warning for the end of his life. He committed suicide less than a year after the publication of this work.

It will soon be 100 years since the death of Ryunosuke Akutagawa. But even 100 years later, Akutagawa's works have never faded. The power of literature has been passed on to those of us living today.
heck-bent on robbing a robberYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Ryunosuke Akutagawa's "Jigoken" Synopsis and Impressions - To complete the picture of hell, one must see hell... A masterpiece depicting the madness of a genius painter!

When I read this work, I find myself surrounded by tension as if I am watching a suspenseful movie. It is not so bad until the genius painter Yoshihide chains up his apprentice or sparks an owl. It's just like, "Here we go again with Yoshihide's eccentricities. But from there, a strange feeling of foreboding gradually emerges in our minds, and it becomes more and more eerie. We start to get nervous, thinking, "No way, what is Yoshihide trying to do? This style of storytelling, which gradually and progressively builds up fear and anxiety, is a model of vivid storytelling that can be said to be a model of mystery. This is indeed Ryunosuke Akutagawa.

This work even shows Akutagawa's ambition: "An artist of words can perfectly portray a mad painter who is trying to create a perfect picture.

It is easy to see why this work is regarded as a masterpiece among Akutagawa's literature.
Rashomon, noseYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Ryunosuke Akutagawa's "Rashomon: The Nose" Synopsis and Thoughts - I want to read it now that I am an adult! A masterpiece that captures that decisive moment of progression to evil!

Well - even so, Akutagawa's short story technique is brilliant! An eerie presence appears in the darkness of the night after ascending Rashomon. Even as an adult, I still find myself engrossed in the story, wondering what is out there. It's almost like a cinematic technique, and the sense of realism is incredible.

In this work, Akutagawa decisively captures the moment when a man embarks on a path of evil. The last part of the work, in which the subtle psychological state of this man is exquisitely captured, is a masterpiece.

Rashomon" is harsh. It shows us the harsh, harsh world as much as possible. It leads us to the very point of what it means to embark on the path of evil. It is truly a wonderful work.

This article will also discuss the connection between Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Russian literature, particularly Gogol.
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.