Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
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was a Japanese author who is considered to be one of the most prominent figures in modern Japanese literature. The tone and subject matter of his work ranges from shocking depictions of sexuality and destructive erotic obsessions to subtle portrayals of the dynamics of family life within the context of the rapid changes in 20th-century Japanese society. Frequently, his stories are narrated in the context of a search for cultural identity in which constructions of
the West West is a cardinal direction or compass point. West or The West may also refer to: Geography and locations Global context * The Western world * Western culture and Western civilization in general * The Western Bloc, countries allied with NATO ...
and Japanese tradition are juxtaposed. He was one of six authors on the final shortlist for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964, the year before his death.


Biography


Early life

Tanizaki was born into a well-to-do merchant class family in Nihonbashi,
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
, where his uncle owned a
printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in which the ...
, which had been established by his grandfather. His parents were Kuragorō and Seki Tanizaki. His older brother, Kumakichi, died three days after his birth, which made him the next eldest son of the family. Tanizaki had three younger brothers: Tokuzō, Seiji (also a writer) and Shūhei, as well three younger sisters: Sono, Ise and Sue. Tanizaki described his admittedly pampered childhood in his ''Yōshō Jidai'' (''Childhood Years'', 1956). His childhood home was destroyed in the
1894 Meiji Tokyo earthquake The occurred in Tokyo, Japan at 14:04 PM on June 20. It affected downtown Tokyo and neighboring Kanagawa prefecture, especially the cities of Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Kawasaki and Yokohama. The earthquake's epicenter was in Tokyo Bay, with a magnitud ...
, to which Tanizaki later attributed his lifelong fear of earthquakes. His family's finances declined dramatically as he grew older until he was forced to reside in another household as a tutor. Despite these financial problems, he attended the Tokyo First Middle School, where he became acquainted with Isamu Yoshii. Tanizaki attended the Literature Department of
Tokyo Imperial University , abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project by ...
from 1908, but was forced to drop out in 1911 because of his inability to pay for tuition.


Early literary career

Tanizaki began his literary career in 1909. His first work, a one-act stage play, was published in a literary magazine that he had helped found. Tanizaki's name first became widely known with the publication of the
short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...
''Shisei'' ("The Tattooer") in 1910. In the story, a
tattoo artist A tattoo artist (also tattooer or tattooist) is an individual who applies permanent decorative tattoos, often in an established business called a "tattoo shop", "tattoo studio" or "tattoo parlour". Tattoo artists usually learn their craft via an ...
inscribes a giant spider on the body of a beautiful young woman. Afterwards, the woman's beauty takes on a demonic, compelling power, in which
eroticism Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, sc ...
is combined with
sado-masochism Sadomasochism ( ) is the giving and receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation. Practitioners of sadomasochism may seek sexual pleasure from their acts. While the terms sadist and masochist refer ...
. The
femme-fatale A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of ...
is a theme repeated in many of Tanizaki's early works, including ''Kirin'' (1910), ''Shonen'' ("The Children", 1911), ''Himitsu'' ("The Secret," 1911), and ''Akuma'' ("Devil", 1912). Tanizaki's other works published in the Taishō period include ''Shindo'' (1916) and ''Oni no men'' (1916), which are partly autobiographical. Tanizaki married his first wife, Chiyo Ishikawa, in 1915, and his only child, Ayuko, was born in 1916. However, it was an unhappy marriage, and in time he encouraged a relationship between Chiyo and his friend and fellow writer Haruo Satō. The psychological stress of this situation is reflected in some of his early works, including the stage play ''Aisureba koso'' (''Because I Love Her'', 1921) and the novel ''Kami to hito no aida'' (''Between Men and the Gods'', 1924). Even though some of Tanizaki's writings seem to have been inspired by these and other persons and events in his life, his works are far less autobiographical than those of most of his contemporaries in Japan. Tanizaki later adopted Emiko, the daughter of his third wife, Matsuko Morita. In 1918, Tanizaki toured
Chōsen Between 1910 and 1945, Korea was ruled as a part of the Empire of Japan. Joseon Korea had come into the Japanese sphere of influence with the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1876; a complex coalition of the Meiji government, military, and business offici ...
, northern China, and
Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer M ...
. In his early years he became infatuated with the West and all things modern. In 1922, he relocated from
Odawara is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 188,482 and a population density of 1,700 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Odawara lies in the Ashigara Plains, in the far western por ...
, where he had been living since 1919, to
Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...
, which had a large expatriate population, living briefly in a Western-style house and leading a
bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Beer * National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst * Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...
lifestyle. This outlook is reflected in some of his early writings. Tanizaki had a brief career in
silent cinema A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, whe ...
, working as a script writer for the Taikatsu film studio. He was a supporter of the
Pure Film Movement The was a trend in film criticism and filmmaking in 1910s and early 1920s Japan that advocated what were considered more modern and cinematic modes of filmmaking. Critics in such magazines as '' Kinema Record'' and '' Kinema Junpo'' complained th ...
and was instrumental in bringing modernist themes to Japanese film. He wrote the scripts for the films ''Amateur Club'' (1922) and ''A Serpent's Lust'' (1923) (based on the story of the same title by
Ueda Akinari Ueda Akinari or Ueda Shūsei (, July 25, 1734 in Osaka – August 8, 1809 in Kyoto) was a Japanese author, scholar and '' waka'' poet, and a prominent literary figure in 18th-century Japan. He was an early writer in the '' yomihon'' genre an ...
, which was, in part, the inspiration for
Mizoguchi Kenji was a Japanese film director and screenwriter, who directed about one hundred films during his career between 1923 and 1956. His most acclaimed works include '' The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums'' (1939), ''The Life of Oharu'' (1952), ''Uge ...
's 1953 masterpiece ''
Ugetsu monogatari is a collection of nine supernatural tales first published in 1776. It is the best known work of Japanese author Ueda Akinari. Largely adapted from traditional Japanese and Chinese ghost stories, the collection is among the most important work ...
''). Some have argued that Tanizaki's relation to cinema is important to understanding his overall career.


Period in Kyoto

Tanizaki's reputation began to take off in 1923, when he moved to
Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...
after the
Great Kanto earthquake Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...
, which destroyed his house in
Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...
(at the time Tanizaki was on a bus in
Hakone is a List of towns in Japan, town in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had a population of 11,293 and a population density of 122 persons per km². The total area of the town is . The town is a popular tourist destination due to its many o ...
and thus escaped injury). The loss of Tokyo's historic buildings and neighborhoods in the quake triggered a change in his enthusiasms, as he redirected his youthful love for the imagined West and modernity into a renewed interest in Japanese aesthetics and culture, particularly the culture of the Kansai region (around the cities of
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...
, Kobe and
Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...
). His first novel after the earthquake, and his first truly successful novel, was '' Chijin no ai'' (''Naomi,'' 1924-25), which is a tragicomic exploration of class, sexual obsession, and cultural identity. Tanizaki made another trip to China in 1926, where he met
Guo Moruo Guo Moruo (; November 16, 1892 – June 12, 1978), courtesy name Dingtang (), was a Chinese author, poet, historian, archaeologist, and government official. Biography Family history Guo Moruo, originally named Guo Kaizhen, was born on November ...
, with whom he later maintained correspondence. He relocated from Kyoto to Kobe in 1928. Inspired by the
Osaka dialect The is a group of Japanese dialects in the Kansai region (Kinki region) of Japan. In Japanese, is the common name and it is called in technical terms. The dialects of Kyoto and Osaka are known as , and were particularly referred to as suc ...
, Tanizaki wrote '' Manji'' (''Quicksand'', 1928–1929), in which he explored lesbianism, among other themes. This was followed by the classic '' Tade kuu mushi'' (''Some Prefer Nettles'', 1928–29), which depicts the gradual self-discovery of a Tokyo man living near Osaka, in relation to Western-influenced modernization and Japanese tradition. ''Yoshinokuzu'' ("Arrowroot", 1931) alludes to Bunraku and kabuki theater and other traditional forms even as it adapts a European narrative-within-a-narrative technique. His experimentation with narrative styles continued with ''Ashikari'' ("The Reed Cutter," 1932), ''Shunkinsho'' ("A Portrait of Shunkin", 1933), and many other works that combine traditional aesthetics with Tanizaki's particular obsessions. His renewed interest in classical Japanese literature culminated in his multiple translations into modern Japanese of the eleventh-century classic '' The Tale of Genji'' and in his masterpiece ''Sasameyuki'' (literally "A Light Snowfall," but published in English translation as ''
The Makioka Sisters is a novel by Japanese writer Jun'ichirō Tanizaki that was serialized from 1943 to 1948. It follows the lives of the wealthy Makioka family of Osaka from the autumn of 1936 to April 1941, focusing on the family's attempts to find a husband fo ...
'', 1943–1948), a detailed characterization of four daughters of a wealthy Osaka merchant family who see their way of life slipping away in the early years of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. The sisters live a cosmopolitan life with European neighbors and friends, without suffering the cultural-identity crises common to earlier Tanizaki characters. When he began to serialize the novel, the editors of '' Chūōkōron'' were warned that it did not contribute to the needed war spirit and, fearful of losing supplies of paper, cut off the serialization. Tanizaki relocated to the resort town of
Atami, Shizuoka is a city located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 36,865 in 21,593 households and a population density of 600 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Atami is located in the far ea ...
in 1942, but returned to Kyoto in 1946.


Post-war period

After
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, Tanizaki again emerged into literary prominence, winning a host of awards. Until his death, he was widely regarded as Japan's greatest contemporary author. He won the prestigious
Asahi Prize The , established in 1929, is an award presented by the Japanese newspaper ''Asahi Shimbun'' and Asahi Shimbun Foundation to honor individuals and groups that have made outstanding accomplishments in the fields of arts and academics and have greatl ...
in 1948, was awarded the
Order of Culture The is a Japanese order, established on February 11, 1937. The order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japan's art, literature, science, technology, or anything related to culture in general; recipient ...
by the Japanese government in 1949, and in 1964 was elected to honorary membership in the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, the first Japanese writer to be so honoured. His first major post-war work was ''Shōshō Shigemoto no haha'' (" Captain Shigemoto's Mother," 1949–1950), which includes a restatement of Tanizaki's frequent theme of a son's longing for his mother. The novel also introduces a new theme, of sexuality in old age, which reappears in later works such as ''Kagi'' ('' The Key'', 1956). ''Kagi'' is a
psychological novel In literature, psychological fiction (also psychological realism) is a narrative genre that emphasizes interior characterization and motivation to explore the spiritual, emotional, and mental lives of the characters. The mode of narration exami ...
in which an aging professor arranges for his wife to commit adultery in order to boost his own sagging sexual desires. Tanizaki returned to Atami in 1950, and was designated a Person of Cultural Merit by the Japanese government in 1952. He suffered from paralysis of the right hand from 1958, and was hospitalized for
Angina pectoris Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease. Angina is typically the result of obstru ...
in 1960. Tanizaki's characters are often driven by obsessive erotic desires. In one of his last novels, ''Futen Rojin Nikki'' (''Diary of a Mad Old Man''), 1961–1962), the aged diarist is struck down by a stroke brought on by an excess of sexual excitement. He records both his past desires and his current efforts to bribe his daughter-in-law to provide sexual titillation in return for Western baubles. In 1964, Tanizaki moved to
Yugawara, Kanagawa is a town located in Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 23,267 and a population density of 570 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Geography Yugawara is located in the fa ...
, southwest of Tokyo, where he died of a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
on 30 July 1965, shortly after celebrating his 79th birthday. His grave is at the temple Hōnen-in, in Kyoto.


Legacy

The
Tanizaki Prize The Tanizaki Prize (谷崎潤一郎賞 ''Tanizaki Jun'ichirō Shō''), named in honor of the Japanese novelist Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, is one of Japan's most sought-after literary awards. It was established in 1965 by the publishing company Chūō K ...
is one of Japan's most sought-after literary awards. Established in 1965 by the publishing company Chūō Kōronsha, it is awarded annually to a work of fiction or drama. Before
Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...
had achieved wide renown, Tanizaki was frequently considered one of the "Big Three" postwar Japanese writers along with
Yasunari Kawabata was a Japanese novelist and short story writer whose spare, lyrical, subtly shaded prose works won him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968, the first Japanese author to receive the award. His works have enjoyed broad international appeal a ...
and
Yukio Mishima , born , was a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor, model, Shintoist, nationalist, and founder of the , an unarmed civilian militia. Mishima is considered one of the most important Japanese authors of the 20th century. He was considered fo ...
.


Bibliography


Selected works


Works published in English

* '' Some Prefer Nettles'', tr. Edward Seidensticker, Alfred A. Knopf 1955, Vintage Press 1995. * ''
The Makioka Sisters is a novel by Japanese writer Jun'ichirō Tanizaki that was serialized from 1943 to 1948. It follows the lives of the wealthy Makioka family of Osaka from the autumn of 1936 to April 1941, focusing on the family's attempts to find a husband fo ...
'', tr.
Edward Seidensticker Edward George Seidensticker (February 11, 1921 – August 26, 2007) was an American noted post-World War II scholar, historian, and preeminent translator of classical and contemporary Japanese literature. His English translation of the epic '' Th ...
, Alfred A. Knopf 1957, Vintage Press 1995. * ''The Key and Diary of a Mad Old Man'', tr. Howard Hibbert, Alfred A. Knopf 1960 and 1965 respectively, reissued in a single volume by Vintage Press 2004. * ''Seven Japanese Tales'', tr. Howard Hibbett, Alfred A. Knopf 1963. * ''In Praise of Shadows'', tr. Thomas J. Harper and Edward G. Seidensticker, Leete's Island Books 1977, Charles E. Tuttle 1984. * ''Naomi'', tr. Anthony H. Chambers, Alfred A. Knopf 1985, Vintage Press 2001. * ''Childhood Years: A Memoir'', tr. Paul McCarthy, Kodansha International 1988. . Reissued by the University of Michigan Press, 2017. * ''A Cat, a Man, and Two Women'', tr. Paul McCarthy, Kodansha International 1990. Reissued by New Directions, 2016. * ''The Secret History of the Lord of Musashi and Arrowroot'', tr. Anthony H. Chambers, Alfred A. Knopf 1982, Vintage Press 2003. * ''Quicksand'', tr. Howard Hibbett, Alfred A. Knopf 1993, Vintage Press 1995. * ''The Reed Cutter and Captain Shigemoto's Mother'', tr. Anthony H. Chambers, Alfred A. Knopf 1993. * ''Memoir of Forgetting the Capital: Miyakowasure no ki'', tr. by Amy V. Heinrich, Foreword by Donald Keene, Yushodo/Columbia University Press, 2010.
''The Gourmet Club: A Sextet''
tr. Anthony H. Chambers and Paul McCarthy, Kodansha International 2001. . Reissued by the University of Michigan Press, 2017.
''Red Roofs and Other Stories''
tr. Anthony H. Chambers and Paul McCarthy, University of Michigan Press, 2016. * ''Devils in Daylight'', tr. by J. Keith Vincent, New Directions, 2017. * ''The Maids.'' tr. by Michael P. Cronin, New Directions, 2017 * "The Jester." tr. by Howard Hibbett. In ''A Tokyo Anthology: Literature from Japan’s Modern Metropolis, 1850-1915'', ed. by Sumie Jones and Charles S. Inouye, pp. 268–280. University of Hawai’i Press, 2017. * ''In Black and White,'' tr. by Phyllis I. Lyons, Columbia University Press (2018). * ''Longing and Other Stories'', tr. Anthony H. Chambers and Paul McCarthy, Columbia University Press 2022.


Adaptations

Tanizaki's works have repeatedly been adapted into films: * ''
Torawakamaru the Koga Ninja is a black-and-white Japanese film directed by Tadashi Sawashima.- References External links

* 1957 films Japanese black-and-white films Films based on works by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki Ninja films Toei Company films 1950s Japanese films ...
'' (1957) * '' Akuto'' (1965), based on the play ''Kaoyo'' * ''
Sanka Sanka is a brand of instant decaffeinated coffee, sold around the world, and was one of the earliest decaffeinated varieties. Sanka is distributed in the United States by Kraft Heinz. History Decaffeinated coffee was developed in 1903 by a team ...
'' (1972), based on the story ''Shunkinshō''


See also

* The Moon in the Water: Understanding Tanizaki, Kawabata, and Mishima''


References


Further reading

* * Bienati, Luisa, and Bonaventura Ruperti, eds. ''The Grand Old Man and the Great Tradition: Essays on Tanizaki Jun'ichirō in Honor of Adriana Boscaro''. University of Michigan Press (2009). * Boscaro, Adriana, et al., eds. ''Tanizaki in Western Languages: A Bibliography of Translations and Studies''. University of Michigan Press (1999). * Boscaro, Adriana and Anthony Hood Chambers, eds. ''A Tanizaki Feast: The International Symposium in Venice''. University of Michigan Press (1994). * Chambers, Anthony Hood. ''The Secret Window: Ideal Worlds in Tanizaki's Fiction''.
Harvard University Asia Center The Harvard University Asia Center is an interdisciplinary research and education unit of Harvard University, established on July 1, 1997, with the goal of "driving varied programs focusing on international relations in Asia and comparative studi ...
(1994). * Chambers, Anthony Hood. ''Remembering Tanizaki Jun'ichiro and Matsuko: Diary Entries, Interview Notes, and Letters, 1954-1989.'' University of Michigan Press (2017). * Gessel, Van C. ''Three Modern Novelists''. Kodansha International (1994). * Hibbett, Howard. ''Tanizaki: Fiction, Fantasy, and Artful Memories''. Highmoonoon (2020). * Ito, Ken Kenneth. ''Visions of Desire: Tanizaki's Fictional Worlds''. Stanford University Press (1991). * Jansen, Marius B. (2000). ''The Making of Modern Japan.'' Cambridge:
Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retir ...
.
OCLC 44090600
* Keene, Donald. ''Dawn to the West''. Columbia University Press (1998). . * * Long, Margherita. ''This Perversion Called Love: Reading Tanizaki, Feminist Theory, and Freud.'' Stanford University Press (2009).


External links


Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
grave info * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tanizaki, Junichiro 1886 births 1965 deaths 20th-century Japanese novelists Writers from Tokyo University of Tokyo alumni Recipients of the Order of Culture Japanese erotica writers