is a Japanese

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...

Yasushi Inoue was a Japanese writer of novels, short stories, poetry and essays, noted for his historical and autobiographical fiction. His most acclaimed works include '' The Bullfight'' (''Tōgyū'', 1949), ''The Roof Tile of Tempyō'' (''Tenpyō no iraka' ...

first published in 1949, which won him the prestigious

Akutagawa Prize The is a Japanese literary award presented biannually. Because of its prestige and the considerable attention the winner receives from the media, it is, along with the Naoki Prize, one of Japan's most sought after literary prizes. History The ...

Plot

Tsugami, the ambitious editor-in-chief of a small

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 2. ...

evening newspaper, is talked by event manager Tashiro into presenting a

bull fighting Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms wh ...

event in the sports stadium of the war-scarred city. At the same time, young widow Sakiko, with whom Tsugami has an extramarital affair, threatens to end their relationship because of his emotional coldness. Tashiro introduces Tsugami to factory owner Okabe, who helps with his various connections to authorities and other businesses, while using the venture for his own black market trades. Businessman Miura, who wants to promote his company's pharmacy products, offers to buy all available tickets with a 20 percent discount, which would secure the financing, but is rejected by Tsugami and his boss Otome. An unexpected rain brings the start of the event to a halt, and only on the third and last day, a modest number of spectators attends the bull fights. For a short moment, Sakiko imagines she can reach out to the temporarily defeated Tsugami, but once he regains his self-confidence, he falls back into his usual detachment.

Background

The story refers to an actual bull fighting event held in Nishinomiya Stadium, Osaka, in January 1947, presented by the evening newspaper ''Shin-Ōsaka'' (新大阪). Inoue had attended the event and decided to use it for a fictitious work. He told Masakazu Kotani, organiser and then editor-in-chief of the ''Shin-Ōsaka'', of his plan, who agreed to provide Inoue with detailed information on the venture.

Publication history

''The Bullfight'' first appeared in the December 1949 edition of ''

Bungakukai is a Japanese monthly literary magazine published by Bungeishunjū as a oriented publication. History and profile The first version of ''Bungakukai'' was published from 1893 to 1898. The founders were the first generation romantic authors in t ...

'' magazine. The novella received the prestigious Akutagawa Prize the following year, where it also saw its first publication in book form. ''The Bullfight'' has been cited by critics and Inoue himself as the work which, together with the preceding '' The Hunting Gun'', launched his career as a writer.

Translations

''The Bullfight'' was first translated into English by Michael Emmerich in 2013.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bullfight, The 20th-century Japanese literature Japanese novellas Works by Japanese writers Akutagawa Prize-winning works 1949 novels