Kunikida Doppo
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was a Japanese author of novels and romantic poetry during the Meiji period, noted as one of the inventors of Japanese naturalism.


Early life and education

Doppo Kunikida was born in Chōshi, Chiba as Tetsuo Kunikida. While some doubt exists as to his biological father, Doppo was raised by his mother and her samurai-class husband. The family moved to Tokyo in 1874, but relocated to Yamaguchi prefecture and Doppo grew up in
Iwakuni is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. History Iwakuni was formerly the castle town of the Iwakuni han, which was formed by Lord Hiroie Kikkawa after he was banished there for supporting the defeated shōgun. The Kikkawa clan ruled ...
. The rural area of Chōshū left Doppo with a love of nature and influenced the naturalism which later appeared in his literature. Doppo quit school in order to help support his family in 1888, but left for school in Tokyo in 1889. He studied at the English department of Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō (now Waseda University). Interested in western democracy, he developed a defiant attitude to the school's administration and was expelled from the school in 1891. When he was 21 years old, he was baptized by
Uemura Masahisa was a Japanese Christian pastor, theologian and critic of Meiji and Taishō periods. Early life and education Uemura was the eldest son of Tojuiro and Tei, of the family of hatamoto (rank of samurai). His birth name was Michitarō. Though hi ...
and became a
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
. His religion and the poetry of William Wordsworth influenced his later writing style.


Career and personal life

Kunikida founded a
literary magazine A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry, and essays, along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letter ...
''Seinen bungaku'' (青年文學 "Literature for Youth") in 1892 and began his private diary ''Azamukazaru no ki'' (欺かざるの記 "An Honest Record", published after his death) in 1893, the same year he began teaching English, mathematics, and history in Saiki, another rural area of Japan. In 1894, he joined the news staff of the '' Kokumin Shimbun'' newspaper as a war correspondent. His reports from the front during the First Sino-Japanese War, which were collected and re-published after his death as ''Aitei Tsushin'', (愛弟通信 "Communiques to a Dear Brother") found high favor among the readers. The following year, Kunikida settled with his parents in Tokyo, where he edited the magazine ''Kokumin no Tomo'' (國民の友 "The Nation's Friend") and met his future wife, Nobuko Sasaki, on whom Takeo Arishima is thought to have based his famous novel ''
A Certain Woman is the English translation of the name a Japanese novel by Arishima Takeo published in 1919. The first half of the novel first appeared in serialized form in the literary magazine ''Shirakaba '', starting from January 1911 and running for 16 epis ...
''. Against her parents' wishes (Nobuko's mother encouraged her to commit suicide rather than marry Doppo), the couple was married in November 1895. Kunikida's ensuing financial difficulties caused the pregnant Nobuko to divorce him after only five months. The failed marriage had a traumatic effect on Doppo, and his depression and mental anguish over the separation can be seen in ''Azamukazaru no Ki'', published from 1908 to 1909. Shortly after his divorce, Kunikida turned to the genre of romantic poetry when co-authored an anthology, ''Jojoshi'' (抒情詩 "Lyric Poems"), in 1897 with
Katai Tayama Katai Tayama (田山 花袋 ''Tayama Katai'', 22 January 1872 – 13 May 1930, born Rokuya Tayama) was a Japanese author. His most famous works include ''Inaka Kyōshi'' (田舎教師, "Rural Teacher," also translated "Country Teacher") and ...
and Kunio Matsuoka (a.k.a. Kunio Yanagita). Around this time, Kunikida published several poems that would eventually be collected in ''Doppo gin'' as well as the short story, ''Gen Oji'' (源叔父 "Uncle Gen"). Through his poetic style, Kunikida introduced a fresh current into romantic lyrical literature. Kunikida remarried in 1898, to Haruko Enomoto, and published his first short-story collection, ''Musashino'' (武蔵野 "The Musashi Plain") in 1901, which portrayed people who fall behind the times. However, Kunikida's style began to change. Although ''Haru no Tori'' (春の鳥 "Spring Birds"), written in 1904, reportedly reached the highest level of romanticism in his era, his later works, such as ''Kyushi'' (窮死 "A Poor Man's Death") and ''Take no Kido'' (竹の木戸 "The Bamboo Gate"), Kunikida indicate that he was turning more towards naturalism over romanticism. Following the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, Kunikida started a publishing business that went bankrupt two years later. The same year he founded a magazine, ''
Fujin Gahō ''Fujin Gahō'' (婦人画報; ''Illustrated Women’s Gazette'') is a Japanese language monthly women's magazine in Japan. Founded in 1905, it is one of the oldest magazines in the country. History and profile ''Fujin Gahō'' was established in ...
''.


Death

Kunikida contracted tuberculosis in 1907 and moved to a sanatorium in Chigasaki in early 1908. He died from the disease in 1908 at the age of 36. His grave is at
Aoyama Cemetery is a cemetery in Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The cemetery is also famous for its cherry blossoms, and at the season of hanami, which many people would visit. History The cemetery was origin ...
in Tokyo.


Trivia

* Kunikida is a main character in Bungo Stray Dogs, which uses writers, their biographies and their works to create characters. He is friends with the character named after Katai Tayama and the writer's short-lived relationship with Sasaki Nobuko also returns in the series.


See also

*
Japanese literature Japanese literature throughout most of its history has been influenced by cultural contact with neighboring Asian literatures, most notably China and its literature. Early texts were often written in pure Classical Chinese or , a Chinese-Japanes ...
*
List of Japanese writers This is an alphabetical list of writers who are Japanese, or are famous for having written in the Japanese language. Writers are listed by the native order of Japanese names, family name followed by given name to ensure consistency although some ...


References

* Katō, Shūichi. ''A History of Japanese Literature''. RoutledgeCurzon; 1 edition (1997).


In English

* ''River Mist & Other Stories''. Kodansha America (1983) * ''Selected stories of Doppo Kunikida''. Shichosha. ASIN: B00087VZWW


External links


National Diet Library
* *

at Aozora bunko
Doppo Kunikida's grave



アスネタ国木田独歩

あらら本舗国木田独歩
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kunikida, Doppo Waseda University alumni 20th-century Japanese poets Japanese male short story writers Japanese diarists People from Chōshi People of Meiji-period Japan 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis 1871 births 1908 deaths Tuberculosis deaths in Japan 19th-century Japanese poets 19th-century Japanese novelists 20th-century Japanese novelists 19th-century Japanese short story writers 20th-century Japanese short story writers Japanese male poets 20th-century Japanese male writers 19th-century diarists Japanese magazine founders