was a Japanese author who is considered to be one of the most prominent figures in modern
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-Japa ...
. The tone and subject matter of his work range 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
the West and
Japanese tradition are juxtaposed.
He was one of six authors on the final shortlist for the
Nobel Prize in Literature
The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...
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, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, where his uncle owned a
printing press
A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a printing, print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in whi ...
, 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, 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 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. It can typically be read in a single 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 old ...
''Shisei'' (''The Tattooer'', 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, scul ...
is combined with
sado-masochism. The
femme-fatale 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, northern China, and
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical region in northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day northeast China and parts of the modern-day Russian Far East south of the Uda (Khabarovsk Krai), Uda River and the Tukuringra-Dzhagdy Ranges. The exact ...
. In his early years he became infatuated with the West and all things modern. In 1922, he relocated from
Odawara
is a Cities of Japan, 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 ...
, where he had been living since 1919, to
Yokohama
is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...
, which had a large expatriate population, living briefly in a Western-style house and leading a
bohemian lifestyle. This outlook is reflected in some of his early writings.
Tanizaki had a brief career in
silent cinema, working as a script writer for the
Taikatsu film studio. He was a supporter of the
Pure Film Movement 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, which was, in part, the inspiration for
Mizoguchi Kenji's 1953 masterpiece ''
Ugetsu monogatari''). 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 ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
after the
Great Kanto earthquake, which destroyed his house in
Yokohama
is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...
(at the time Tanizaki was on a bus in
Hakone 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
The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropoli ...
region (around the cities of
Osaka
is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
,
Kobe
Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...
and
Kyoto
Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
). 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, with whom he later maintained correspondence. He relocated from Kyoto to Kobe in 1928.
Inspired by the
Osaka dialect, 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. ''Yoshino kuzu'' (''
Arrowroot
Arrowroot is a starch obtained from the rhizomes (rootstock) of several tropical plants, traditionally ''Maranta arundinacea'', but also Florida arrowroot from ''Zamia integrifolia'', and tapioca from cassava (''Manihot esculenta''), which is of ...
'', 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), ''Shunkinshō'' (''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
is a classic work of Japanese literature written by the noblewoman, poet, and lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu around the peak of the Heian period, in the early 11th century. It is one of history's first novels, the first by a woman to have wo ...
'' and in his masterpiece ''Sasameyuki'' (literally "A Light Snowfall," but published in English translation as ''
The Makioka Sisters'', 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. 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 the literary magazine ''
Chūō Kōron'' 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 in 1942, but returned to Kyoto in 1946.
Post-war period
After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, 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 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 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 part ...
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, southwest of Tokyo, where he died of a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
on 30 July 1965, shortly after celebrating his 79th birthday. His grave is at the temple Hōnen-in, in Kyoto.
Legacy
The
Tanizaki Prize 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 best-sellers 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 hi ...
had achieved wide renown, Tanizaki was frequently considered one of the "Big Three" postwar Japanese writers along with
Yasunari Kawabata and
Yukio Mishima.
Bibliography
Selected works
Works published in English
* ''
Some Prefer Nettles'', tr. Edward Seidensticker, Alfred A. Knopf 1955, Vintage Press 1995.
* ''
The Makioka Sisters'', tr.
Edward Seidensticker, 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. Includes "A Portrait of Shunkin," "Terror," "The Bridge of Dreams," "The Tattooer," "The Thief," "Aguri," and "A Blind Man's Tale."
* ''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. Also includes "The Little Kingdom" and "Professor Rado."
* ''
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. Includes "The Children," "The Secret," "The Two Acolytes," "The Gourmet Club," "Mr. Bluemound," and "Manganese Dioxide Dreams."
''Red Roofs and Other Stories'' tr. Anthony H. Chambers and Paul McCarthy, University of Michigan Press, 2016. Includes "The Strange Case of Tomoda and Matsunaga," "A Night in Qinhuai," "The Magician," and "Red Roofs."
* ''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. Includes "Longing," "Sorrows of a Heretic," and "The Story of an Unhappy Mother."
* ''The Siren's Lament: Essential Stories'', tr. Bryan Karetnyk, Pushkin Press, 2023. Collects three stories: "The Qilin", "Killing O-Tsuya", and, "The Siren's Lament".
Adaptations
Tanizaki's works have repeatedly been adapted into films, including:
* ''
Miss Oyu'' (1951), based on the novella ''The Reed Cutter''
* ''
Torawakamaru the Koga Ninja'' (1957)
* ''
Akuto'' (1965), based on the play ''Kaoyo''
* ''
Sanka'' (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 (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 an academic publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University. It is a member of the Association of University Presses. Its director since 2017 is George Andreou.
The pres ...
.
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 Tanizakigrave info
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanizaki, Junichiro
1886 births
1965 deaths
20th-century Japanese novelists
People from Chūō, Tokyo
Writers from Tokyo
University of Tokyo alumni
Recipients of the Order of Culture
Japanese erotica writers