Jump to content

Kan Kikuchi: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Kisobushi (talk | contribs)
134 edits
→Father Returns: fixed typos and italicized titles
m Reverted edit by Werner Lebsack (talk) to last version by JJMC89 bot III
 
(61 intermediate revisions by 44 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{For|a Japanese footballer|Kan Kikuchi (footballer)}}
{{For|a Japanese footballer|Kan Kikuchi (footballer)}}
{{Short description|Japanese writer (1888–1948)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox writer
{{Infobox writer
| name = Kan Kikuchi
| name = Kan Kikuchi
| native_name = 菊池 寛
| native_name = 菊池 寛
| native_name_lang = Japanese
| native_name_lang = Japanese
| image = Kan Kikuchi smoking.jpg
| image = Photo-Author-Kan-Kikuchi-Smoking.png
| image_size =
| image_size =
| alt =
| alt =
| caption =
| caption =

| birth_name = Hiroshi Kikuchi
| birth_name = Hiroshi Kikuchi
| birth_date = {{birth date|1888|12|26}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1888|12|26}}
Line 30: Line 31:
| footnotes =
| footnotes =
}}
}}
{{nihongo|'''Hiroshi Kikuchi'''|菊池 寛|Kikuchi Hiroshi|December 26, 1888 – March 6, 1948}}, known by his pen name '''Kan Kikuchi''' (which uses the same [[kanji]] as his real name), was a [[Japanese people|Japanese]] [[author]] born in [[Takamatsu, Kagawa|Takamatsu]], [[Kagawa Prefecture]], [[Japan]]. He established the publishing company [[Bungeishunjū]], the monthly [[magazine]] [[Bungeishunjū (magazine)|of the same name]], the [[Japan Writer's Association]] and both the [[Akutagawa Prize|Akutagawa]] and [[Naoki Prize]] for popular literature. During the [[Meiji period]], Kikuchi Kan's main focus was to accurately portray the hardships of the daily lives of the common people. He was one of the leading playwrights during the Meiji period. In 1920, Kikuchi Kan's success was more recognized by the general public after the success of one of his pieces of work, ''Shinju fujin'' (真珠夫人 Madame Pearl).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Michiko|first1=Suzuki|title="Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan"|date=2012|publisher=Japan Review|pages=105–125}}</ref> He was also the head of Daiei Motion Picture Company (currently [[Kadokawa Pictures]]). He is known to have been an avid player of [[Mahjong]].
{{nihongo|'''Hiroshi Kikuchi'''|菊池 寛|Kikuchi Hiroshi|December 26, 1888 – March 6, 1948}}, also known as '''Kan Kikuchi''' (which uses the same [[kanji]] as his real name), was a Japanese [[author]] and publisher. He established the publishing company [[Bungeishunjū]], the monthly [[magazine]] [[Bungeishunjū (magazine)|of the same name]], the [[Japan Writer's Association]] and both the [[Akutagawa Prize|Akutagawa]] and [[Naoki Prize]] for popular literature. He came to prominence for the plays "Madame Pearl" and "Father Returns", but his ample support for the Imperial Japanese war effort led to his marginalization in the postwar period.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Poulton|first1=M. Cody|title=A Beggar's Art: Scripting Modernity in Japanese Drama, 1900-1930|url=https://archive.org/details/beggarsartscript00poul|url-access=limited|date=2010|publisher=University of Hawai'i Press|page=[https://archive.org/details/beggarsartscript00poul/page/n102 86]}}</ref> He was also the head of Daiei Motion Picture Company (currently [[Kadokawa Pictures]]). He was known to have been an avid player of [[mahjong]].


==Early career==
==Early life and career==
⚫
Kikuchi was born on December 26, 1888, in [[Takamatsu, Kagawa|Takamatsu]], [[Kagawa Prefecture]], Japan.[[File:Kikuchi Kan, Akutagawa Ryunosuke, and so on.jpg|thumbnail|upright=0.8|Kikuchi Kan with Ryunosuke and others]]
In 1904-1905 after the [[Russo-Japanese War]], literature in Japan grew more modern.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Morichini|first1=Giuseppe|title=Prewar and Postwar Japanese Fiction: Why the former is little known and why the latter should be better known in the West|journal=East and West|date=1955|volume=6|page=138}}</ref> French [[Realism]] was one of the first influences that immersed into Japan's literature. Building from the famous and classic works from the West, which include diaries and autobiographies, Japanese writers formulated a style of fictional writing that is eventually called ''shinkyo-shosetsu''. Other major influences from Western countries in [[Europe]] in addition to works from [[India]] and [[China]] contributed to the creation of modern literature in Japan. In comparison to literature in European countries, new Japanese literature did not achieve as much popularity; few works of Japanese [[playwrights]] were translated into European languages.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Morichini|first1=Giuseppe|title=Prewar and Postwar Japanese Fiction: Why the former is little known and why the latter should be better known in the West|journal=East and West|date=1955|volume=6|page=141}}</ref> Kikuchi Kan saw the language barrier and inaccuracy of translation as part of the central cause for this.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Morichini|first1=Giuseppe|title=Prewar and Postwar Japanese Fiction: Why the former is little known and why the latter should be better known in the West|journal=East and West|date=1955|volume=6|page=141}}</ref>
In 1904–1905 after the [[Russo-Japanese War]], literature in Japan grew more modern.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Morichini|first1=Giuseppe|title=Prewar and Postwar Japanese Fiction: Why the former is little known and why the latter should be better known in the West|journal=East and West|date=1955|volume=6|page=138}}</ref> French [[Literary realism|Realism]] was one of the first influences that immersed into Japan's literature. Building from the famous and classic works from the West, which include diaries and autobiographies, Japanese writers formulated a style of fictional writing that is eventually called ''shinkyo-shosetsu''. Other major influences from Western countries in Europe in addition to works from India and China contributed to the creation of modern literature in Japan. In comparison to literature in European countries, new Japanese literature did not achieve as much popularity; few works of Japanese [[playwrights]] were translated into European languages.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal|last1=Morichini|first1=Giuseppe|title=Prewar and Postwar Japanese Fiction: Why the former is little known and why the latter should be better known in the West|journal=East and West|date=1955|volume=6|page=141}}</ref> Kikuchi Kan saw the language barrier and inaccuracy of translation as part of the central cause for this.<ref name=":0" />
⚫
[[File:Kikuchi Kan,Akutagawa Ryunosuke,and so on.jpg|thumbnail|left|Kikuchi Kan with Ryunosuke and others]]


===Irish Influences===
===Irish Influences===
In 1924, shortly after [[Kaoru Osanai]] opened [[Tsukiji Little Theatre]], Kikuchi Kan was the most celebrated playwright in Japan. Kan was widely claimed as "a playwright who transformed Irish plays into a Japanese context," including [[John Millington Synge]]'s ''Dierdre of the Sorrows''. When studying at the [[University of Kyoto]], Kikuchi Kan had a great interest in modern drama, particularly Irish modern drama. Dramatists Kan studied included J.M. Synge and [[Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany]].
In 1924, shortly after [[Kaoru Osanai]] opened [[Tsukiji Little Theatre]], Kikuchi Kan was the most celebrated playwright in Japan. Kan was widely claimed as "a playwright who transformed Irish plays into a Japanese context," including [[John Millington Synge]]'s ''Deirdre of the Sorrows''. When studying at the [[University of Kyoto]], Kikuchi Kan had a great interest in modern drama, particularly Irish modern drama. Dramatists Kan studied included J.M. Synge and [[Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany]].
[[File:Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany.jpg|thumbnail|Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany]]
[[File:Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany.jpg|thumbnail|upright=0.8|Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany]]
After graduating from the University of Kyoto, Kan wrote detailed articles on Synge and Irish plays for ''Teikoku-Bungaku'' (帝国文学 Imperial Literature) and ''New Current of Thought''. In 1925, Kan also published a book with Shuji Yamamoto, ''Eikoku Airan Kindaigeki Seizui'' (Quintessence of Modern Plays in England and Ireland). Kan's interests in Irish drama and J.S. Synge were also inspirations to his future works. In his ''Han-jijo-den'' (半自叙伝 Semi-Autobiography), Kan writes about his great interest in Irish drama.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Kojima|first1=Chiaki|title=J.M. Synge and Kan Kikuchi: From Irish Drama to Japanese New Drama|journal=Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies|date=2004|volume=10|page=99}}</ref>
After graduating from the University of Kyoto, Kan wrote detailed articles on Synge and Irish plays for {{Nihongo3|Imperial Literature|帝国文学|Teikoku-Bungaku}} and ''New Current of Thought''. In 1925, Kan also published a book with Shuji Yamamoto, ''Eikoku Airan Kindaigeki Seizui'' (Quintessence of Modern Plays in England and Ireland). Kan's interests in Irish drama and J.S. Synge were also inspirations to his future works. In his {{Nihongo3|Semi-Autobiography|半自叙伝|Han-jijo-den}}, Kan writes about his great interest in Irish drama.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Kojima|first1=Chiaki|title=J.M. Synge and Kan Kikuchi: From Irish Drama to Japanese New Drama|journal=Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies|date=2004|volume=10|page=99}}</ref>


===Writing Style===
===Writing Style===
Though Kikuchi Kan recognized distinct characteristics between Western and Japanese cultures, he used his Japanese roots as the foundation of many of his works. This, in turn, resulted in Kikuchi Kan creating his style of writing in Japanese drama.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Morichini|first1=Giuseppe|title=Prewar and Postwar Japanese Fiction: Why the former is little known and why the latter should be better known in the West|journal=East and West|date=1955|volume=6|page=140}}</ref> One of his early works, ''Kayano Yane'' (茅の屋根 Thatched Cottage), represents one of Kikuchi Kan's portrayal of societal issues during his time, which increased his popularity in modern Japanese literature. Other themes include issues of morality, money, class, and gender.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Michiko|first1=Suzuki|title="Shinju fujin," Newpapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan|journal=Japan Review|date=2012}}</ref> Kikuchi Kan believes the nature of modern theatre is to shed light upon the wrongs of modern society and liberate Japan from those customs.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Poulton|first1=Cody M.|title=A Beggar's Art: Scripting Modernity in Japanese Drama|date=2010|page=87}}</ref> The heavy influence of common issues in Kikuchi Kan's works gained accolades from critics and dramatists.
Though Kikuchi Kan recognized distinct characteristics between Western and Japanese cultures, he used his Japanese roots as the foundation of many of his works. This, in turn, resulted in Kikuchi Kan creating his style of writing in Japanese drama.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Morichini|first1=Giuseppe|title=Prewar and Postwar Japanese Fiction: Why the former is little known and why the latter should be better known in the West|journal=East and West|date=1955|volume=6|page=140}}</ref> One of his early works, {{Nihongo3|Thatched Cottage|茅の屋根|Kayano Yane}}, represents one of Kikuchi Kan's portrayal of societal issues during his time, which increased his popularity in modern Japanese literature. Other themes of his dramas include issues of morality, money, class, and gender.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Michiko|first1=Suzuki|title="Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan|journal=Japan Review|date=2012}}</ref> Kikuchi Kan believes the nature of modern theatre is to shed light upon the wrongs of modern society and liberate Japan from those customs.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Poulton|first1=Cody M.|title=A Beggar's Art: Scripting Modernity in Japanese Drama|url=https://archive.org/details/beggarsartscript00poul|url-access=limited|date=2010|page=[https://archive.org/details/beggarsartscript00poul/page/n103 87]}}</ref> The heavy influence of common issues in Kikuchi Kan's works gained accolades from critics and dramatists.


Elements of drama Kikuchi Kan considered to be the most effective are the [[one-act play]] and the use of a minimal number of characters. "The one-act play" he wrote, "is different from long plays - three-acts or five-acts. It should extract the most dramatic elements from all and has to effectively treat it within a limited time." With this short amount of time, Kikuchi Kan's portrays his message in a core event with meticulous use of exposition. One important element in his perspective is knowing the difference between writing stories as opposed to writing plays. In that limited time, the play must have the power to "physically bind the audience to the theatre seat," as opposed to stories that "the reader can put into his pocket."<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Kojima|first1=Chiaki|title=J.M. Synge and Kan Kikuchi: From Irish Drama to Japanese New Drama|journal=Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies|date=2004|volume=10|page=108}}</ref> From 1914 to 1924, Kan wrote one-act plays for the leading coterie magazine at that time, New Tides of Thought (Shinshichō). New Tides of Thought magazine also contributed to the popularity of Taishō drama.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Poulton|first1=Cody M.|title=A Beggar's Art: Scripting Modernity in Japanese Drama|date=2010|page=86}}</ref> In Kan's one-act plays, he focused on a single dramatic event and had the characters' actions revolve around that event to produce the most tension and most "dramatic force," for one-act plays "should extract the most dramatic elements...within a limited time."<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Kojima|first1=Chiaki|title=J.M. Synge and Kan Kikuchi: From Irish Drama to Japanese New Drama|journal=Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies|date=2004|volume=10|page=108}}</ref>
Elements of drama Kikuchi Kan considered to be the most effective are the [[one-act play]] and the use of a minimal number of characters. "The one-act play" he wrote, "is different from long plays – three-acts or five-acts. It should extract the most dramatic elements from all and has to effectively treat it within a limited time." With this short amount of time, Kikuchi Kan's portrays his message in a core event with meticulous use of exposition. One important element in his perspective is knowing the difference between writing stories as opposed to writing plays. In that limited time, the play must have the power to "physically bind the audience to the theatre seat," as opposed to stories that "the reader can put into his pocket."<ref name=":1">{{cite journal|last1=Kojima|first1=Chiaki|title=J.M. Synge and Kan Kikuchi: From Irish Drama to Japanese New Drama|journal=Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies|date=2004|volume=10|page=108}}</ref> From 1914 to 1924, Kan wrote one-act plays for the leading coterie magazine at that time, New Tides of Thought (Shinshichō). New Tides of Thought magazine also contributed to the popularity of Taishō drama.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Poulton|first1=Cody M.|title=A Beggar's Art: Scripting Modernity in Japanese Drama|url=https://archive.org/details/beggarsartscript00poul|url-access=limited|date=2010|page=[https://archive.org/details/beggarsartscript00poul/page/n102 86]}}</ref> In Kan's one-act plays, he focused on a single dramatic event and had the characters' actions revolve around that event to produce the most tension and most "dramatic force," for one-act plays "should extract the most dramatic elements...within a limited time."<ref name=":1" />


===Father Returns===
===Father Returns===
[[File:ChichiKaeru.jpg|thumbnail|Father Returns Statue]]
[[File:ChichiKaeru.jpg|thumbnail|Father Returns statue]]
One of his most famous works, ''Chichi Kaeru'' (Father Returns), is a one-act play that mainly portrays the struggles of a father-son relationship. Named "a modern classic," Father Returns had its first showing in 1920. During the modern period in Japan, ''Father Returns'' and ''Shuzenji Monogatari'' were the two plays that has the greatest impact on Japanese theatre history. ''Father Returns'' was published in the journal ''New Tides of Thought'' in 1917.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Powell|first1=Brian|title=Japan's Modern Theatre|date=2002|publisher=Japan Library|location=London|isbn=1-873410-30-1|pages=24–82|accessdate=13 May 2015}}</ref> The story revolves around a conflict between a father and son, which reflects the tension among families towards the end of the [[Meiji Period]] and throughout the [[Taishō Period]] in Japanese society. The eldest son, Ken'ichirō, despises his father, Sōtarō, for his cruel treatment toward the family and for deserting them. During this time period in Japan, it was common for families to expel a family member who was thought most responsible for a crisis. In ''Father Returns'', Kikuchi Kan purposefully connects this element with Sōtarō abandoning his family. As the play progresses, the audience learns that Ken'ichirō's hatred towards his father fueled his determination of surpassing his father by providing better support for his family in his absence. After Sōtarō returns one night, the family welcomes him but Ken'ichirō's confrontation with him ultimately drives Sōtarō to leave. The play concludes with Ken'ichirō's sudden change of heart towards Sōtarō and accepting him into the family. After Shinjirō, a younger brother, goes to bring Sōtarō back, the curtain closes before Sōtarō is found. The ending drove Takeda and Ennosuke to alter it to avoid ambiguity, but was changed back to the original to preserve the main message of the play.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Poulton|first1=Cody M.|title=A Beggar's Art: Scripting Modernity in Japanese Drama, 1900–1930|date=2010|isbn=9780824833411|pages=85–89|publisher=University of Hawaii Press}}</ref>
One of his most famous works, ''Chichi Kaeru'' (Father Returns), is a one-act play that mainly portrays the struggles of a father-son relationship. Father Returns opened in 1920, after being published in the journal ''New Tides of Thought'' in 1917.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Powell|first1=Brian|title=Japan's Modern Theatre|date=2002|publisher=Japan Library|location=London|isbn=1-873410-30-1|pages=24–82}}</ref> The story revolves around a conflict between a father and son. The eldest son, Ken'ichirō, despises his father, Sōtarō, for his cruel treatment of the family and for deserting them. As the play progresses, the audience learns that Ken'ichirō's hatred towards his father fueled his determination of surpassing his father by providing better support for his family in his absence. After Sōtarō returns one night, the family welcomes him but Ken'ichirō's confrontation with him ultimately drives Sōtarō to leave. The play concludes with Ken'ichirō's sudden change of heart towards Sōtarō and accepting him into the family. After Shinjirō, a younger brother, goes to bring Sōtarō back, the curtain closes before Sōtarō is found. The ending drove Takeda and Ennosuke to alter it to avoid ambiguity, but was changed back to the original to preserve the main message of the play.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Poulton|first1=Cody M.|title=A Beggar's Art: Scripting Modernity in Japanese Drama, 1900–1930|url=https://archive.org/details/beggarsartscript00poul|url-access=limited|date=2010|isbn=9780824833411|pages=[https://archive.org/details/beggarsartscript00poul/page/n101 85]–89|publisher=University of Hawaii Press}}</ref>


===Madame Pearl===
===Madame Pearl===
''Shinju fujin''(真珠夫人 Madame Pearl) was Kikuchi Kan's first piece of literature that helped him rise in popularity during the prewar period. This drama takes place in Japan and focuses on the theme of gender in society. The main character, a woman named Karasawa Ruriko 唐沢瑠璃子is a baron's daughter who is forced in an arranged marriage with the rich Shōda Katsuhei 荘田勝平to save the family from [[bankruptcy]]. Before and after Ruriko's arranged marriage to Katsuhei, she remained faithful to her feelings for Sugino Naoya 杉野直也, her first love, and decided to preserve her virginity. Due to Ruriko's choosing to be sexually pure, Katsuhei attempted to rape Ruriko but died from a sudden heart attack. From then on, she wanted to overcome the [[male dominance]] in the society she lived in. After a period of time of Ruriko tricking men and playing with their emotions, leading many of them to violent deaths. However, Ruriko eventually got herself killed by one of her suitors. The name ''Shinju fujin'' symbolizes Ruriko's purity and preservation of [[chastity]] throughout her encounters with different men. She remained pure in body, mind and soul like a pearl while she gradually rose in power over men. As the story unravels, it encourages the audience to think about Ruriko's motivation to carry out her actions and find the "truth" behind her thinking <ref>{{cite book|last1=Michiko|first1=Suzuki|title="Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan|date=2012|publisher=International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, National Institute for the Humanities|page=106-108}}</ref>. This play became popular among female audiences, for it gave them strength and the opportunity fulfill "the fantasy of female liberation"<ref>{{cite book|last1=Michiko|first1=Suzuki|title="Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan|date=2012|publisher=International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, National Institute for the Humanities|page=106}}</ref>.
{{Nihongo3|Madame Pearl|真珠夫人|Shinju fujin}} brought Kikuchi Kan to fame. This drama takes place in Japan and focuses on the theme of gender in society. The main character, a woman named Karasawa Ruriko 唐沢瑠璃子 is a baron's daughter who is forced into an arranged marriage with the rich Shōda Katsuhei 荘田勝平 to save the family from [[bankruptcy]]. Before and after Ruriko's arranged marriage to Katsuhei, she remained faithful to her feelings for Sugino Naoya 杉野直也, her first love, and decided to preserve her virginity. Due to Ruriko's choosing to be sexually pure, Katsuhei attempted to rape Ruriko but died from a sudden [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]]. From then on, she wanted to overcome the male dominance in the society she lived in. For a period of time Ruriko tricked men and played with their emotions, which lead many of them to violent deaths. However, Ruriko eventually was killed by one of her suitors. The name ''Shinju fujin'' symbolizes Ruriko's purity and preservation of [[chastity]] throughout her encounters with different men. She remained pure in body, mind, and soul like a pearl while she gradually rose in power over men. As the story unravels, it encourages the audience to think about Ruriko's motivation to carry out her actions and find the "truth" behind her thinking.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Michiko|first1=Suzuki|title="Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan|date=2012|publisher=International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, National Institute for the Humanities|pages=106–108}}</ref> According to Michiko Suzuki, this play became popular among female audiences because it gave them strength and the opportunity fulfill "the fantasy of female liberation".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Michiko|first1=Suzuki|title="Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan|date=2012|publisher=International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, National Institute for the Humanities|page=106}}</ref>


Since the plot of ''Shinju fujin'' revolves around the empowerment of women, which differs from other plays during the Taishō period, both men and women from various societies in Japan enjoyed the play. In fact, many believed that the nature of the female character Ruriko was inspired from the famous Yanagihara Byakuren [[柳原白蓮]]. Byakuren was a widely known for her beauty, her talent in poetry, her relation to the emperor, and her marriage to Itō Den'emon 伊藤傳右衞門 who was a coalmine magnate<ref>{{cite book|last1=Michiko|first1=Suzuki|title="Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan|date=2012|publisher=International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, National Institute for the Humanities|page=107}}</ref>. Byakuren herself asked Kikuchi Kan whether she played a role in creating Ruriko in ''Shinju fujin''; Kikuchi Kan confirmed that there was a connection. Kan used it to imply specific themes in the play and increase its popularity and acceptance among the public<ref>{{cite book|last1=Michiko|first1=Suzuki|title="Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan|date=2012|publisher=International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, National Institute for the Humanities|page=108}}</ref>. Another connection viewers have made regarding Ruriko is how many of her traits throughout the story overlap with [[Nemesis]], the goddess of revenge. It was assumed that like the goddess of revenge, Ruriko wanted to avenge the women who have fallen victim to the "violence and self-centered desires of men"<ref>{{cite book|last1=Michiko|first1=Suzuki|title="Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan|date=2012|publisher=International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, National Institute for the Humanities|page=117}}</ref>. Overall, ''Shinju fujin'' challenges [[gender role]]s and male dominance during the Taishō period in Japan. Kikuchi Kan's goal in writing ''Shinju fujin'' was to have his audience find recurring themes that connect to everyday life and encourage change in Japanese society.
Suzuki further argues that many audience members believed that Ruriko was inspired by Yanagihara Byakuren 柳原白蓮, who was widely known for her beauty, her talent in poetry, her relation to the emperor, and her marriage to coalmine magnate Itō Den'emon 伊藤傳右衞門.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Michiko|first1=Suzuki|title="Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan|date=2012|publisher=International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, National Institute for the Humanities|page=107}}</ref> According to Suzuki, Byakuren herself asked Kikuchi Kan whether she played a role in creating Ruriko in ''Shinju fujin'' and Kikuchi confirmed that there was a connection.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Michiko|first1=Suzuki|title="Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan|date=2012|publisher=International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, National Institute for the Humanities|page=108}}</ref> Suzuki also connects Ruriko to [[Nemesis (mythology)|Nemesis]], the goddess of revenge. Suzuki argues that, like the goddess of revenge, Ruriko wanted to avenge the women who have fallen victim to the "violence and self-centered desires of men."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Michiko|first1=Suzuki|title="Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan|date=2012|publisher=International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, National Institute for the Humanities|page=117}}</ref>


==Naoki and Akutagawa Prizes==
==Naoki and Akutagawa Prizes==
⚫
[[File:Akutagawa Ryunosuke photo2.jpg|thumbnail|upright=0.8|Akutagawa Ryunosuke]]
Kikuchi Kan dedicated the [[Akutagawa Prize]] to [[Ryūnosuke Akutagawa]] (芥川 龍之介) after his death in 1927.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Mack|first1=Edward|title=Accounting for Taste: The Creation of the Akutagawa and Naoki Prizes for Literature|journal=Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies|date=2004|volume=64|page=299}}</ref> [[The Akutagawa Prize]] Committee was composed of the close friends of Bungei Shunjusha. The Akutagawa Prize was given every six months to rising authors of original literature (Sōsaku) that were published in any newspaper or magazine. The Akutagawa Prizes were published in [[Bungeishunjū]] issues. The prize included both a watch and cash award of five hundrend [[Japanese yen]] ([[¥]]).<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Mack|first1=Edward|title=Accounting for Taste: The Creation of the Akutagawa and Naoki Prizes for Literature|journal=Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies|date=2004|volume=64|page=300}}</ref>
Kikuchi Kan dedicated the [[Akutagawa Prize]] to [[Ryūnosuke Akutagawa]] (芥川 龍之介) after his death in 1927.<ref name=":2">{{cite journal|last1=Mack|first1=Edward|title=Accounting for Taste: The Creation of the Akutagawa and Naoki Prizes for Literature|journal=Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies|date=2004|volume=64|issue=2|page=299|doi=10.2307/25066744|jstor=25066744}}</ref> The Akutagawa Prize Committee was composed of the close friends of Bungei Shunjusha. The Akutagawa Prize was given every six months to rising authors of original literature (Sōsaku) that were published in any newspaper or magazine. The Akutagawa Prizes were published in [[Bungeishunjū]] issues. The prize included both a watch and a cash award of five hundred [[Japanese yen]] ([[¥]]).<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Mack|first1=Edward|title=Accounting for Taste: The Creation of the Akutagawa and Naoki Prizes for Literature|journal=Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies|date=2004|volume=64|issue=2|page=300|doi=10.2307/25066744|jstor=25066744}}</ref>
⚫
[[File:Akutagawa Ryunosuke photo2.jpg|thumbnail|Akutagawa Ryunosuke]]
⚫
[[File:Naoki Sanjugo.jpg|thumbnail|upright=0.8|Naoki Sanjugo]]
⚫
The [[Naoki Prize]] was created by Kikuchi Kan as tribute to literary author [[Sanjugo Naoki]] (直木 三十五) after his death in February 1934.<ref name=":2" /> The Naoki Prize was given to rising authors of popular literature. The Naoki prizes were published in {{Nihongo3||オール讀物|Oru Yomimono}} issues.


⚫
The process of choosing recipients of the two prizes is for the committees to select already published manuscripts in [[Dōjinshi|Coterie]] and commercial magazines and newspapers. After producing the two prizes, Kikuchi Kan initially decided on having the prizes reflect the [[Kenshō]] [[shōsetsu]] type of award, in which submitted and unpublished manuscripts were selected by a committee. In brief, the Kenshō shōsetsu, the "prize-winning novels" are selected pieces of fiction novels published in newspapers and magazines that received considerable amounts of praise.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mack|first1=Edward|title=Manufacturing Modern Japanese Literature: Publishing, Prizes, and the Ascription of Literary Value|date=2010|publisher=Duke University Press|location=United States of America|page=186}}</ref> The Akutagawa Prize committee in 1934 consisted of the members: Bungei Shunjusha, Yamamoto Yuzu, [[Haruo Satō (novelist)|Haruo Satō]], [[Jun'ichirō Tanizaki]], [[Murō Saisei]], [[Kōsaku Takii]], [[Riichi Yokomitsu]] and [[Yasunari Kawabata]]. Kikuchi Kan, [[Masao Kume]] and [[Masajirō Kojima]] were in both Akutagawa and Naoki Prize Committees.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Mack|first1=Edward|title=Accounting for Taste: The Creation of the Akutagawa and Naoki Prizes for Literature|journal=Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies|date=2004|volume=64|issue=2|pages=291–340|doi=10.2307/25066744|jstor=25066744}}</ref>
⚫
The [[Naoki Prize]] was created by Kikuchi Kan as tribute to literary author [[Sanjugo Naoki]] (直木 三十五) after his death in February 1934.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Mack|first1=Edward|title=Accounting for Taste: The Creation of the Akutagawa and Naoki Prizes for Literature|journal=Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies|date=2004|volume=64|page=299}}</ref> The Naoki Prize was given to rising authors of popular literature. The Naoki prizes were published in Oru Yomimono (オール讀物) issues.
⚫
[[File:Naoki Sanjugo.jpg|thumbnail|Naoki Sanjugo]]
⚫
The process of choosing recipients of the two prizes is for the committees to select already published manuscripts in [[Coterie]] and commercial magazines and newspapers. After producing the two prizes, Kikuchi Kan initially decided on having the prizes reflect the [[Kenshō]] [[shōsetsu]] type of award, in which submitted and unpublished manuscripts were selected by a committee. In brief, the Kenshō shōsetsu, the "prize-winning novels" are selected pieces of fiction novels published in newspapers and magazines that received considerable amounts of praise.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mack|first1=Edward|title=Manufacturing Modern Japanese Literature: Publishing, Prizes, and the Ascription of Literary Value|date=2010|publisher=Duke University Press|location=United States of America|page=186|accessdate=21 May 2015}}</ref> The Akutagawa Prize committee in 1934 consisted of the members: Bungei Shunjusha, Yamamoto Yuzu, [[Haruo Satō]], [[Jun'ichirō Tanizaki]], [[Murō Saisei ]], [[Kōsaku Takii]], [[Riichi Yokomitsu]] and [[Yasunari Kawabata]]. Kikuchi Kan, [[Masao Kume]] and [[Masajirō Kojima]] were in both Akutagawa and Naoki Prize Committees.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Mack|first1=Edward|title=Accounting for Taste: The Creation of the Akutagawa and Naoki Prizes for Literature|journal=Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies|date=2004|volume=64}}</ref>


==Kikuchi Kan Prize==
==Kikuchi Kan Prize==
In 1938, the [[Kikuchi Kan Prize]] (菊池寛賞 Kikuchi Kan Shō) was created by Kikuchi Kan himself that recognizes authors' achievements. However, unlike the Naoki and Akutagawa Prizes, the Kikuchi Kan Prize is given to senior authors over age 45. The prize includes an award of one million yen and a table clock. This award was sponsored by the Association for the Promotion of Japanese Literature for six years before the the cancellation of the prize. After Kikuchi Kan's death, the prize was brought back and is currently open to art, literature, film, and other genres. Recipients of this prize include [[Hakuchō Masamune]] and [[Yasushi Inoue]]<ref>{{cite book|last1=Miller|first1=Scott J.|title=Historical Dictionary of Modern Japanese Literature and Theater|date=2009|publisher=Scarecrow Press|page=52|accessdate=7 June 2015}}</ref>
In 1938, the [[Kikuchi Kan Prize]] (菊池寛賞 Kikuchi Kan Shō) was created by Kikuchi Kan himself that recognizes authors' achievements. However, unlike the Naoki and Akutagawa Prizes, the Kikuchi Kan Prize is given to senior authors over age 45. The prize includes an award of one million yen and a table clock. This award was sponsored by the Association for the Promotion of Japanese Literature for six years before the cancellation of the prize. After Kikuchi Kan's death, the prize was brought back and is currently open to art, literature, film, and other genres. Recipients of this prize include [[Hakuchō Masamune]] and [[Yasushi Inoue]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Miller|first1=Scott J.|title=Historical Dictionary of Modern Japanese Literature and Theater|url=https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio00mill|url-access=limited|date=2009|publisher=Scarecrow Press|page=[https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio00mill/page/n94 52]}}</ref>

==Later years==
In 1938, Kikuchi joined the [[Pen Butai|Pen butai]] (lit. "Pen corps"), a government organisation which consisted of authors who travelled the front during the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] to write favourably of Japan's war efforts in China,<ref name="kotobank">{{cite web|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E3%83%9A%E3%83%B3%E9%83%A8%E9%9A%8A-192482 |title=ペン部隊 |website=Kotobank |language=ja |access-date=24 July 2023}}</ref><ref name="routledge">{{cite book|title=Routledge Handbook of Modern Japanese Literature |editor1-first=Rachael |editor1-last=Hutchinson |editor2-first=Leith Douglas |editor2-last=Morton |publisher=Routledge |year=2019 |isbn=9780367355739}}</ref> and became head of the group's navy branch.<ref name="walthall">{{cite book|title=The Human Tradition in Modern Japan |chapter=Yoshiya Nobuko: Out and Outspoken in Practice and Prose |last=Robertson |first=Jennifer |editor1-first=Anne |editor1-last=Walthall |publisher=SR Books |year=2002 |isbn=9780842029124 |page=169}}</ref> He was later affiliated with the Nihon bungaku hōkokukai ("Patriotic Association for Japanese Literature"),<ref>{{cite book|title=The Politics and Literature Debate in Postwar Japanese Criticism, 1945-52 |year=2017 |publisher=Lexington Books |isbn=9780739180754 |page=284}}</ref> a subordinate of the [[Cabinet Intelligence Bureau]].<ref name="kotobank" /><ref name="kotobank2">{{cite web|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%96%87%E5%AD%A6%E5%A0%B1%E5%9B%BD%E4%BC%9A-110297 |title=日本文学報国会 |website=Kotobank |language=ja |access-date=24 July 2023}}</ref> After the war, he was [[Purge (occupied Japan)|purged from public service positions]] as a wartime collaborator.<ref name="kotobank3">{{cite web|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E8%8F%8A%E6%B1%A0%E5%AF%9B-16070 |title=菊池寛 |website=Kotobank |language=ja |access-date=24 July 2023}}</ref>


==Selected work==
==Selected work==
Kan Kikuchi's published writings encompass 512 works in 683 publications in 7 languages and 2,341 library holdings.<ref>[http://www.oclc.org/research/activities/identities/default.htm WorldCat Identities]: [http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n82-133800 菊池寬 1888-1948]</ref>
Kan Kikuchi's published writings encompass 512 works in 683 publications in 7 languages and 2,341 library holdings.<ref>[http://www.oclc.org/research/activities/identities/default.htm WorldCat Identities] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101230150412/http://www.oclc.org/research/activities/identities/default.htm |date=December 30, 2010 }}: [http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n82-133800 菊池寬 1888-1948]</ref>
{{dynamic list}}
{{dynamic list}}
* {{nihongo|''[[Okujō no Kyōjin]]''|屋上の狂人|}} or Madman On The Roof
* {{nihongo|''[[Okujō no Kyōjin]]''|[[:ja:屋上の狂人|屋上の狂人]]}} – The Housetop Madman
* {{nihongo|''[[Chichi Kaeru]]''|父帰る|}}
* {{nihongo|''[[Chichi Kaeru]]''|[[:ja:父帰る|父帰る]]}} – The Father returns
* {{nihongo|''[[Mumei Sakka no Nikki]]''|無名作家の日記|}}
* {{nihongo|''[[Mumei Sakka no Nikki]]''|無名作家の日記|}} -Anonymous Writer’s Diary
* {{nihongo|''[[Onshū no Kanata ni]]''|恩讐の彼方に|}}
* {{nihongo|''[[Onshū no Kanata ni]]''|[[:ja:恩讐の彼方に|恩讐の彼方に]]}} or Beyond the Pale of Vengeance
* {{nihongo|''[[Tadanaokyō Gyōjōki]]''|忠直卿行状記|}}
* {{nihongo|''[[Tadanaokyō Gyōjōki]]''|忠直卿行状記|}}
* {{nihongo|''[[Rangaku Kotohajime]]''|蘭学事始|}} [http://www.thehumanbrainproject.com/doc-dawnofwesternscience0.html]
* {{nihongo|''[[Rangaku Kotohajime]]''|蘭学事始|}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20080312031533/http://www.thehumanbrainproject.com/doc-dawnofwesternscience0.html]
* {{nihongo|''[[Tōjūrō no Koi (novel)|Tōjūrō no Koi]]''|藤十郎の恋|}}
* {{nihongo|''[[Tōjūrō no Koi (novel)|Tōjūrō no Koi]]''|藤十郎の恋|}} – Tōjūrō's love
** film adaptations: Tōjūrō no Koi (1938 film) and [[Tōjūrō no Koi (1955 film)]]
** film adaptations: Tōjūrō no Koi (1938 film) and [[Tōjūrō no Koi (1955 film)]]
* {{nihongo|''[[Shinju Fujin]]''|真珠夫人|}}
* {{nihongo|''[[Shinju Fujin]]''|[[:ja:真珠夫人|真珠夫人]]}}


==See also==
==See also==
Line 88: Line 92:


==Notes==
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==References==
==References==
* Asai Kiyoshi. (1994). {{nihongo|Kikuchi Kan|菊池寬|}} Tokyo: Shinchōsha. 10-ISBN 4106206439/13-ISBN 9784106206436; [http://www.worldcat.org/title/kikuchi-kan/oclc/031486196 OCLC 31486196]
* Asai Kiyoshi. (1994). {{nihongo|Kikuchi Kan|菊池寬|}} Tokyo: Shinchōsha. {{ISBN|9784106206436}}; [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/031486196 OCLC 31486196]


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category|Kan Kikuchi}}
{{commons category|Kan Kikuchi}}
* [http://www.aozora.gr.jp/index_pages/person83.html Author's entry at Aozora Bunko] {{jp icon}}
* [https://www.aozora.gr.jp/index_pages/person83.html Author's entry at Aozora Bunko] {{in lang|ja}}
* [http://www.horror-house.jp/e/cat4/hiroshi-kikuchi-18881948.html Hiroshi Kikuchi's grave]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080530123243/http://www.horror-house.jp/e/cat4/hiroshi-kikuchi-18881948.html Hiroshi Kikuchi's grave]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=A5gkbyRywvkC&pg=PA47&lpg=PA47&dq=shinkyo+shosetsu&source=bl&ots=cqEsODCx_-&sig=eiE8QGnuvcK1zHJOhG9d6hQ3bb4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=MihUVaaRB4TAtQWgk4HoDA&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=shinkyo%20shosetsu&f=false shinkyo shosetsu]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=A5gkbyRywvkC&dq=shinkyo+shosetsu&pg=PA47 shinkyo shosetsu]
* [http://www.scribd.com/doc/65867542/The-Mad-Man-on-the-Roof-by-Kikuchi-Kan#scribd Madman on the Roof ]
* [https://www.scribd.com/doc/65867542/The-Mad-Man-on-the-Roof-by-Kikuchi-Kan#scribd Madman on the Roof ]
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Kan Kikuchi}}
* {{Librivox author |id=3542}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Kikuchi Kan
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Japanese writer
| DATE OF BIRTH = December 26, 1888
| PLACE OF BIRTH = Takamatsu, Kagawa
| DATE OF DEATH = March 6, 1948
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kikuchi Kan}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kikuchi Kan}}
[[Category:1888 births]]
[[Category:1888 births]]
[[Category:1948 deaths]]
[[Category:1948 deaths]]
[[Category:Japanese dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Bisexual novelists]]
[[Category:Bisexual writers]]
[[Category:Writers from Kagawa Prefecture]]
⚫
[[Category:People from Kagawa Prefecture]]
[[Category:Kyoto University alumni]]
[[Category:Kyoto University alumni]]
[[Category:Japanese racehorse owners and breeders]]
[[Category:Japanese racehorse owners and breeders]]
[[Category:Bisexual men]]
[[Category:Bisexual male writers]]
[[Category:LGBT writers from Japan]]
[[Category:Japanese bisexual men]]
[[Category:Japanese LGBTQ novelists]]
[[Category:Japanese LGBTQ dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Mahjong players]]
[[Category:Mahjong players]]
[[Category:LGBT dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Bisexual dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:20th-century dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:20th-century Japanese dramatists and playwrights]]
⚫
[[Category:People from Takamatsu, Kagawa]]
[[Category:Burials at Tama Cemetery]]

Latest revision as of 21:26, 16 October 2024

For a Japanese footballer, see Kan Kikuchi (footballer).

Kan Kikuchi
Native name
菊池 寛
BornHiroshi Kikuchi
(1888-12-26)December 26, 1888
Takamatsu, Kagawa
DiedMarch 6, 1948(1948-03-06) (aged 59)
OccupationNovelist
NationalityJapanese

Hiroshi Kikuchi (菊池 寛, Kikuchi Hiroshi, December 26, 1888 – March 6, 1948), also known as Kan Kikuchi (which uses the same kanji as his real name), was a Japanese author and publisher. He established the publishing company Bungeishunjū, the monthly magazine of the same name, the Japan Writer's Association and both the Akutagawa and Naoki Prize for popular literature. He came to prominence for the plays "Madame Pearl" and "Father Returns", but his ample support for the Imperial Japanese war effort led to his marginalization in the postwar period.[1] He was also the head of Daiei Motion Picture Company (currently Kadokawa Pictures). He was known to have been an avid player of mahjong.

Early life and career

[edit]

Kikuchi was born on December 26, 1888, in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan.

Kikuchi Kan with Ryunosuke and others

In 1904–1905 after the Russo-Japanese War, literature in Japan grew more modern.[2] French Realism was one of the first influences that immersed into Japan's literature. Building from the famous and classic works from the West, which include diaries and autobiographies, Japanese writers formulated a style of fictional writing that is eventually called shinkyo-shosetsu. Other major influences from Western countries in Europe in addition to works from India and China contributed to the creation of modern literature in Japan. In comparison to literature in European countries, new Japanese literature did not achieve as much popularity; few works of Japanese playwrights were translated into European languages.[3] Kikuchi Kan saw the language barrier and inaccuracy of translation as part of the central cause for this.[3]

Irish Influences

[edit]

In 1924, shortly after Kaoru Osanai opened Tsukiji Little Theatre, Kikuchi Kan was the most celebrated playwright in Japan. Kan was widely claimed as "a playwright who transformed Irish plays into a Japanese context," including John Millington Synge's Deirdre of the Sorrows. When studying at the University of Kyoto, Kikuchi Kan had a great interest in modern drama, particularly Irish modern drama. Dramatists Kan studied included J.M. Synge and Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany.

Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany

After graduating from the University of Kyoto, Kan wrote detailed articles on Synge and Irish plays for Teikoku-Bungaku (帝国文学, Imperial Literature) and New Current of Thought. In 1925, Kan also published a book with Shuji Yamamoto, Eikoku Airan Kindaigeki Seizui (Quintessence of Modern Plays in England and Ireland). Kan's interests in Irish drama and J.S. Synge were also inspirations to his future works. In his Han-jijo-den (半自叙伝, Semi-Autobiography), Kan writes about his great interest in Irish drama.[4]

Writing Style

[edit]

Though Kikuchi Kan recognized distinct characteristics between Western and Japanese cultures, he used his Japanese roots as the foundation of many of his works. This, in turn, resulted in Kikuchi Kan creating his style of writing in Japanese drama.[5] One of his early works, Kayano Yane (茅の屋根, Thatched Cottage), represents one of Kikuchi Kan's portrayal of societal issues during his time, which increased his popularity in modern Japanese literature. Other themes of his dramas include issues of morality, money, class, and gender.[6] Kikuchi Kan believes the nature of modern theatre is to shed light upon the wrongs of modern society and liberate Japan from those customs.[7] The heavy influence of common issues in Kikuchi Kan's works gained accolades from critics and dramatists.

Elements of drama Kikuchi Kan considered to be the most effective are the one-act play and the use of a minimal number of characters. "The one-act play" he wrote, "is different from long plays – three-acts or five-acts. It should extract the most dramatic elements from all and has to effectively treat it within a limited time." With this short amount of time, Kikuchi Kan's portrays his message in a core event with meticulous use of exposition. One important element in his perspective is knowing the difference between writing stories as opposed to writing plays. In that limited time, the play must have the power to "physically bind the audience to the theatre seat," as opposed to stories that "the reader can put into his pocket."[8] From 1914 to 1924, Kan wrote one-act plays for the leading coterie magazine at that time, New Tides of Thought (Shinshichō). New Tides of Thought magazine also contributed to the popularity of Taishō drama.[9] In Kan's one-act plays, he focused on a single dramatic event and had the characters' actions revolve around that event to produce the most tension and most "dramatic force," for one-act plays "should extract the most dramatic elements...within a limited time."[8]

Father Returns

[edit]
Father Returns statue

One of his most famous works, Chichi Kaeru (Father Returns), is a one-act play that mainly portrays the struggles of a father-son relationship. Father Returns opened in 1920, after being published in the journal New Tides of Thought in 1917.[10] The story revolves around a conflict between a father and son. The eldest son, Ken'ichirō, despises his father, Sōtarō, for his cruel treatment of the family and for deserting them. As the play progresses, the audience learns that Ken'ichirō's hatred towards his father fueled his determination of surpassing his father by providing better support for his family in his absence. After Sōtarō returns one night, the family welcomes him but Ken'ichirō's confrontation with him ultimately drives Sōtarō to leave. The play concludes with Ken'ichirō's sudden change of heart towards Sōtarō and accepting him into the family. After Shinjirō, a younger brother, goes to bring Sōtarō back, the curtain closes before Sōtarō is found. The ending drove Takeda and Ennosuke to alter it to avoid ambiguity, but was changed back to the original to preserve the main message of the play.[11]

Madame Pearl

[edit]

Shinju fujin (真珠夫人, Madame Pearl) brought Kikuchi Kan to fame. This drama takes place in Japan and focuses on the theme of gender in society. The main character, a woman named Karasawa Ruriko 唐沢瑠璃子 is a baron's daughter who is forced into an arranged marriage with the rich Shōda Katsuhei 荘田勝平 to save the family from bankruptcy. Before and after Ruriko's arranged marriage to Katsuhei, she remained faithful to her feelings for Sugino Naoya 杉野直也, her first love, and decided to preserve her virginity. Due to Ruriko's choosing to be sexually pure, Katsuhei attempted to rape Ruriko but died from a sudden heart attack. From then on, she wanted to overcome the male dominance in the society she lived in. For a period of time Ruriko tricked men and played with their emotions, which lead many of them to violent deaths. However, Ruriko eventually was killed by one of her suitors. The name Shinju fujin symbolizes Ruriko's purity and preservation of chastity throughout her encounters with different men. She remained pure in body, mind, and soul like a pearl while she gradually rose in power over men. As the story unravels, it encourages the audience to think about Ruriko's motivation to carry out her actions and find the "truth" behind her thinking.[12] According to Michiko Suzuki, this play became popular among female audiences because it gave them strength and the opportunity fulfill "the fantasy of female liberation".[13]

Suzuki further argues that many audience members believed that Ruriko was inspired by Yanagihara Byakuren 柳原白蓮, who was widely known for her beauty, her talent in poetry, her relation to the emperor, and her marriage to coalmine magnate Itō Den'emon 伊藤傳右衞門.[14] According to Suzuki, Byakuren herself asked Kikuchi Kan whether she played a role in creating Ruriko in Shinju fujin and Kikuchi confirmed that there was a connection.[15] Suzuki also connects Ruriko to Nemesis, the goddess of revenge. Suzuki argues that, like the goddess of revenge, Ruriko wanted to avenge the women who have fallen victim to the "violence and self-centered desires of men."[16]

Naoki and Akutagawa Prizes

[edit]
Akutagawa Ryunosuke

Kikuchi Kan dedicated the Akutagawa Prize to Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (芥川 龍之介) after his death in 1927.[17] The Akutagawa Prize Committee was composed of the close friends of Bungei Shunjusha. The Akutagawa Prize was given every six months to rising authors of original literature (Sōsaku) that were published in any newspaper or magazine. The Akutagawa Prizes were published in Bungeishunjū issues. The prize included both a watch and a cash award of five hundred Japanese yen (¥).[18]

Naoki Sanjugo

The Naoki Prize was created by Kikuchi Kan as tribute to literary author Sanjugo Naoki (直木 三十五) after his death in February 1934.[17] The Naoki Prize was given to rising authors of popular literature. The Naoki prizes were published in Oru Yomimono (オール讀物) issues.

The process of choosing recipients of the two prizes is for the committees to select already published manuscripts in Coterie and commercial magazines and newspapers. After producing the two prizes, Kikuchi Kan initially decided on having the prizes reflect the Kenshō shōsetsu type of award, in which submitted and unpublished manuscripts were selected by a committee. In brief, the Kenshō shōsetsu, the "prize-winning novels" are selected pieces of fiction novels published in newspapers and magazines that received considerable amounts of praise.[19] The Akutagawa Prize committee in 1934 consisted of the members: Bungei Shunjusha, Yamamoto Yuzu, Haruo Satō, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, Murō Saisei, Kōsaku Takii, Riichi Yokomitsu and Yasunari Kawabata. Kikuchi Kan, Masao Kume and Masajirō Kojima were in both Akutagawa and Naoki Prize Committees.[20]

Kikuchi Kan Prize

[edit]

In 1938, the Kikuchi Kan Prize (菊池寛賞 Kikuchi Kan Shō) was created by Kikuchi Kan himself that recognizes authors' achievements. However, unlike the Naoki and Akutagawa Prizes, the Kikuchi Kan Prize is given to senior authors over age 45. The prize includes an award of one million yen and a table clock. This award was sponsored by the Association for the Promotion of Japanese Literature for six years before the cancellation of the prize. After Kikuchi Kan's death, the prize was brought back and is currently open to art, literature, film, and other genres. Recipients of this prize include Hakuchō Masamune and Yasushi Inoue.[21]

Later years

[edit]

In 1938, Kikuchi joined the Pen butai (lit. "Pen corps"), a government organisation which consisted of authors who travelled the front during the Second Sino-Japanese War to write favourably of Japan's war efforts in China,[22][23] and became head of the group's navy branch.[24] He was later affiliated with the Nihon bungaku hōkokukai ("Patriotic Association for Japanese Literature"),[25] a subordinate of the Cabinet Intelligence Bureau.[22][26] After the war, he was purged from public service positions as a wartime collaborator.[27]

Selected work

[edit]

Kan Kikuchi's published writings encompass 512 works in 683 publications in 7 languages and 2,341 library holdings.[28]

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Poulton, M. Cody (2010). A Beggar's Art: Scripting Modernity in Japanese Drama, 1900-1930. University of Hawai'i Press. p. 86.
  2. ^ Morichini, Giuseppe (1955). "Prewar and Postwar Japanese Fiction: Why the former is little known and why the latter should be better known in the West". East and West. 6: 138.
  3. ^ a b Morichini, Giuseppe (1955). "Prewar and Postwar Japanese Fiction: Why the former is little known and why the latter should be better known in the West". East and West. 6: 141.
  4. ^ Kojima, Chiaki (2004). "J.M. Synge and Kan Kikuchi: From Irish Drama to Japanese New Drama". Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies. 10: 99.
  5. ^ Morichini, Giuseppe (1955). "Prewar and Postwar Japanese Fiction: Why the former is little known and why the latter should be better known in the West". East and West. 6: 140.
  6. ^ Michiko, Suzuki (2012). ""Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan". Japan Review.
  7. ^ Poulton, Cody M. (2010). "A Beggar's Art: Scripting Modernity in Japanese Drama": 87. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ a b Kojima, Chiaki (2004). "J.M. Synge and Kan Kikuchi: From Irish Drama to Japanese New Drama". Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies. 10: 108.
  9. ^ Poulton, Cody M. (2010). "A Beggar's Art: Scripting Modernity in Japanese Drama": 86. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ^ Powell, Brian (2002). Japan's Modern Theatre. London: Japan Library. pp. 24–82. ISBN 1-873410-30-1.
  11. ^ Poulton, Cody M. (2010). A Beggar's Art: Scripting Modernity in Japanese Drama, 1900–1930. University of Hawaii Press. pp. 85–89. ISBN 9780824833411.
  12. ^ Michiko, Suzuki (2012). "Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan. International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, National Institute for the Humanities. pp. 106–108.
  13. ^ Michiko, Suzuki (2012). "Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan. International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, National Institute for the Humanities. p. 106.
  14. ^ Michiko, Suzuki (2012). "Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan. International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, National Institute for the Humanities. p. 107.
  15. ^ Michiko, Suzuki (2012). "Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan. International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, National Institute for the Humanities. p. 108.
  16. ^ Michiko, Suzuki (2012). "Shinju fujin," Newspapers, and Celebrity in Taishō Japan. International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, National Institute for the Humanities. p. 117.
  17. ^ a b Mack, Edward (2004). "Accounting for Taste: The Creation of the Akutagawa and Naoki Prizes for Literature". Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies. 64 (2): 299. doi:10.2307/25066744. JSTOR 25066744.
  18. ^ Mack, Edward (2004). "Accounting for Taste: The Creation of the Akutagawa and Naoki Prizes for Literature". Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies. 64 (2): 300. doi:10.2307/25066744. JSTOR 25066744.
  19. ^ Mack, Edward (2010). Manufacturing Modern Japanese Literature: Publishing, Prizes, and the Ascription of Literary Value. United States of America: Duke University Press. p. 186.
  20. ^ Mack, Edward (2004). "Accounting for Taste: The Creation of the Akutagawa and Naoki Prizes for Literature". Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies. 64 (2): 291–340. doi:10.2307/25066744. JSTOR 25066744.
  21. ^ Miller, Scott J. (2009). Historical Dictionary of Modern Japanese Literature and Theater. Scarecrow Press. p. 52.
  22. ^ a b "ペン部隊". Kotobank (in Japanese). Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  23. ^ Hutchinson, Rachael; Morton, Leith Douglas, eds. (2019). Routledge Handbook of Modern Japanese Literature. Routledge. ISBN 9780367355739.
  24. ^ Robertson, Jennifer (2002). "Yoshiya Nobuko: Out and Outspoken in Practice and Prose". In Walthall, Anne (ed.). The Human Tradition in Modern Japan. SR Books. p. 169. ISBN 9780842029124.
  25. ^ The Politics and Literature Debate in Postwar Japanese Criticism, 1945-52. Lexington Books. 2017. p. 284. ISBN 9780739180754.
  26. ^ "日本文学報国会". Kotobank (in Japanese). Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  27. ^ "菊池寛". Kotobank (in Japanese). Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  28. ^ WorldCat Identities Archived December 30, 2010, at the Wayback Machine: 菊池寬 1888-1948

References

[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kan Kikuchi.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Kan_Kikuchi&oldid=1251574788"