Third Generation of Postwar Writers
The Third Generation of Postwar Writers is a classification in Modern Japanese literature used to group writers who appeared on the postwar literary scene between 1953 and 1955.
Endō Shusaku, a member of the Third Generation once said, "In those days, although we had received the Akutagawa Prize one after another, hardly did anyone expect that we would become great writers. We were regarded as if we would soon be forgot by the literary world." However, despite this, his generation has made a major mark on Japanese literature. The works of Endō in particularly have also been translated into many languages and are widely read in the United States, France, and Germany.
After this generation, writers like Ishihara Shintarō (石原慎太郎), Kita Morio (北杜夫), and Ōe Kenzaburō (大江健三郎) appeared. At that same time, women writers such as Kōda Aya (幸田文), Ōba Minako (大庭みな子), and Ariyoshi Sawako (有吉佐和子) also made their debuts.
List of Third Generation writers
- Endō Shusaku (遠藤周作)
- Yasuoka Shotarou (安岡章太郎)
- Yoshiyuki Jun’nosuke (吉行淳之介)
- Shouno Junzou (庄野潤三)
- Miura Shumon (三浦朱門)
- Sono Ayako (曽野綾子)
- Agawa Hiroyuki (阿川弘之)