Kitamura Tokoku
Encyclopedia
was the pen name
of Kitamura Montarō (北村門太郎), a Japanese
poet
, essayist, and one of the founders of the modern Japanese romantic literary movement
in the late Meiji period
of Japan
.
, Kanagawa Prefecture
he was interested in liberal politics
at an early age, and played a minor role in the Freedom and People's Rights Movement
. He attended the Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō (which later became Waseda University
), but was expelled due to his radical political views. After almost a year of vigorous political activities, he started questioning the purpose of the movement and left to become a writer.
up until that time. He followed this with the poetic drama Hōrai kyoku ("The Drama of Mount Hōrai"). He claimed to be influenced by the works of Byron, Emerson
and Carlyle
; however, his wife's Christianity
also greatly influenced his outlook.
Kitamura turned from poetry to essays, and wrote works extolling the “life-espousing views” of the West, over the “life-denying view” of Buddhism
and traditional Japanese Shinto
thought. His attempts to explore the nature of the self and the potentials for the individual, particularly in his seminal work Naibu seimei ron ("Theory of Inner Life") are regarded as the starting point of modern Japanese literature
.
He was a close associate of Shimazaki Tōson, whom he strongly influenced towards the romantic literary movement.
Kitamura was hired as an English teacher
at the Friends Girl's School in 1890. He frequented the Azabu
Christian Church. In 1893, he took over the post held by Shimazaki Toson at Meiji Girl's School (now Meiji Gakuin University
). He also submitted literary criticism
to the literary magazine
Bungakukai, which he helped launch with Shimazaki Tōson in 1893. However, around this time he began to show signs of mental instability and depression.
Before dawn on 16 May 1894, he hanged himself in his garden at his home near Shiba Park
in Tokyo. His grave is at the temple of Zuisho-ji in Shirogane, Tokyo.
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
of Kitamura Montarō (北村門太郎), a Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
poet
Japanese poetry
Japanese poets first encountered Chinese poetry during the Tang Dynasty. It took them several hundred years to digest the foreign impact, make it a part of their culture and merge it with their literary tradition in their mother tongue, and begin to develop the diversity of their native poetry. For...
, essayist, and one of the founders of the modern Japanese romantic literary movement
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
in the late Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Early life
A native of Odawara cityOdawara, Kanagawa
is a city located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 198,466 with a population density of 1,740 persons per km² . The total area was .-Geography:...
, Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
he was interested in liberal politics
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
at an early age, and played a minor role in the Freedom and People's Rights Movement
Freedom and People's Rights Movement
The was a Japanese political and social movement for democracy in 1880s....
. He attended the Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō (which later became Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
), but was expelled due to his radical political views. After almost a year of vigorous political activities, he started questioning the purpose of the movement and left to become a writer.
Literary career
Kitamura married Ishizaka Mina at the age of 19 in 1888, and in the same year he published the long verse Soshū no shi ("The Poem of the Prisoner"), which was the longest poem written in free verseFree verse
Free verse is a form of poetry that refrains from consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any other musical pattern.Poets have explained that free verse, despite its freedom, is not free. Free Verse displays some elements of form...
up until that time. He followed this with the poetic drama Hōrai kyoku ("The Drama of Mount Hōrai"). He claimed to be influenced by the works of Byron, Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
and Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era.He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator.Coming from a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle was...
; however, his wife's Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
also greatly influenced his outlook.
Kitamura turned from poetry to essays, and wrote works extolling the “life-espousing views” of the West, over the “life-denying view” of Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and traditional Japanese Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
thought. His attempts to explore the nature of the self and the potentials for the individual, particularly in his seminal work Naibu seimei ron ("Theory of Inner Life") are regarded as the starting point of modern Japanese literature
Japanese literature
Early works of Japanese literature were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, often written in Classical Chinese. Indian literature also had an influence through the diffusion of Buddhism in Japan...
.
He was a close associate of Shimazaki Tōson, whom he strongly influenced towards the romantic literary movement.
Kitamura was hired as an English teacher
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
at the Friends Girl's School in 1890. He frequented the Azabu
Azabu
is an area within Minato in Tokyo, Japan, built on a marshy area of foothills south of central Tokyo. Its coverage roughly corresponds to that of the former Azabu Ward, presently consisting of nine official districts: Azabu-Jūban, Azabudai, Azabu-Nagasakachō, Azabu-Mamianachō, Nishi-Azabu,...
Christian Church. In 1893, he took over the post held by Shimazaki Toson at Meiji Girl's School (now Meiji Gakuin University
Meiji Gakuin University
is one of the Christian universities in Tokyo and Yokohama which was established in 1863. The Reverend Dr. James Curtis Hepburn was one of the founders and the first president...
). He also submitted literary criticism
Literary criticism
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...
to the literary magazine
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 letters...
Bungakukai, which he helped launch with Shimazaki Tōson in 1893. However, around this time he began to show signs of mental instability and depression.
Before dawn on 16 May 1894, he hanged himself in his garden at his home near Shiba Park
Shiba Park
is a public park in Minato, Tokyo, Japan built around the temple of Zōjō-ji.The park is located between the Minato municipal offices and Tokyo Tower...
in Tokyo. His grave is at the temple of Zuisho-ji in Shirogane, Tokyo.
External links
- e-texts of works at Aozora BunkoAozora BunkoAozora Bunko is a Japanese digital library. This online collection encompasses several thousands of works of Japanese-language fiction and non-fiction. These include out-of-copyright books or works that the authors wish to make freely available....