Kyoka Izumi
Encyclopedia
is the pen name
of a Japanese
author
of novels, short stories, and kabuki
plays who was active from the late Meiji
to the early Shōwa
periods. He is best known for a characteristic brand of Romanticism
preferring tales of the supernatural heavily influenced by works of the earlier Edo period
in Japanese arts and letters
, which he tempered with his own personal vision of aesthetics and art in the modern age. He is also considered one of the supreme stylists in modern Japanese literature, and the difficulty and richness of his prose has been frequently noted by fellow authors and critics. His real name was . Like Natsume Sōseki
and other Japanese authors with pen names, Kyōka is usually known by that pen name rather than his family name.
Kyōka was born Kyōtarō Izumi on November 4, 1873 in the Shitashinmachi section of Kanazawa, Ishikawa
, to , a chaser and inlayer of metallic ornaments, and , daughter of a tsuzumi
hand-drum player from Edo
and younger sister to lead protagonist of the Noh
theater, Kintarō Matsumoto. Because of his family's impovershed circumstances, he attended the tuition-free Hokuriku English-Japanese School, run by Christian missionaries.
Even before he entered grade school, young Kintarō's mother introduced him to literature in picture-books interspersed with text called kusazōshi
, and his works would later show the influence of this early contact with such visual forms of story-telling. In April 1883, at ten years old, Kyōka lost his mother, who was 29 at the time. It was a great blow to his young mind, and he would attempt to recreate memories of her in works throughout his literary career.
At a friend's boarding house in April 1889, Kyōka was deeply impressed by Ozaki Kōyō
's "Amorous Confessions of Two Nuns" and decided to pursue a career in literature. That June he took a trip to Toyama Prefecture
. At this time he worked as a teacher in private preparatory schools and spent his free time running through yomihon
and kusazōshi. In November of that year, however, Kyōka's aspiration to an artistic career drove him to Tokyo, where he intended to enter the tutelage of Kōyō himself.
On 19 November 1891, he called on Kōyō in ) (part of present-day Shinjuku) without prior introduction and requested that he be allowed into the school immediately. He was accepted, and from that time began life as a live-in apprentice. Other than a brief trip to Kanazawa in December of the following year, Kyōka spent all of his time in the Ozaki household, proving his value to Kōyō through correcting his manuscripts and household tasks. Kyōka greatly adored his teacher, thinking of him as a teacher of more than literature, a benefactor who nourished his early career before he gained a name for himself. He felt deeply a personal indebtedness to Kōyō, and continued to admire the author throughout his life.
's Hi no De newspaper. Apparently it was very unpopular and the editor requested the story be dropped immediately; however, due to Kōyō's pleadings on the part of his young student, Kyōka was allowed to print the entire story. The next year the story was resold to the Kaga, Ishikawa
Hokuriku Shinpo, once again for serialization. This time Kyōka's work gained some favorable criticism, though most likely through Kōyō's active involvement.
In that same year, was published by Tantei Bunko and by Shonen Bungaku. In August he returned to Kanazawa to get treatment for beriberi
and took the opportunity to travel around Kyoto and the Hokuriku region
before returning to Tokyo. He would later use the record he kept of his travels as a basis for his , though the actual record is not extant.
January 9 of 1894, his father died and he once again returned to Kanazawa. Facing an uncertain future, Kyōka worried about his means of obtaining a livelihood for himself and his relatives, a grandmother and younger brother; however, with his grandmother's encouragement he returned to his work in Tokyo. In October, he published and , after substantial corrections from Kōyō, in the Yomiuri Shimbun
. "The Righteous and the Chivalrous" would later be staged as .
The next year in February, in order to continue to support his family in Kanazawa, Kyōka moved into the Otowa Ohashi household in Koishikawa
in Tokyo to follow work on an encyclopedia. On his departure, Kōyō treated Kyōka to a Western style dinner where he taught his student to use a knife and fork.
In April 1895, Kyōka's first, real critical success, , was published in the magazine Bungei Kurabu. Thanks to Reiun Taoka's praise of the story, Kyōka's next work, , appeared in Bungei Kurabu's opening pages; thus began Kyōka's entry in to literary circles.
In May 1896, Kyōka paid his grandmother, now in her mid-seventies, a visit in Kanazawa, and the next year he decided to get his own house in Koishikawa and bring her to live with him. In spite of the beriberi that had not completely healed over the years, he was prolific at this time, though his work received mixed reviews. "," considered by many to be his most representative work and one of his most frequently read, was published in 1900.
called Kagurazaka
. However, they were unable to get married immediately due to strong objections by Kōyō.
In October of that same year, Kyōka's mentor, Kōyō Ozaki, died. Even on his deathbed, Kōyō continued to worry over Kyōka's future, and he continued to correct Kyōka's manuscripts. Then, in 1906, Kyōka lost his grandmother at the age of 87. His stomach troubles worsened and he returned to Zushi. Originally intending only to spend a summer there, he rented the house for four years. During this time he ate mainly rice gruel and sweet potatoes. In spite of illness that often left him in a dream-like state and a house that leaked when it rained, he managed to compose several stories there, including . In fact, his illness and the poor conditions at his rented house in Zushi might have contributed to the story's other-worldly atmosphere. In 1908, he went back to Tokyo and found a place in Kōjimachi
.
Both and were published in 1910. Kafū Nagai praised "Samisen Canal." At the same time, the first five volumes of Kyōka's collected works were published.
With growing popularity supporting him, Kyōka began the Taishō period
by extending his efforts into the theater. In 1913, he composed and , and the next year, was published.
He continued to have problems with beriberi, and in the summer of 1916, he spent a good portion of three months inside.
In 1927, Kyōka traveled to the Tōhoku region
, where he visited Lake Towada
and Akita Prefecture
. The next year, he contracted pneumonia
and, after recovery, visited Shuzenji hot-spring resort in the mountains in Izu
, Shizuoka Prefecture
. Then in 1929 he returned to Ishikawa prefecture, this time to visit the scenic Noto Peninsula
.
He kept a number of journals of his travels, and he continued to write short stories and plays. In 1937, his last great project, was serialized in the Tokyo Mainichi and Osaka Mainichi Newspapers. He was inducted the same year into the Imperial Arts Society.
Finally his ill-health took its toll, and, on 7 September 1939, at 2:45 in the morning, Kyōka Izumi died of lung cancer
. He is buried at Zōshigaya Cemetery
in Tokyo.
storytelling, and also uses dramatic dialogues similar to that used in kabuki
drama.
Kyōka often depicted life in the hanamachi
of downtown Edo
or Tokyo, which is why he is often compared with his contemporaries Kafū Nagai and Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. However, Kyōka makes much more use of a complex plot and suspense in his narrative. Another thematic concept strong in his writings is that of a beautiful older woman taking care of a young man.
His plays are particularly popular in Japan: such works as , , and are still performed regularly.
The Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature
is a literary award established by the city of Kanazawa, first awarded in 1973 on the hundredth anniversary of Kyōka's birth.
.
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 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...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of novels, short stories, and kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
plays who was active from the late Meiji
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 :...
to the early Shōwa
Showa period
The , or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989.The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor...
periods. He is best known for a characteristic brand of Romanticism
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...
preferring tales of the supernatural heavily influenced by works of the earlier Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
in Japanese arts and letters
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...
, which he tempered with his own personal vision of aesthetics and art in the modern age. He is also considered one of the supreme stylists in modern Japanese literature, and the difficulty and richness of his prose has been frequently noted by fellow authors and critics. His real name was . Like Natsume Sōseki
Natsume Soseki
, born ', is widely considered to be the foremost Japanese novelist of the Meiji period . He is best known for his novels Kokoro, Botchan, I Am a Cat and his unfinished work Light and Darkness. He was also a scholar of British literature and composer of haiku, Chinese-style poetry, and fairy tales...
and other Japanese authors with pen names, Kyōka is usually known by that pen name rather than his family name.
Before Tokyo
Kanazawa, Ishikawa
is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.-Geography, climate, and population:Kanazawa sits on the Sea of Japan, bordered by the Japan Alps, Hakusan National Park and Noto Peninsula National Park. The city sits between the Sai and Asano rivers. Its total area is 467.77 km².Kanazawa's...
, to , a chaser and inlayer of metallic ornaments, and , daughter of a tsuzumi
Tsuzumi
The is a Japanese drum of Chinese/Indian origin. It consists of a wooden body shaped like an hourglass, and it is taut, with two drum heads with cords that can be squeezed or released to increase or decrease the tension of the heads respectively...
hand-drum player from Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
and younger sister to lead protagonist of the Noh
Noh
, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
theater, Kintarō Matsumoto. Because of his family's impovershed circumstances, he attended the tuition-free Hokuriku English-Japanese School, run by Christian missionaries.
Even before he entered grade school, young Kintarō's mother introduced him to literature in picture-books interspersed with text called kusazōshi
Kusazoshi
is a term that covers various genres of popular woodblock-printed illustrated literature during the Japanese Edo Period and early Meiji period. These works were published in the city of Edo . In its widest sense, the term kusazōshi includes the genres of , ,, and ; in the narrow sense it may...
, and his works would later show the influence of this early contact with such visual forms of story-telling. In April 1883, at ten years old, Kyōka lost his mother, who was 29 at the time. It was a great blow to his young mind, and he would attempt to recreate memories of her in works throughout his literary career.
At a friend's boarding house in April 1889, Kyōka was deeply impressed by Ozaki Kōyō
Ozaki Koyo
was a Japanese author. His real name was Ozaki Tokutarō .-Biography:Ozaki was the only son of Kokusai , a well-known netsuke carver in the Meiji period. He was educated at Tokyo Prefecture Middle School, and later Tokyo Imperial University...
's "Amorous Confessions of Two Nuns" and decided to pursue a career in literature. That June he took a trip to Toyama Prefecture
Toyama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Toyama.Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity due to abundant water resources....
. At this time he worked as a teacher in private preparatory schools and spent his free time running through yomihon
Yomihon
is a type of Japanese book from the Edo period , that was influenced by Chinese vernacular novels such as Water Margin. Unlike other Japanese books of the period, they had few illustrations, and the emphasis was on the text. Often described as moralistic, the books also featured plot elements taken...
and kusazōshi. In November of that year, however, Kyōka's aspiration to an artistic career drove him to Tokyo, where he intended to enter the tutelage of Kōyō himself.
On 19 November 1891, he called on Kōyō in ) (part of present-day Shinjuku) without prior introduction and requested that he be allowed into the school immediately. He was accepted, and from that time began life as a live-in apprentice. Other than a brief trip to Kanazawa in December of the following year, Kyōka spent all of his time in the Ozaki household, proving his value to Kōyō through correcting his manuscripts and household tasks. Kyōka greatly adored his teacher, thinking of him as a teacher of more than literature, a benefactor who nourished his early career before he gained a name for himself. He felt deeply a personal indebtedness to Kōyō, and continued to admire the author throughout his life.
Kyōka's early career
Kyōka's first published work, , was serialized beginning in May 1893 in KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
's Hi no De newspaper. Apparently it was very unpopular and the editor requested the story be dropped immediately; however, due to Kōyō's pleadings on the part of his young student, Kyōka was allowed to print the entire story. The next year the story was resold to the Kaga, Ishikawa
Kaga, Ishikawa
is a city located in the southwest of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.Created as an old temple town, the city was greatly developed by the Maeda clan in the early Edo period...
Hokuriku Shinpo, once again for serialization. This time Kyōka's work gained some favorable criticism, though most likely through Kōyō's active involvement.
In that same year, was published by Tantei Bunko and by Shonen Bungaku. In August he returned to Kanazawa to get treatment for beriberi
Beriberi
Beriberi is a nervous system ailment caused by a thiamine deficiency in the diet. Thiamine is involved in the breakdown of energy molecules such as glucose and is also found on the membranes of neurons...
and took the opportunity to travel around Kyoto and the Hokuriku region
Hokuriku region
The is located in the northwestern part of Honshū, the main island of Japan. It lies along the Sea of Japan within the Chūbu region. It is almost equivalent to Koshi Province and Hokurikudō area in pre-modern Japan....
before returning to Tokyo. He would later use the record he kept of his travels as a basis for his , though the actual record is not extant.
January 9 of 1894, his father died and he once again returned to Kanazawa. Facing an uncertain future, Kyōka worried about his means of obtaining a livelihood for himself and his relatives, a grandmother and younger brother; however, with his grandmother's encouragement he returned to his work in Tokyo. In October, he published and , after substantial corrections from Kōyō, in the Yomiuri Shimbun
Yomiuri Shimbun
The is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five national newspapers in Japan; the other four are the Asahi Shimbun, the Mainichi Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, and the Sankei Shimbun...
. "The Righteous and the Chivalrous" would later be staged as .
The next year in February, in order to continue to support his family in Kanazawa, Kyōka moved into the Otowa Ohashi household in Koishikawa
Koishikawa
is a locality within Bunkyo, Tokyo. It consists of five sub-areas, . It is located nearby with the same name are two well regarded gardens: the Koishikawa Botanical Garden in Hakusan, and the Koishikawa Korakuen Garden in Korakuen....
in Tokyo to follow work on an encyclopedia. On his departure, Kōyō treated Kyōka to a Western style dinner where he taught his student to use a knife and fork.
In April 1895, Kyōka's first, real critical success, , was published in the magazine Bungei Kurabu. Thanks to Reiun Taoka's praise of the story, Kyōka's next work, , appeared in Bungei Kurabu's opening pages; thus began Kyōka's entry in to literary circles.
In May 1896, Kyōka paid his grandmother, now in her mid-seventies, a visit in Kanazawa, and the next year he decided to get his own house in Koishikawa and bring her to live with him. In spite of the beriberi that had not completely healed over the years, he was prolific at this time, though his work received mixed reviews. "," considered by many to be his most representative work and one of his most frequently read, was published in 1900.
The mature writer
In 1902, suffering from gastrointestinal problems, Kyōka retired to Zushi to convalesce. While there, a woman named , whom Kyōka had met through a childhood friend, helped him in the kitchen. In May 1903, the two began living together in Ushigome, in a hanamachiHanamachi
A hanamachi is a Japanese courtesan and geisha district. The word's literal meaning is "flower street". Such districts would contain various okiya . Nowadays, the term hanamachi is commonly used in modern Japan to refer to the areas where modern-day okiya are still operating. In Kyoto's Gion...
called Kagurazaka
Kagurazaka
is a neighbourhood in Tokyo, near Iidabashi Station. It has a sloping street at its center, lined by numerous cafés and restaurants. It is served by Tokyo Metro Tozai Line and Toei Oedo Line.-History:...
. However, they were unable to get married immediately due to strong objections by Kōyō.
In October of that same year, Kyōka's mentor, Kōyō Ozaki, died. Even on his deathbed, Kōyō continued to worry over Kyōka's future, and he continued to correct Kyōka's manuscripts. Then, in 1906, Kyōka lost his grandmother at the age of 87. His stomach troubles worsened and he returned to Zushi. Originally intending only to spend a summer there, he rented the house for four years. During this time he ate mainly rice gruel and sweet potatoes. In spite of illness that often left him in a dream-like state and a house that leaked when it rained, he managed to compose several stories there, including . In fact, his illness and the poor conditions at his rented house in Zushi might have contributed to the story's other-worldly atmosphere. In 1908, he went back to Tokyo and found a place in Kōjimachi
Kojimachi
is a neighborhood in Chiyoda, Tokyo.Prior to the arrival of Tokugawa Ieyasu, it was known as . The area developed as townspeople settled along the Kōshū Kaidō. In 1878 Kōjimachi became a ward in the city of Tokyo. It was the forerunner of Chiyoda which is now a special ward.The Kōjimachi ward was...
.
Both and were published in 1910. Kafū Nagai praised "Samisen Canal." At the same time, the first five volumes of Kyōka's collected works were published.
With growing popularity supporting him, Kyōka began the Taishō period
Taisho period
The , or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taishō Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet...
by extending his efforts into the theater. In 1913, he composed and , and the next year, was published.
He continued to have problems with beriberi, and in the summer of 1916, he spent a good portion of three months inside.
Final years
Tohoku region
The is a geographical area of Japan. The region occupies the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region consists of six prefectures : Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata....
, where he visited Lake Towada
Lake Towada
is the largest crater lake in Honshū island, Japan. Located on the border between Aomori and Akita prefectures, it lies 400 meters above sea level and is 327.0m depth, and is drained by the Oirase river. With a surface area of 61.1 km², Towada is Japan's 12th largest lake, its bright blue...
and Akita Prefecture
Akita Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region of northern Honshu, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Akita.- History :The area of Akita has been created from the ancient provinces of Dewa and Mutsu....
. The next year, he contracted pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
and, after recovery, visited Shuzenji hot-spring resort in the mountains in Izu
Izu Peninsula
The is a large mountainous peninsula with deeply indented coasts to the west of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of the island of Honshū, Japan. Formerly the eponymous Izu Province, Izu peninsula is now a part of Shizuoka Prefecture...
, Shizuoka Prefecture
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
. Then in 1929 he returned to Ishikawa prefecture, this time to visit the scenic Noto Peninsula
Noto Peninsula
thumb|right|240px|Landsat image with high-resolution data from Space Shuttle.Noto Peninsula is a peninsula that projects north into the Sea of Japan from the coast of Ishikawa prefecture in central Honshū, the main island of Japan...
.
He kept a number of journals of his travels, and he continued to write short stories and plays. In 1937, his last great project, was serialized in the Tokyo Mainichi and Osaka Mainichi Newspapers. He was inducted the same year into the Imperial Arts Society.
Finally his ill-health took its toll, and, on 7 September 1939, at 2:45 in the morning, Kyōka Izumi died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
. He is buried at Zōshigaya Cemetery
Zoshigaya cemetery
is a public cemetery in Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo, founded by the Tokyo Metropolitan government.The cemetery welcomes people from any religion and contains the graves of many famous people in its 10 ha area...
in Tokyo.
Legacy
Eccentric and superstitious, Kyōka developed a reputation for writing about the grotesque and the fantastic. "," is a tale about a monk's journey through a mountainous wilderness, encountering inexplicable and unsettling experiences. Borrowing and embellishing themes from Edo period popular fiction, folklore and Noh drama, more than half of Kyōka 's works incorporate some form of supernatural element. Kyōka's narrative style borrows from traditional rakugoRakugo
is a Japanese verbal entertainment. The lone sits on the stage, called the . Using only a paper fan and a small cloth as props, and without standing up from the seiza sitting position, the rakugo artist depicts a long and complicated comical story...
storytelling, and also uses dramatic dialogues similar to that used in kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
drama.
Kyōka often depicted life in the hanamachi
Hanamachi
A hanamachi is a Japanese courtesan and geisha district. The word's literal meaning is "flower street". Such districts would contain various okiya . Nowadays, the term hanamachi is commonly used in modern Japan to refer to the areas where modern-day okiya are still operating. In Kyoto's Gion...
of downtown Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
or Tokyo, which is why he is often compared with his contemporaries Kafū Nagai and Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. However, Kyōka makes much more use of a complex plot and suspense in his narrative. Another thematic concept strong in his writings is that of a beautiful older woman taking care of a young man.
His plays are particularly popular in Japan: such works as , , and are still performed regularly.
The Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature
Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature
Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature is the prize for literature in Japan. It was established and started in 1973 to commemorate the 100th year since the birth of Kyōka Izumi...
is a literary award established by the city of Kanazawa, first awarded in 1973 on the hundredth anniversary of Kyōka's birth.
In Fiction
- Kyoka Izumi plays a major supporting role in the novel Teito MonogatariTeito Monogatariis a massive Japanese historical fantasy epic written by Hiroshi Aramata.-Overview:The story is a retelling of the history of Edo from an occultist perspective. The premise is based on the idea that the curse of Taira no Masakado greatly influenced the city's history from its inception to the...
(Hiroshi AramataHiroshi Aramatais a Japanese author, translator, and screenplay writer, as well as a specialist in natural history and cartography.His most popular novel was Teito Monogatari , which has sold over 3.5 million copies in Japan alone. He also wrote Alexander Senki, a novel which eventually evolved into the anime...
), along with many other historical characters from the Meiji RestorationMeiji RestorationThe , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
and the Showa Era. In the first film adaptation of the novelTokyo: The Last Megalopolisis a tokusatsu historical fantasy film produced in 1987 by Exe and distributed in 1988 by Toho Studios. It is the first live-action adaptation of the Teito Monogatari series by Hiroshi Aramata.-Plot:...
, Kyoka is portrayed by popular KabukiKabukiis classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
player Bandō Tamasaburō VBando Tamasaburo Vis a Kabuki actor, and the most popular and celebrated onnagata currently on stage. He has also acted in a handful of films....
.
Books in English
(Note: Includes English translations of , , and )Translations into English
- An online translation of The Holy Man of Mount Koya by Steven W. Kohl.
External links
e-texts of Kyōka's works at Aozora BunkoAozora Bunko
Aozora 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....
.