Matsutaro Kawaguchi
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese
novelist, playwright and movie producer active during the Shōwa period
of Japan
.
district of Tokyo
into an impoverished family. He was forced to leave home at the age of 14 to seek employment. He started to write in his spare time, while working at various jobs, which included working in a pawn shop, as a tailor, a policeman and as a postman at one point in his life. He came to be acquainted with author Kubota Mantaro
, who encouraged him in his literary efforts.
Kawaguchi was arrested in Kamakura, Kanagawa
in 1933, along with fellow literati Kume Masao
and Satomi Ton
for illegal card gambling
.
In 1935, Kawaguchi won the first Naoki Prize
for a short story
titled Tsuruhachi Tsurujirō. He followed this with a serialized novel
, Aizen Katsura, a melodrama
tic love story involving a nurse and a doctor, which ran from 1936-1938. The story became a tremendously popular bestseller and gained him considerable fame. It was later made into a movie starring Kinuyo Tanaka
and Ken Uehara
, and was the basis of numerous television series.
After World War II
, Kawaguchi resumed his literary activity, publishing plays and novels. He won the Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for his novel Shigurejaya Oriku, a nostalgic series of episodes involving a prostitute who rose to become a brothel owner.
Many of Kawaguchi's novels were adapted to film, and he was long associated with Daiei Motion Picture Company. In 1965, he became a member of the Japan Academy of the Arts. He was awarded the Order of Culture
by the Japanese government in 1973. His wife was the movie actress Aiko Mimasu.
Kawaguchi won the Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for his novel Shigurejaya Oriku, a nostalgic series of episodes involving a farm girl, sold to a brothel, who rose to become owner of a famous Tokyo teahouse. The story was eventually translated into English
by Royall Tyler.
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...
novelist, playwright and movie producer active during the Shōwa period
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...
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...
.
Biography
Kawaguchi was born in the plebian AsakusaAsakusa
is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan, most famous for the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals.- History :...
district of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
into an impoverished family. He was forced to leave home at the age of 14 to seek employment. He started to write in his spare time, while working at various jobs, which included working in a pawn shop, as a tailor, a policeman and as a postman at one point in his life. He came to be acquainted with author Kubota Mantaro
Kubota Mantaro
was a Japanese author, playwright, and poet.-Biography:Kubota was born in the Asakusa district of Tokyo, to a clothing merchant family. He became interested in stage plays at an early age, largely through the influence of his grandmother, who also provided financial support for him to attend college...
, who encouraged him in his literary efforts.
Kawaguchi was arrested in Kamakura, Kanagawa
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
in 1933, along with fellow literati Kume Masao
Kume Masao
was a Japanese popular playwright, novelist and haiku poet active during the late Taishō and early Shōwa periods of Japan.-Early life:Kume was born in Ueda city, Nagano prefecture...
and Satomi Ton
Satomi Ton
is the pen-name for a Japanese author known for the craftsmanship of his dialogue and command of the Japanese language. His two elder brothers, Ikuma Arishima and Takeo Arishima , were also authors...
for illegal card gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
.
In 1935, Kawaguchi won the first Naoki Prize
Naoki Prize
The Naoki Prize is a Japanese literary award presented semiannually. The official name is Naoki Sanjugo Prize. It was created in 1935 by Kikuchi Kan, then editor of the Bungeishunjū magazine, and named in memory of novelist Naoki Sanjugo...
for a short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
titled Tsuruhachi Tsurujirō. He followed this with a serialized novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
, Aizen Katsura, a melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
tic love story involving a nurse and a doctor, which ran from 1936-1938. The story became a tremendously popular bestseller and gained him considerable fame. It was later made into a movie starring Kinuyo Tanaka
Kinuyo Tanaka
was a Japanese actress and director.Tanaka was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She became a leading actress at an early age, appearing in Yasujirō Ozu's I Graduated, But... in 1929...
and Ken Uehara
Ken Uehara
was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in over 200 films between 1935 and 1990. He starred in Entotsu no mieru basho, which was entered into the 3rd Berlin International Film Festival.His son is the singer and actor Yūzō Kayama.-Selected filmography:...
, and was the basis of numerous television series.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Kawaguchi resumed his literary activity, publishing plays and novels. He won the Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for his novel Shigurejaya Oriku, a nostalgic series of episodes involving a prostitute who rose to become a brothel owner.
Many of Kawaguchi's novels were adapted to film, and he was long associated with Daiei Motion Picture Company. In 1965, he became a member of the Japan Academy of the Arts. He was awarded the Order of Culture
Order of Culture
The is a Japanese order, established on February 11, 1937. The order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japan's art, literature or culture; recipients of the order also receive an annuity for life...
by the Japanese government in 1973. His wife was the movie actress Aiko Mimasu.
Kawaguchi won the Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for his novel Shigurejaya Oriku, a nostalgic series of episodes involving a farm girl, sold to a brothel, who rose to become owner of a famous Tokyo teahouse. The story was eventually translated into English
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...
by Royall Tyler.