Okamoto Kanoko
Encyclopedia
was the pen-name of a Japanese
author
, tanka
poet
, and Buddhism
scholar active during the Taishō
and early Shōwa
periods of Japan
.
, Akasaka-ku (present day Minato, Tokyo
, to an extremely wealthy family. Her father suffered from lung disease, and Kanoko was sent to the Ohnuki family estate in Futako Tamagawa, Kawasaki
city, Kanagawa prefecture
, where she was raised by a governess. Her tutor encouraged her affinity for music, calligraphy and traditional dance, and introduced her to Japanese classical literature, especially the Genji Monogatari and Kokin Wakashū.
, and this encounter prompted her to start contributing tanka
to the poetry magazine
Myōjō
("Bright Star"). Later, she played an active part as a key contributor to another journal, Subaru ("Pleiades"). She published Karoki-netami, the first of her five tanka anthologies, in 1912.
In 1908, she met cartoonist Okamoto Ippei while on a holiday in Karuizawa, Nagano
together with her father. However, her family was extremely opposed to the relationship, and she created a scandal by moving in together with him in 1910 without marriage. Their eldest son, the famous avant-garde
painter Okamoto Tarō
, was born the next year. However, Kanoko's family life was filled with tragedy. Soon after she moved in with Okamoto Ippei, her brother, then her mother died. Her eldest daughter was born with mental health problems, and soon died. Her common-law husband was opposed to her independence, jealous of her artistic successes and was unfaithful. Her younger son was also born with weak health, and died in infancy.
These problems led Kanoko to turn to religion. She was first interested in Protestant Christianity, but did not find it to her liking. She then turned to the Jodo Shinshu
sect of Buddhism
, as espoused by Shinran
, which was the start of her work as a researcher of Buddhism, about which she wrote numerous essays.
After releasing her fourth tanka anthology Waga Saishu Kashu ("My Last Anthology") in 1929, she decided to become a novelist. She took her whole family to Europe
to complete her literary studies. They traveled to Paris
, London
, Berlin
and (leaving their son behind) toured around the United States
, returning to Japan in 1932.
After returning home, Kanoko continued her researches into Buddhism, but also found time to a novelette
called Tsuru wa Yamiki ("The Dying Crane"), describing the last days of writer Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
, while staying at an inn near Kamakura
train station in the summer of 1923. Published in the influential magazine Bungakukai
in 1936, it marked the started her activity with prose fiction.
After that, she published many more works in quick succession, including Hahako Jojō ("The Relationship between Mother and Child"), Kingyo Ryōran ("Goldfish Blooming"), and Rogishō ("Portrait of an Old Geisha"). A recurring theme in her work is the effect of a person's familial ancestral karma
on their present-day lives. While praised for the richness of her use of language, some critics have felt that she tended towards excessive passion and unnecessary literary flourishes.
Her life was ended prematurely in 1939 when she died of a brain hemorrhage. She was 49 years old.
Because she did not begin writing actively until her later years, most of her works were published posthumously.
English Translations:
A Riot of Goldfish [Kingyo ryōran]. Translated by J. Keith Vincent. London, Hesperus Press (2010). (Also includes "The Food Demon" [Shokuma])
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:...
, tanka
Waka (poetry)
Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, and 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...
scholar active during the Taishō
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...
and 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 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
Kanoko's maiden name was Ohnuki Kano. She was born in AoyamaAoyama
Aoyama may refer to:-Places:* Aoyama, Tokyo, Japan** Aoyama Gakuin University, famous university located in Aoyama, Tokyo** Aoyama-itchōme Station, a railway station in Minato, Tokyo, Japan...
, Akasaka-ku (present day Minato, Tokyo
Minato, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...
, to an extremely wealthy family. Her father suffered from lung disease, and Kanoko was sent to the Ohnuki family estate in Futako Tamagawa, Kawasaki
Kawasaki, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is the 9th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area....
city, 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...
, where she was raised by a governess. Her tutor encouraged her affinity for music, calligraphy and traditional dance, and introduced her to Japanese classical literature, especially the Genji Monogatari and Kokin Wakashū.
Literary career
Kanoko was influenced greatly by her older brother, Shosen, and his classmate Jun'ichirō Tanizaki who studied at the First Higher School and Tokyo Imperial University. While still a student at the Atami Gakuen girls' high school, Kanoko called on the renowned poet, Yosano AkikoYosano Akiko
was the pen-name of a Japanese author, poet, pioneering feminist, pacifist, and social reformer, active in the late Meiji period as well as the Taishō and early Showa periods of Japan. Her name at birth was Otori Shô. She is one of the most famous, and most controversial, post-classical woman poets...
, and this encounter prompted her to start contributing tanka
Waka (poetry)
Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature...
to the poetry 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...
Myōjō
Myojo
' was the title of a monthly literary magazine first published in Japan between February 1900 and November 1908.The name Myōjō can be translates as either Bright Star or Morning Star. It was the organ of a poetry circle called Shinshisha which had been founded by Yosano Tekkan in 1899...
("Bright Star"). Later, she played an active part as a key contributor to another journal, Subaru ("Pleiades"). She published Karoki-netami, the first of her five tanka anthologies, in 1912.
In 1908, she met cartoonist Okamoto Ippei while on a holiday in Karuizawa, Nagano
Karuizawa, Nagano
is a town located in Kitasaku District, Nagano, Japan.As of January 1, 2008, the town has an estimated population of 17,833 and has a total area of ....
together with her father. However, her family was extremely opposed to the relationship, and she created a scandal by moving in together with him in 1910 without marriage. Their eldest son, the famous avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
painter Okamoto Tarō
Okamoto Taro
was a Japanese artist noted for his abstract and avant-garde paintings and sculpture.- Biography :He studied at Panthéon-Sorbonne in the 1930s, and created many great works of art after World War II...
, was born the next year. However, Kanoko's family life was filled with tragedy. Soon after she moved in with Okamoto Ippei, her brother, then her mother died. Her eldest daughter was born with mental health problems, and soon died. Her common-law husband was opposed to her independence, jealous of her artistic successes and was unfaithful. Her younger son was also born with weak health, and died in infancy.
These problems led Kanoko to turn to religion. She was first interested in Protestant Christianity, but did not find it to her liking. She then turned to the Jodo Shinshu
Jodo Shinshu
, also known as Shin Buddhism, is a school of Pure Land Buddhism. It was founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran. Today, Shin Buddhism is considered the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan.-Shinran :...
sect 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...
, as espoused by Shinran
Shinran
was a Japanese Buddhist monk, who was born in Hino at the turbulent close of the Heian Period and lived during the Kamakura Period...
, which was the start of her work as a researcher of Buddhism, about which she wrote numerous essays.
After releasing her fourth tanka anthology Waga Saishu Kashu ("My Last Anthology") in 1929, she decided to become a novelist. She took her whole family to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to complete her literary studies. They traveled to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and (leaving their son behind) toured around the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, returning to Japan in 1932.
After returning home, Kanoko continued her researches into Buddhism, but also found time to a novelette
Novelette
A novelette is a piece of short prose fiction. The distinction between a novelette and other literary forms is usually based upon word count, with a novelette being longer than a short story, but shorter than a novella...
called Tsuru wa Yamiki ("The Dying Crane"), describing the last days of writer Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
Ryunosuke Akutagawa
was a Japanese writer active in the Taishō period in Japan. He is regarded as the "Father of the Japanese short story". He committed suicide at age of 35 through an overdose of barbital.-Early life:...
, while staying at an inn near Kamakura
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...
train station in the summer of 1923. Published in the influential magazine Bungakukai
Bungakukai
is a Japanese monthly literary magazine published by Bungeishunjū as oriented publication. The first version of Bungakukai was launched in 1890s. Along with Shinchō, Gunzo, Bungei and Subaru, it is one of the five leading literary journals in Japan. It runs a contest for newcomer writers...
in 1936, it marked the started her activity with prose fiction.
After that, she published many more works in quick succession, including Hahako Jojō ("The Relationship between Mother and Child"), Kingyo Ryōran ("Goldfish Blooming"), and Rogishō ("Portrait of an Old Geisha"). A recurring theme in her work is the effect of a person's familial ancestral karma
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
on their present-day lives. While praised for the richness of her use of language, some critics have felt that she tended towards excessive passion and unnecessary literary flourishes.
Her life was ended prematurely in 1939 when she died of a brain hemorrhage. She was 49 years old.
Because she did not begin writing actively until her later years, most of her works were published posthumously.
Selected works
- Tsuru ha Yamiki (The Dying Crane) (1936)
- Minatsu no Yoru no Yume (A Midsummer Night's Dream) (1937)
- Hahako Jojō (The Relationship between Mother and Child) (1937)
- Kingyo Ryōran (A Riot of Goldfish) (1937)
- Rogishō (Portrait of an Old Geisha) (1938)
- Kawa Akari (Stream of Light) (1938)
- Maru no Uchikuchihanashi (Story of Inside the Grass Circle) (1939)
- Kigi Ryuuten (Lively Ebb and Flow) (1940)
- Nyotai Hiraken (The Opening of the Female Body) (1943)
English Translations:
A Riot of Goldfish [Kingyo ryōran]. Translated by J. Keith Vincent. London, Hesperus Press (2010). (Also includes "The Food Demon" [Shokuma])
External links
- Kamakura's Literary Figures
- e-texts of works on 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....
(Japanese)