Omi Komaki
Encyclopedia
was the pen-name of a scholar and translator of French literature
in Taishō period
and Showa period
Japan. His real name was Komaki Omiya.
, Akita prefecture
, as the son of a politician. He dropped out of middle school in order to accompany his father to an international conference of legislators in France, and stayed on, working his way through the Law Department of Paris University. He was greatly influenced by the philosophy of Romain Rolland
and the Clarte (Light) movement of the French novelist, Henri Barbusse
, which encouraged him to participate in pacifist activities.
named Tane Maku Hito (The Sowers), after the famous painting by the French painter Jean-François Millet
. He used this as his platform to promote his pacifist and Marxist ideals through poems and essays, many of which he wrote. He was one of the first Japanese members of Comintern
, and a pioneer in the Proletarian Literature Movement. The movement attracted the attention of Arishima Takeo
, and other noted leftist writers. In 1924 another literary magazine Bungei Sensen (Literary Battlefront) spun out from the original Tane Maku Hito group.
When Komaki had spare time from promoting communist revolution
and avoiding the thought police
, he worked at translating works of French literature
into Japanese
. His most noted works are translations of Charles-Louis Philippe
's Dans la Petite Ville and André Gide
's biography, Charles-Louis Philippe.
After World War II, Komaki became a professor at Hosei University
, and continued to pursue his pacifist and Marxist philosophies.
His works include Ikoku no Senso (Other Countries’ Wars) and Furansu Kakumei Yobanashi (Evening Conversations on the French Revolution
).
Komaki relocated from Tokyo to Kamakura
, Kanagawa prefecture
in 1925. He later spent some years in French Indochina
, but returned after World War II to Kamakura, where he lived until his death in 1978 at the age of 84.
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
in 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...
and Showa 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...
Japan. His real name was Komaki Omiya.
Early life
Komaki was born in what is now part of Akita cityAkita, Akita
is the capital city of Akita Prefecture in the Tohoku region of Japan.As of June 11, 2005, with the merger of the former Kawabe District , the city has an estimated population of 323,310 and density of...
, 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....
, as the son of a politician. He dropped out of middle school in order to accompany his father to an international conference of legislators in France, and stayed on, working his way through the Law Department of Paris University. He was greatly influenced by the philosophy of Romain Rolland
Romain Rolland
Romain Rolland was a French dramatist, novelist, essayist, art historian and mystic who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915.-Biography:...
and the Clarte (Light) movement of the French novelist, Henri Barbusse
Henri Barbusse
Henri Barbusse was a French novelist and a member of the French Communist Party.-Life:...
, which encouraged him to participate in pacifist activities.
Literary career
Komaki returned to Japan in 1919 and founded a literary magazineLiterary 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...
named Tane Maku Hito (The Sowers), after the famous painting by the French painter Jean-François Millet
Jean-François Millet
Jean-François Millet was a French painter and one of the founders of the Barbizon school in rural France...
. He used this as his platform to promote his pacifist and Marxist ideals through poems and essays, many of which he wrote. He was one of the first Japanese members of Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
, and a pioneer in the Proletarian Literature Movement. The movement attracted the attention of Arishima Takeo
Arishima Takeo
was a Japanese novelist, short-story writer and essayist during the late Meiji and Taishō periods. His two younger brothers, and were also authors.-Early life:...
, and other noted leftist writers. In 1924 another literary magazine Bungei Sensen (Literary Battlefront) spun out from the original Tane Maku Hito group.
When Komaki had spare time from promoting communist revolution
Communist revolution
A communist revolution is a proletarian revolution inspired by the ideas of Marxism that aims to replace capitalism with communism, typically with socialism as an intermediate stage...
and avoiding the thought police
Thought Police
The Thought Police is the secret police of Oceania in George Orwell's dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.It is the job of the Thought Police to uncover and punish thoughtcrime and thought-criminals, using psychology and omnipresent surveillance from telescreens to monitor, search, find and kill...
, he worked at translating works of French literature
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
into Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. His most noted works are translations of Charles-Louis Philippe
Charles-Louis Philippe
Charles-Louis Philippe, French novelist, was born in Cérilly, Allier, Auvergne, on 4 August 1874, and died in Paris on 21 December 1909.- Life :...
's Dans la Petite Ville and André Gide
André Gide
André Paul Guillaume Gide was a French author and winner of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1947. Gide's career ranged from its beginnings in the symbolist movement, to the advent of anticolonialism between the two World Wars.Known for his fiction as well as his autobiographical works, Gide...
's biography, Charles-Louis Philippe.
After World War II, Komaki became a professor at Hosei University
Hosei University
is a private university based in Tokyo, Japan.The university originated in a school of law, Tōkyō Hōgakusha , established in 1880, and the following year renamed Tōkyō Hōgakkō . This was from 1883 headed by Dr. Gustave Emile Boissonade, and was heavily influenced by the French legal tradition...
, and continued to pursue his pacifist and Marxist philosophies.
His works include Ikoku no Senso (Other Countries’ Wars) and Furansu Kakumei Yobanashi (Evening Conversations on the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
).
Komaki relocated from Tokyo to 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...
, 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...
in 1925. He later spent some years in French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
, but returned after World War II to Kamakura, where he lived until his death in 1978 at the age of 84.