Satomi Ton
Encyclopedia
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 (有島生馬) and Takeo Arishima (有島 武郎), were also authors. His real name was Hideo Yamanouchi.
into the wealthy Arishima family, but was later legally adopted by his mother's family, thus inheriting their surname of Yamanouchi. He was educated at the Gakushuin
Peers' School, where he became interested in literature, and briefly attended Tokyo Imperial University, but left in 1910 without graduating.
Shirakaba ("White Birch"), which was first published in 1911. Satomi became a disciple of Kyōka Izumi
after his works came to the attention of the older novelist.
Satomi strove to remain aloof from any particular literary clique or political school throughout his career. He was a prolific author known for his autobiographical works
and promotion of purely literary values. In the West he is largely known for Tsubaki ("Camellia"), a disturbing short story
written after the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923, which came a few months after the suicide
of his brother Takeo Arishima.
In 1959, Satomi received the Order of Culture
from the Japanese government.
He lived in Kamakura
, Kanagawa Prefecture
from 1924 until his death, and often socialized with the other literati residing in that city. With the establishment of the Shochiku
movie studio
s in Ofuna
, north of Kamakura, he also collaborated with film director
Yasujirō Ozu
on numerous movie scripts.
His grave is located at the Kamakura Reien Public Cemetery.
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 two elder brothers, Ikuma Arishima (有島生馬) and Takeo Arishima (有島 武郎), were also authors. His real name was Hideo Yamanouchi.
Early life
Satomi Ton was born in YokohamaYokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
into the wealthy Arishima family, but was later legally adopted by his mother's family, thus inheriting their surname of Yamanouchi. He was educated at the Gakushuin
Gakushuin
The or Peers School is an educational institution founded in Tokyo in 1877, during the Meiji period, for the education of the children of the Japanese aristocracy, though it eventually also opened its doors to the offspring of extremely wealthy commoners...
Peers' School, where he became interested in literature, and briefly attended Tokyo Imperial University, but left in 1910 without graduating.
Literary career
Through his brother Ikuma Arishima, he became acquainted with other alumni authors from Gakushuin, including Naoya Shiga and Saneatsu Mushanokōji. They formed a group named after their 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...
Shirakaba ("White Birch"), which was first published in 1911. Satomi became a disciple of Kyōka Izumi
Kyoka Izumi
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...
after his works came to the attention of the older novelist.
Satomi strove to remain aloof from any particular literary clique or political school throughout his career. He was a prolific author known for his autobiographical works
I Novel
is a literary genre in Japanese literature used to describe a type of confessional literature where the events in the story correspond to events in the author's life. This genre was founded based on the Japanese reception of Naturalism during the Meiji period. Many authors believed form reflected...
and promotion of purely literary values. In the West he is largely known for Tsubaki ("Camellia"), a disturbing 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...
written after the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923, which came a few months after the suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
of his brother Takeo Arishima.
In 1959, Satomi received 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...
from the Japanese government.
He lived in 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...
from 1924 until his death, and often socialized with the other literati residing in that city. With the establishment of the Shochiku
Shochiku
is a Japanese movie studio and production company for kabuki. It also produces and distributes anime films. Its best remembered directors include Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita and Yōji Yamada...
movie studio
Movie studio
A movie studio is a term used to describe a major entertainment company or production company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to film movies...
s in Ofuna
Ofuna Station
is a railway station in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company .-Lines:Ōfuna Station is served by the Tōkaidō Main Line, Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, Negishi Line , Yokosuka Line as well as the Shonan Monorail....
, north of Kamakura, he also collaborated with film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Yasujirō Ozu
Yasujiro Ozu
was a prominent Japanese film director and script writer. He is known for his distinctive technical style, developed during the silent era. Marriage and family, especially the relationships between the generations, are among the most persistent themes in his body of work...
on numerous movie scripts.
His grave is located at the Kamakura Reien Public Cemetery.
Trivia
Satomi claimed that he decided on his pen-name by picking out names at random from a telephone directory.Major works
- Zen Shin Aku Shin ("Good Heart Evil Heart")
- Tajo Busshin ("The Compassion of Buddha", 1922–1923)
- Anjo Ke no Kyodai ("The Anjo Brothers")
- Gokuraku Tombo ("A Carefree Fellow", 1961)