AKUTAGAWA RYUNOSUKE

(1892–1927)

   Akutagawa Ryunosuke was born in Tokyo, the son of a milkman. His mother went insane shortly after his birth, so he was adopted and raised by his maternal uncle. He began writing while at Tokyo University studying English literature, where he published his first short story, “Rashomon” (1915; tr. Rashomon, 1952), in a literary magazine. This story and his “Yabu no naka” (1921; tr. In a Grove, 1952) were combined in Kurosawa Akira’s (1910–1998) award-winning film Rashomon (1950). He married Tsukamoto Fumi in 1918 and had three children. Opposing naturalism, Akutagawa borrowed many themes from old tales, giving them a complex modern interpretation. A stressful 1921 trip to China led to deteriorating physical and mental health, and he subsequently began suffering visual hallucinations and anxiety over his psychological state. He finally committed suicide at the age of 35. Kikuchi Kan established the prestigious Akutagawa Ryunosuke Prize in his honor (1935).

   See also AKAI TORI; CHILDREN’S LITERATURE; DAZAI OSAMU; KAKURE KIRISHITAN; KIKUCHI KAN; KUME MASAO; MIKAN; MURO SAISEI; PSYCHOLOGICAL LITERATURE; SAITO MOKICHI; UNO KOJI; UTOPIAN LITERATURE; YAMAMOTO YUZO.