– K –

KABUKI. See MODERN THEATER.

KAICHÔON. Kaichôon (The Sound of the Tide, 1905) is an anthology of translated poetry published by Ueda Bin. It appeared in the literary journals Teikoku Bungaku (Imperial Literature) and Myôjô (Venus) and incorporated elements of Italian, English, French, and German poetry. The collection includes translations of works by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, Heinrich Heine, Robert Browning, Dante, Shakespeare, Stéphane Mallarmé, and Gabriele d’Annunzio, among others. It served to introduce French symbolism to Japan. Many of its translated poems are still found in Japanese textbooks today.

KAIKÔ TAKESHI (1930–1989). Kaikô Takeshi, given name Ken, was a novelist, essayist, and literary critic in postwar Japan. Kaikô attended Osaka University in the early 1950s and was a contributor to the literary journal Enpitsu (Pencil). In 1952, he married Maki Yôko, and through her found an ad-writing job in Tokyo working for a brewing company. Kaikô won the Akutagawa Ryûnosuke Prize for Hadaka no ôsama (1957; tr. The Naked King, 1977) and left his job to become a full-time writer. In 1964, he was sent to Vietnam by the Asahi newspaper as a special correspondent and was one of 17 survivors of a machine gun raid. Along with the Akutagawa Prize, Kaikô was awarded the Mainichi Literary Prize (1968), the Kawabata Yasunari Prize (1979), the Kikuchi Kan Prize (1981), and the Japanese Literature Prize (1987). He died at the age of 58 of esophageal cancer. Shûeisha established the Kaikô Takeshi Nonfiction Prize, which honors well-written nonfiction books. See also PUBLISHING HOUSES; SHIBATA SHÔ.

KAJII MOTOJIRÔ (1901–1932). Kajii Motojirô, best known for his lyrical short stories, was diagnosed with tuberculosis as a college student. He nonetheless continued attending Tokyo Imperial University, where he helped found the literary magazine Aozora (Blue Sky), in which he published his most widely recognized story, “Remon” (1925; tr. The Lemon, 1988). Tuberculosis took his life at age 31. See also MARUYAMA KAORU; MIYOSHI TATSUJI.

KAJIN NO KIGÛ. The first two volumes of the eventual 16 that comprised the unfinished novel Kajin no kigû (1885–97; tr. Strange Encounters with Beautiful Women, 1948) were published soon after author Shiba Shiro returned from studying abroad in the United States. Written under the pen name Tôkai Sanshi, Shiba used the semiautobiographical political narrative as a pulpit from which to preach his idealistic vision of Japan as a strong, compassionate democracy. Kajin no kigû follows the protagonist as he sees and befriends two beautiful American girls in Philadelphia and, through them, meets others from China, Spain, and Ireland. His peregrinations allow the author to explain the curiosities of foreign lands as well as offer possible models for Japan to follow.

KAKURE KIRISHITAN (HIDDEN CHRISTIANS). Following the Tokugawa proscription of Christianity in the 17th century, many practicing Japanese Christians took their beliefs underground, and for two centuries secretly practiced a modified form of Catholicism. Their existence became known after Japan opened to the West, when foreign priests discovered and met with them in and around Nagasaki. The proscription had not been lifted, however, and Japanese professing to be Christian were imprisoned, tortured, or exiled until 1873 when the ban was officially lifted after Japan encountered fierce pressure from overseas governments. Hidden Christians play an important role in many modern novels. Akutagawa Ryûnosuke, Endô Shûsaku, and Shimao Toshio, among others, write of the kakure kirishitan in their stories. See also CHINMOKU; CHRISTIAN LITERATURE.

KANAGAKI ROBUN (1829–1894). Kanagaki Robun was the pen name of Nozaki Bunzô, author and journalist whose activity spanned the Tokugawa and Meiji periods. Two of his representative works, Seiyôdôchû hizakurige (Shank’s Mare to the Western Seas, 1870–76) and Aguranabe (1871; tr. The Beef Eater, 1956), deal with the opening of Japan to the West and the conflicts between tradition and modernization. He continued writing light fiction while enduring criticism during the Meiji Restoration. Aside from novels, Kanagaki is known for his illustrated biographies, including an adapted biography of Ulysses S. Grant published on the occasion of former U.S. President Grant’s visit to Japan in 1879. He also made shop signs in his youth and later joined painter Kawanabe Kyôsai (1831–89) to create Japan’s first manga magazine, Eshinbun Nihonji (Illustrated Japan News).

KANEKO MISUZU (1903–1930). Kaneko Misuzu, given name Teru, was a poetess and songwriter from Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture, who wrote mainly for children and has been compared to Christina Rossetti. Her hometown was a sardine-fishing village, and scenes of fishing and the sea fill her poetry. After the birth of her child, she divorced her husband, who had contracted venereal disease from the pleasure quarters. Subsequent custody battles led her to commit suicide, with her final request being that her ex-husband allow Kaneko’s mother to rear the child. During her short life, she wrote more than 500 poems, and, though she was forgotten for a time, her poetry was rediscovered in 1982, and one of her poems, “Watashi to kotori to suzu to” (Me, a Bird, and a Bell) is now read in the Japanese national elementary school curriculum. In recent years, her life story has been dramatized in film, drama, and on television. See also CHILDREN’S LITERATURE.

KANEKO MITSUHARU (1895–1975). Kaneko Mitsuharu was a poet from Aichi Prefecture. After being educated at the Akeboshi Gakuen private school, he published his first poetry magazine, Kôzu, at the age of 21. Three years later he published his first anthology of poems, Akatsuchi no ie (House of Clay, 1916). At age 62 Kaneko wrote his autobiography, Shijin (1957; tr. Shijin, 1988). Known for his rebellious spirit embodied in the famous line “to oppose is to live,” Kaneko was critical of the Meiji Restoration and even kept his son sick during World War II in order to evade conscription.

KARAKI JUNZÔ (1904–1980). Karaki Junzô was a literary critic and philosopher from Nagano Prefecture. After graduating from Tokyo University, he took teaching jobs in Nagano, Manchuria, and Hôsei University. Renowned for his research on Mori Ôgai, he received the Yomiuri Prize in 1955 for his essay “Chûsei no bungaku” (Medieval Literature). After World War II, he helped edit the literary journal Tenbô (Outlook).

KARATANI KÔJIN (1941–). Karatani Kôjin, given name Yoshio, is a literary critic and philosopher of global fame. He graduated from Tokyo University, and at the age of 27 he gained attention in literary circles for “Ishiki to shizen” (Consciousness and Nature, 1969), his essay on Natsume Sôseki. Three years later he published the essay “Ifu suru ningen” (Human in Awe, 1972) and was invited to become a visiting professor at Yale University. Karatani has been nicknamed “The Thinking Machine” for the variety and depth of topics he has analyzed. He has also taught at Hosei University in Tokyo, Columbia University, and Kinki University (Osaka). Karatani’s Nihon kindai bungaku no kigen (1980; tr. Origins of Modern Japanese Literature, 1993) has been translated into English, and in 2007 he gave a lecture at Stanford University. He has also written extensively on Marxism.

KASAI ZENZÔ (1887–1928). Kasai Zenzô was a novelist born in Aomori Prefecture. When he was two years old his parents died and he moved to his grandparents’ home. After finishing elementary school, he became a merchant’s apprentice and took many different jobs. Wanting to write, he moved to Tokyo and audited classes at Tôyô and Waseda universities and there became friends with Hirotsu Kazuo, with whom he founded the literary journal Kiseki (Miracle) in 1912. Kasai began his career publishing the story “Kanashiki chichi” (1912; tr. The Sad Father, 1986) in the first issue of Kiseki. Several lean years later he published a collection of writings titled Ko o tsurete (With Children in Tow, 1918) in the literary magazine Shinchô (New Tide) that established him as an author. Most of Kasai’s works were I-Novels based on his personal experiences, containing themes of poverty, illness, loneliness, and alcoholism. Scandal over an illegitimate child took its toll, and he died at the age of 41 of tuberculosis.

KATÔ NORIHIRO (1948–). Katô Norihiro is a literary critic from Yamagata Prefecture. He graduated from Tokyo University and began his career with the essay “Amerika no kage” (The American Shadow, 1985). He has worked for the National Diet Library and as a professor at Meiji University and Waseda University. A regular publisher of criticism, he serves as a member of the selection committee for two literary awards.

KATÔ SHÛICHI (1919–). Katô Shûichi is a novelist, literary and social critic, medical doctor, and cultural scholar from Tokyo. He graduated in medicine from Tokyo University and while still studying there joined with Nakamura Shin’ichirô and Fukunaga Takehiko to found the literary journal Matinée Poétique in which he published poetry, literary criticism, and novels. After World War II, he became a self-sufficient writer. In 1951, Katô traveled abroad to France to study medicine but continued to contribute to literary journals while there. In 1956, he wrote one of his most famous works, the essay Zasshu bunka (Hybrid Culture), which looked at historical materialism from a Marxist perspective. In more recent years, he has been a guest professor at many universities and succeeded Hayashi Tatsuo as editor-in-chief of the Heibonsha Sekai Daihyakka jiten (World Encyclopedia).

KAWABATA YASUNARI (1899–1972). Kawabata Yasunari was a short story writer and novelist who became the first Japanese to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968. Orphaned at age two, Kawabata subsequently lost all other close relatives by age 15. After boarding school, Kawabata attended Tokyo Imperial University. During his career, Kawabata wrote numerous well-known novels and short stories, including Izu no Odoriko (1926; tr. The Izu Dancer, 1955), Yukiguni (1948; tr. Snow Country, 1956), Senbazuru (1949–51; tr. Thousand Cranes, 1958), and Meijin (1942; tr. The Master of Go, 1972). He was part of the neoperceptionist school of writing, which he helped define. Kawabata committed suicide in 1972, and the Kawabata Yasunari Prize was established in 1974 in his honor. See also HEARN, LAFCADIO; JAPAN P.E.N. CLUB; MODERNISM; PSYCHOLOGICAL LITERATURE; SHIMAKI KENSAKU; TACHIHARA MASAAKI; WAR LITERATURE; YOKOMITSU RIICHI.

KAWABATA YASUNARI PRIZE FOR LITERATURE. The Kawabata Yasunari Prize for Literature (Kawabata Yasunari bungaku shô) was established in 1973 by the Kawabata Yasunari Memorial Association to honor Japan’s first Nobel Prize–winning novelist. The Nobel Prize award money is used to finance the Kawabata Prize, which is presented annually to the year’s most accomplished work of short fiction. The winner receives a certificate, a commemorative gift, and a cash award of one million yen. Notable recipients include Minakami Tsutomu, Yasuoka Shôtarô, and Sata Ineko. See also LITERARY AWARDS.

KAWAKAMI BIZAN (1869–1908). Kawakami Bizan, given name Akira, was a Meiji novelist who attended Tokyo Imperial University but dropped out and joined the Ken’yûsha literary circle. Noted for his novels Shokikan (The Secretary, 1985–86) and Kan’on iwa (The Buddha Crag, 1906), Kawakami committed suicide in 1908. See also OZAKI KÔYÔ; TRAGIC NOVELS.

KAWAKAMI OTOJIRÔ (1864–1911). Kawakami Otojirô, given name Otokichi, was a Japanese political activist, actor, theater impresario, and comedian. He was born in Hakata, Kyushu, and made his public name as a “hooligan” (sôshi) performing ballads and chants for the Freedom and People’s Rights Movement. His signature song from this period, “Oppekepe,” satirized the wealthy Meiji oligarchy and underscored the plight of the poor. He studied for a time to be a professional storyteller in the yose, married former geisha Sadayakko, and together formed a theatrical troupe that toured the United States and Europe at the turn of the 20th century and was seen by a number of American and European artists and musicians caught up in the tide of japonisme. Upon returning to Japan, Kawakami staged several Western plays in Tokyo and opened a school for actresses. He collapsed and died in midperformance at age 47. See also MODERN THEATER; THEATER REFORM.

KAWAMURA MINATO (1951–). Kawamura Minato is a literary critic and professor of international culture at Hosei University. He began his literary career by winning the Gunzô Newcomer Prize in 1980. He started out writing on ancient and modern Japanese literature, but has expanded his focus to include Korean literature and culture. His leftist leanings sometimes put him at odds with major critics. He published the study Nan’yo Karafuto no Nihon bungaku (Japanese Literature of the South Sea Islands and Sakhalin, 1994). See also MARXISM.

KAWASHIMA CHÛNOSUKE (1853–1938). Kawashima Chûnosuke is best known for his translation of Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days. Kawashima worked as an interpreter for a trading company at the time, and in 1878 published the work, the first of Verne’s works to be translated into Japanese, at his own expense. His translation was one of the first correspondent—as opposed to adaptive—translations of a foreign literary texts. See also SCIENCE FICTION.

KAWATAKE MOKUAMI (1816–1893). Kawatake Mokuami, born Yoshimura Yoshisaburô, was a Japanese kabuki playwright whose prolific and varied works included short dance pieces, period plays (jidaimono), contemporary genre pieces (sewamono), tragedies and comedies, as well as adaptations of Western stories. He was famous for his shiranamimono, plays featuring sympathetic or tragic rogues and thieves. Many of his protagonist roles were written for specific actors. His works, including Momijigari (Viewing the Autumn Foliage, 1887), continue to dominate the kabuki repertoire today. See also KAWATAKE SHINSHICHI III; THEATER REFORM.

KAWATAKE SHINSHICHI III (1842–1901). Kawatake Shinshichi III was born in the Kanda district of Edo (now Tokyo) and became a leading pupil of kabuki playwright Kawatake Mokuami. Following his mentor’s death, he became the foremost Meiji playwright, with roughly 80 plays to his name. He adapted many of his stories from the oral storytelling stage (yose), including works, such as Kaidan botandôrô (The Ghost Tale of the Peony Lantern, 1892), by the famous rakugo storyteller San’yûtei Enchô. Many of his plays are still performed on the kabuki stage today. See also KÔDAN; THEATER REFORM.

KAZUO ISHIGURO. See ISHIGURO KAZUO.

KEIKOKU BIDAN. Keikoku Bidan (Inspiring Tales of Statesmanship, 1883) is an adaptive political novel by Yano Ryûkei published during the height of the Freedom and People’s Rights Movement. In the tradition of Tokugawa literature, the novel addresses many contemporary political concerns but is reset in a different time and place in order to evade possible censorship. The work, written in a mixture of styles, contains a number of tales from Greek history, including the rise and fall of Thebes, which resonated with the contemporary world of Japanese politics. Despite its unevenness, it was very popular and inspired many young readers, including Tsubouchi Shôyô, to try their hand at writing novels. See also ADAPTIVE TRANSLATIONS; TRANSLATION.

KEITAI SHÔSETSU. See CELL-PHONE NOVELS.

KEN’YÛSHA. The Ken’yûsha (Friends of the Ink Stone), the first modern Japanese writers’ society, was founded in 1885 by Ozaki Kôyô. Other members included Kawakami Bizan, Yamada Bimyô, Ishibashi Shian (1867–1927), and Maruoka Kyuka (1865–1927). Ozaki’s classicism heavily influenced the works of member Izumi Kyôka and was widely published in the Yomiuri newspaper. While championing naturalism and realism, the group introduced Western styles and themes in a venue outside the traditional publishing firms. Famous works by Ozaki that represent the spirit of the Ken’yûsha include Konjiki yasha (1897–1903; tr. The Gold Demon, 2005) and Tajô takon (Passions and Regrets, 1896). The group disbanded shortly after Ozaki’s death in 1903.

KIKUCHI KAN (1888–1948). Kikuchi Kan, given name Hiroshi, was a short story writer and publisher born in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture. A colleague of Akutagawa Ryûnosuke and Kume Masao, Kikuchi helped found the magazine Shinshichô (New Trends of Thought) in 1917. Besides pursuing his own writing career, Kikuchi also helped to establish the Japan Writer’s Association and the Akutagawa and Naoki prizes along with the publishing company Bungei Shunjû, which publishes the literary magazines Bungei shunjû (Literary Chronicle) and Bungakkai (Literary World). He also founded the Kikuchi Kan Prize in 1938. See also BUNDAN; YAMAMOTO YÛZÔ.

KIKUCHI KAN PRIZE. The Kikuchi Kan Prize (Kikuchi Kan shô) is a literary award first proposed by Kikuchi Kan that recognizes achievement among senior authors and is sponsored by the Association for the Promotion of Japanese Literature. It was first established in 1938 for authors older than age 45. Discontinued six years later, it was revived in 1952 at the death of Kikuchi Kan. The current prize now recognizes achievements in arts and literature as well as film and other genres. The winner receives a table clock and one million yen. Notable recipients include Masamune Hakuchô, Inoue Hisashi, Inoue Yasushi, Kaikô Takeshi, and Uno Chiyo.

KINOSHITA JUNJI (1914–2006). Kinoshita Junji, playwright and translator from Tokyo, graduated from Tokyo University where he studied Shakespeare. After World War II, he taught at Meiji University and wrote folk plays on the side. His most famous play, Yûzuru (1949; tr. Twilight Crane, 1952), was performed in 1949, followed shortly after by Fûrô (Wind and Waves). He was able to create a new style that fused together components of modern theater, kabuki, nô, and kyôgen and received the Yomiuri Prize for Shigosen no matsuri (1978; tr. Requiem on the Great Meridian, 2000). See also THEATER REFORM.

KINOSHITA NAOE (1869–1937). Kinoshita Naoe, socialist, activist, and author, graduated from Waseda University, worked as a newspaper reporter and lawyer, and was baptized a Christian a few years later. Shortly thereafter, he began to take a firm stand on issues of mine pollution, women’s rights, and universal suffrage. A pacifist prior to and during the Russo-Japanese War, he published the antiwar novel Hi no hashira (1903–4; tr. Pillar of Fire, 1972), writing for the masses in the genbun itchi style. See also FEMINISM; MILITARISM; NOGAMI YAEKO; WAR LITERATURE.

KISHIDA KUNIO (1890–1954). Kishida Kunio was an author, playwright, translator, and director widely recognized as one of the founders of modern theater in Japan. He studied French literature and modern drama at Tokyo University and later traveled to France in the early 1920s to study the history of French drama. Upon returning to Japan, he published many plays in literary journals, such as Furui omocha (Old Toys, 1924) and Chiroru no aki (1924; tr. Autumn in the Tyrol, 1967). In 1937, he founded the Bungaku-za (Literary Theater Company), which produced many famous actors and actresses. The Kishida Kunio gikyoku shô (Kishida Kunio Prize for Drama) is named in his honor and is the most prestigious drama award. Kishida died of a stroke suffered during a dress rehearsal in a Tokyo theater. See also THEATER REFORM.

KITA MORIO (1927–). Kita Morio is the pen name of Saitô Sôkichi, Tokyo-born novelist, essayist and psychiatrist. He is the second son of the poet Saitô Mokichi. Kita was relatively uninterested in literature in his youth but became attached to the works of Thomas Mann in high school. While working as a psychiatrist in a hospital run by his older brother, Kita wrote Yoru to kiri no sumi de (In the Corner of Night and Fog, 1960), which garnered him an Akutagawa Ryûnosuke Prize. Kita wrote the bestseller Dokutoru Manbô kôkaiki (1960; tr. Doctor Manbo at the Sea, 1987) while working on a fishing boat as the crew doctor. The novel incorporated American-style absurdist humor. He is a popular writer and essayist, particularly among youth. See also TSUJI KUNIO.

KITAHARA HAKUSHÛ (1885–1942). Kitahara Hakushû, given name Ryûkichi, was a popular tanka poet. Born in Fukuoka Prefecture, he attended Waseda University but dropped out to write poetry. Much of his early poetry was published in Myôjô (Venus) until he formed his own literary group, the Pan no kai (The Society of Pan). In 1918, he joined the Akai Tori (Red Bird) literary journal, for which he began collecting children’s songs. He published several volumes of Japanese children’s song lyrics as well as translations of English nursery rhymes. Kitahara died in 1942 of complications from diabetes. See also CHILDREN’S LITERATURE.

KITAMURA TÔKOKU (1868–1894). Kitamura Tôkoku, given name Montarô, was a Romantic poet and essayist. Kitamura held extreme political views that led to his expulsion from Waseda University, but he abandoned his political activities before becoming a writer. Many of Kitamura’s poems and essays broke from traditional Japanese Buddhist/Shinto thought in favor of Western philosophy, and his writing sometimes reflects his wife’s Christian views. Kitamura helped to launch the literary journal Bungakkai (Literary World) a year before he committed suicide. See also BUDDHIST LITERATURE; POETRY.

KOBAYASHI HIDEO (1902–1983). Kobayashi Hideo, author and scholar, was one of the foremost Japanese literary critics of the 20th century. Kobayashi initially studied French literature at Tokyo Imperial University. Many of his works were published in the journal Bungakkai (Literary World). As a critic he praised Kikuchi Kan and Shiga Naoya and greatly criticized Akutagawa Ryûnosuke, as well as the genre of the I-Novel. He was a strongly outspoken proponent of the war in China. After the war, he continued as a bestselling author, made radio broadcasts, and took part in roundtable discussions with scientists and other artists. He was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit in 1967.

KOBAYASHI TAKIJI (1903–1933). Kobayashi Takiji was a renowned author of proletarian literature. His most famous work, the novel Kanikôsen (1929; tr. The Factory Ship, 1956), detailed the oppression of Hokkaido fishermen and the inner working of unions. He joined the Japanese Communist Party in 1931 and two years later, at age 29, was beaten to death by police during an interrogation. See also MARXISM; THOUGHT POLICE.

KÔDA AYA (1904–1990). Kôda Aya was a novelist and essayist and the second daughter of author Kôda Rohan. Following her father’s death shortly after World War II, she began writing her memories of him in essays that were published and well received. She started writing novels and published Nagareru (Flowing, 1955), which established her status as an author and was later adapted into a film. She also published the novel Kuroi suso (1955; tr. The Black Kimono, 1970), which won the Yomiuri Prize. See also FEMINISM; WOMEN IN LITERATURE.

KÔDA ROHAN (1867–1947). Kôda Rohan, given name Shigeyuki, was the author of two Meiji stories, Fûryûbutsu (The Elegant Buddha, 1889) and Gojû no tô (1891–92; tr. Pagoda, 1959). His Romantic, gothic style paired well with that of his contemporary, Ozaki Kôyô. Kôda was one of the first persons to be awarded the Order of Cultural Merit when it was established in 1937. He was the father of novelist Kôda Aya. See also PSEUDOCLASSICISM; TAMURA TOSHIKO.

KÔDAN. Kôdan is a style of traditional oral storytelling dating from the 17th century. Similar to the style of storytelling performed by biwa (lute) players in feudal Japan, this form of drama involves a solitary performer, called a kôdanshi, who kneels at a small table, called a shakudai, upon which is an open literary text, and taps out a rhythm with a small folded fan while he or she alternately reads from and comments on the text. The kôdanshi’s repertoire contains tales of war and martial valor and the occasional ghost story, and the storyteller uses a unique chanted tone when reading and imitates colloquial speech when commenting to enhance the audience’s reception of the tale.

The art form, which is performed rhythmically but lacks musical accompaniment, flourished through the beginning of the 20th century, and, along with rakugo (its comic counterpart), contributed to the development of modern Japanese narrative through sokkibon, or shorthand transcriptions of oral stories, that were published in the late 19th century. Hundreds of these transcribed tales appeared during the Meiji period, training a new market of readers and helping establish vernacular narrative style for literary writing. With the advent of film and the demise of yose performance halls, kôdan declined and is performed today in only a handful of theaters in Japan’s urban centers. See also ADAPTATION; ADAPTIVE TRANSLATIONS; BENSHI; GENBUN ITCHI; KAWATAKE SHINSHICHI III; TAKUSARI KÔKI.

KOGEKIJÔ ENGEKI. See MODERN THEATER.

KOIZUMI YAKUMO. See HEARN, LAFCADIO.

KOJIMA NOBUO (1915–2006). Kojima Nobuo was a novelist, playwright, essayist, translator, and literary critic from Gifu Prefecture who graduated from Tokyo University. After completing a military tour of northeastern China, he started writing while teaching English at a high school in Tokyo and later at Meiji University. Kojima published Amerikan sukûru (1954; tr. The American School, 1977), which won the Akutagawa Ryûnosuke Prize, and his Hôyô kazoku (1965; tr. Embracing Family, 2005) was awarded the Tanizaki Jun’ichirô Prize. Kojima is considered to be a member of the Third Generation of postwar writers, and also won the Noma Prize and the Yomiuri Prize, among many other awards. See also MODERN THEATER.

KOKKAI TOSHOKAN. See DIET LIBRARY.

KOKORO. Kokoro (1914; tr. Kokoro: A Novel, 1957) is a semi-epistolary novel by Natsume Sôseki. First published in serial form in the Asahi newspaper, Kokoro deals with the tensions of modernity and its concomitant isolation. It is divided into three sections. The first, narrated by a character known only as “I,” discusses his friendship with an older man he calls “Sensei” (teacher or master). In the second section, the narrator travels home to the countryside due to his father’s failing health, where he receives a letter from Sensei. The entire third section, comprising nearly half the novel, is that singular letter, in which Sensei finally tells the narrator the story of the love triangle that led to the death of his childhood friend, K. Sensei then, out of loyalty and in the spirit of tradition, commits suicide in conjunction with the death of the Meiji emperor. See also BUNGEI EIGA; FILM AND LITERATURE; I-NOVELS.

KOKUBUNGAKU KENKYÛ SHIRYÔKAN. See NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JAPANESE LITERATURE.

KÔNO TAEKO (1926–). Kôno Taeko is a novelist and literary critic from Osaka. During World War II, she attended Osaka University and, after graduating and upon reading Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, decided to become a professional author. She worked with Niwa Fumio on his literary journal and won the Akutagawa Ryûnosuke Prize for her novel Kani (1963; tr. Crabs, 1982). She wrote Fui no koe (A Sudden Voice, 1968) and won the Yomiuri Prize. Kôno champions the style of Tanizaki Jun’ichirô and has served on the selection committee of the prize named in his honor. See also FEMINISM; WOMEN IN LITERATURE.

KOREAN LITERATURE. See ZAINICHI LITERATURE.

KÔYA HIJIRI. “Kôya hijiri” (1900; tr. The Kôya Priest, 1959–60) is Izumi Kyôka’s most famous story, combining strong Romanticist elements of Tokugawa period fiction with colloquial folklore. The gothic narrative features an itinerant young priest who takes a wrong turn at a crossroads on his journey over the mountains in the Japan Alps. As evening settles in, he finds himself seeking shelter at an isolated home that proves to be inhabited by a mysterious woman who appears to be able to talk with animals. The priest, though tempted by her beauty, does not yield and endures a raucous, haunted night. On his arrival back in civilization, he determines to abandon the priesthood and return to live with her, but then learns that she is a sorceress who turns humans into animals after they succumb to her charms. See also WOMEN IN LITERATURE.

KÔYA PRIEST, THE. See KÔYA HIJIRI.

KUBO SAKAE (1900–1958). Kubo Sakae was a poet and playwright from Hokkaido. He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University in German literature. His most famous work is the critically acclaimed Marxist play Kazanbaichi (1937; tr. Land of Volcanic Ash, 1986), which won a theater prize. He also won a poetry prize named after Kitamura Tôkoku for Sannin no bokushô no hanashi (The Story of the Three Lumberjacks). See also MODERN THEATER.

KUME MASAO (1891–1952). Kume Masao was a novelist, playwright, literary critic, and haiku poet (under the pseudonym Santei). He had a natural talent for haiku and attended Tokyo Imperial University, studying under Natsume Sôseki with Akutagawa Ryûnosuke and Kikuchi Kan as notable classmates. He made his debut as a playwright with Gyûnyûya no kyôdai (The Milkman’s Brother, 1914), which was well received. Two years later he published his first novel, Chichi no shi (My Father’s Death, 1916) and in 1918 cofounded the Kokumin bungeikai (People’s Arts Movement) with Osanai Kaoru and Kubota Mantarô (1889–1963). In 1925, he coined the term junbungaku (pure literature) and argued that the I-Novel is junbungaku. See also LITERARY CRITICISM; MODERN THEATER.

KUNIKIDA DOPPÔ (1871–1908). Kunikida Doppô, given name Tatsuo, was an early author of Romantic novels and poetry but went on to become one of the founders of Japanese naturalism. Kunikida attended Waseda University, but his politically defiant attitude led to his expulsion before he graduated. He became a Christian at age 21, and reflections of his religion can be seen in his later writings. Kunikida’s works include Musashino (1901; tr. Musashino, 1983) Azamaukazaru no ki (An Honest Diary, 1893), and “Haru no tori” (1904; tr. Spring Birds, 1954). Kunikida died of tuberculosis at age 36.

KUNSHÔ. See ORDER OF CULTURAL MERIT.

KURAHASHI YUMIKO (1935–2005). Kurahashi Yumiko, née Kumagai, was a novelist and author born in Kôchi Prefecture. She graduated from a dental hygiene school and was accepted into Meiji University where she also attended graduate school. While in graduate school she published the novel Parutai (1960; tr. Partei, 1961) in the Meiji University newspaper. Parutai was reprinted in the literary journal Bungakkai (Literary World) and was nominated for the Akutagawa Ryûnosuke Prize. The following year it was published as a novel and received the Women’s Literature Prize, and in 1963 she was awarded the Tamura Toshiko Prize. After marrying a television producer, she devoted her time to raising their two daughters, but came back into the literary world in the late 1970s and received the Izumi Kyôka Literary Prize in 1983. Toward the end of her life, she turned her attention to translating children’s literature. She died of heart disease.

KURATA HYAKUZÔ (1891–1943). Kurata Hyakuzô was an essayist and playwright who dealt with the topic of religion. Though raised in Tokyo, he spent most of his adult life in the Inland Sea region. His major literary works include the best-selling Shukke to sono deshi (1917; tr. The Priest and the Disciples, 1955), which was a play based on the story of the Japanese Buddhist priest Shinran (1173–1263). His other most popular work was a collection of essays titled Ai to ninshiki to no shuppatsu (The Beginning of Love and Understanding, 1921) that touched on topics of love, sex, and religion. See also MODERN THEATER.

KUROI AME. When author Ibuse Masuji was asked about how he created his atomic bomb novel Kuroi ame (1965; tr. Black Rain, 1968), he replied that he took actual documentation, such as letters, journals, and reports, and then raked them together into a fictional story. Kuroi ame is a novel about the physical struggles and later social discrimination suffered by atomic bomb survivors. Written in journal form, the novel details the conditions in Hiroshima immediately after the bombing and a number of years later using the characters of Shigematsu Shizuma, his wife, and his niece Yasuko. The niece, orphaned and of marriageable age, finds herself unable to conclude an arranged marriage even several years later owing to rumors of her having been in Hiroshima when the bomb was dropped and the fear of radiation sickness affecting possible offspring. Shigematsu and his wife begin copying their journals from the days surrounding the bombing in an attempt to prove that Yasuko was not exposed to radiation. Another suitor’s prospect falls through just as Yasuko reveals that she does, indeed, have radiation sickness. Though somber in plot, the story is filled with Ibuse’s characteristic humor and hope for humanity.

KUROI SENJI (1932–). Kuroi Senji is the pen name of Osabe Shunjirô, a novelist from Tokyo who graduated in economics from Tokyo University. He worked as a salaryman while writing novels and was an Akutagawa Ryûnosuke Prize candidate in 1968. The following year he published Jikan (Time, 1969) and won the Tanizaki Jun’ichirô Prize for Gunsei (1984; tr. Life in the Cul-de-Sac, 2001). He also has won the Yomiuri Prize and the Noma Prize and currently serves as president of the Japan Writer’s Association as well as a member of the selection committee for the Akutagawa Prize.

KUROSHIMA DENJI (1898–1943). Kuroshima Denji was born on an island in Japan’s Inland Sea. Conscripted into the army in 1919, he returned to Japan and joined the proletarian literature movement and wrote of his experiences in Siberia. Kuroshima’s works include numerous short stories and a novel, Busôseru shigai (Militarized Streets, 1930), which describes Japanese aggression against China. See also MILITARISM; WAR LITERATURE.

KUROTOKAGE. Kurotokage (Black Lizard, 1895) was Hirotsu Ryûrô’s second novel. Following the lead of his first serious novel, Hemeden (Cross-Eyed Den, 1895), the story follows the life of Otsuga, a woman with tragically repulsive black blotches on her face. She marries a man named Yotarô, becoming his seventh successive wife, and has a child with him. Yotarô’s lustful father makes advances on Otsuga, which had driven away Yotarô’s previous wives. Otsuga lashes back, poisoning him in order to protect her child. Otsuga then commits suicide, throwing herself into a well. See also WOMEN IN LITERATURE.

KUWABARA TAKEO (1904–1988). Kuwabara Takeo, born in Fukui Prefecture, was a researcher of French literature and culture. He graduated from Kyoto University in 1926 and was hired as a professor at Tohoku University in 1943. Five years later he took a position at Kyoto University and spent the rest of his life bringing French literature and literary criticism to Japan and translating many works into Japanese. In 1987, he was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit for his lifetime contribution to cultural research.