Figure 1.--Yukio Mishima is one of the most famous of Japanese 20th-century writers. His real name was Kimitake Hiraoka. Here we see Kimitake when he entered the prestigious Gakushuin Elementary School in 1931. |
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Yukio Mishima is one of the most famous of Japanese 20th-century writers. His life was especially dramatic because he ended it with ritual suicide (supuku). The suicide is of course the climax of the film about his life. Mishima came from a very aristocratic Japanese family. He continues to be an ignimatic icon of modern Japan, but his books are so rooted in traditional values. He was a strange combination of international literary darling, accomplished novelist and playright, a health enthuiast and body builder, and if that was not enough, the founder of a private army in pacifist Japan. Mishima was a contradition in may ways. He was an ardent miltarist who shirked his responsibilities when it really counted--The Pacific War. And he was a a rare right-wing literary figure of any importance. Mishima ardently advocated the samurai code in an increasingly secular and prosperous Japan. This was part of Japanese post-War life, a fascinatin mixture of the traditional and the modern. Mishima carried out an elaborate plan for his own death. He occupied an army garrison with soldiers of his privare army and then committed ritual suicide. His life in told in a wonderful Japanese film, Mishima: My Life in Four Chapters.
Mishima came from a very aristocratic Japanese family. Yukio's parents were Azusa Hiraoka and Shizue Azusa Hiraoka. His father graduate from Tokyo Imperial University, th modern University of Tokyo. He was apopointed to head the Ministry of Fisheries. His Shizue, her mother the daughter of a school principal in Tokyo. They live with the paternal grandparents: Jotaro and Natsuko Hiraoka. Grandparents live in the ground floor of the house and parents on the 1st floor. Natsuko comes from a family of samurai. Jotaro is a descendant of "daimyo" (warlord), connected by marriage to the Tokugawa.
Yukio Mishima was a pen name. His actual name was Kimitake Hiraoka. Kimitake was born in Tokyo (1925). This was just before Hirohito became emperor (1926). His little sister Mitsuko was born (1928), His little brother Chiyuki was born (1930). Kimitake was raised by his paternal grandmother, Natsuko. He was taken from his mother very early and is almost always with his grand mother. His mother is allowed to see him occassionally. His grandmother is both possessive and strict, but loving. Kimitake is not a healthy child and often sick. His grandmother was from a samurai family. She insists that she stay out of the sun because of his poor health. He is not allowed to play sports and games with other boys. He spends most of him time with his grandmother, although he is allowed to play with his cousins. Kimitake grows up a ratherlonely little boy with very littlele contact with the world oitside his grandmother's home, especially with other children of his age. She cares for him personally until she becomes ill (1937). At this time, Kimitake returns to his parents.
Kimitake's education began with his grandmother. She instills in the boy the warrior spirit of his ancestors samurai. He grew up being proud of his samuti ancestors. His grndmother was thus surely one of the principal influences on his thinking. Kimitake entered Gakushuin Elementary School (Peers School), this was a orestiguious private school to begin his primary education (1931). From an early point he take an interest in poetry, haiku and writing. One of his short essays will be published in the same issue of the Journal of each school Kozakura.
He also loves reading and avidly reads stories for children (Mimei Ogawa and Suzuki Miekichi and the Shounen Club magazine published by Kodansha). Some of his favorire authors were Yoichiro Minami, Hitomi Takagaki and Minetaro Yamanaka. While his primary focus are these classic Japanese authors, he also read European authors like German Rainer Maria Rilke and English Oscar Wilde.
Mishima was a contradition in may ways. He was an ardent miltarist who shirked his responsibilities when it really counted--The Pacific War. With the outbreak of the War, he was ordered to report for classifucation and service in the Imperial Japanese Army. It so happened that he was at the time ill. He lied to the doctors by telling them he had symtoms resembling tuberculosis. The doctors believed him and he was exempted from military service.
Yukio Mishima after being exempted from military service enrolled at the University of Tokyo. He studied by day And began writing in the evening. He graduated after the War (1947).
Mishima after graduating obtained a post in the Finance Ministry. The work exhausted him, in part because he pursued his writing into late hours. After a year, he resigned to concentrate on his writing career. Yukio Mishima is one of the most famous of Japanese 20th-century writers. He continues to be an ignimatic icon of modern Japan, but his books are so rooted in traditional values. He was a strange combination of international literary darling, accomplished novelist and playright, a health enthuiast and body builder, and if that was not enough, the founder of a private army in pacifist Japan. And he was a a rare right-wing literary figure of any importance. Mishima ardently advocated the samurai code in an increasingly secular and prosperous Japan. This was part of Japanese post-War life, a fascinating mixture of the traditional and the modern.
The fact that Mishima is such an important author is interesting because of his right-wing mentality. Important Western authors generally have a left-wing orientation, or at least a sensitive, hmanitarian bent. There are very few Western authors with a right wing orientation. We are not sure just why this is, but is likely that the same traits that make an individual an effective writer are like to make him or her sensitive and lead to humanitarian concerns. This is the same reason that capitalism often comes off poorly in literature. Socialism sounds so much more caring. The only problem is that in real life it dos not work. Socialism in country after country leads to wealth destruction and poverty while capitalism leads to wealt creation and prosperity.
Mishima's life was especially dramatic because he ended it with ritual suicide (supuku). The suicide is of course the climax of the film about his life. Mishima carried out an elaborate plan for his own death. He occupied an army garrison with soldiers of his privare army and then committed ritual suicide.
The Japnaese film "Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters" (1985) is about the life of Yukio Mishima, the famous Japanese novelist. The director is Paul Schrader film. Curiously few Japanese have seen the film. Mishima’s family will not permit into be shown in the country. The wonderfully crafted film, as the title suggests, is divided into three chapters recealing Mishimas different lives: public, private and literary. Mishima's final day is counterpointed by sgowing his childhood and adolesence in black-and-white sequences and winderfully staged color dramatizations of his novels, Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Kyoko's House, and Runaway Horses. Mishima is depiced as boy about 5-6 years old in the first segment of the movie. He is unhappy because he has been separated at an early age from his mother. He wears a white shirt with a rounded collar, suspender shorts and long white stockings. Mishima is one of the most famous of Japanese 20th-century writers. His life was especially dramatic because he ended it with ritual suicide (supuku).
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