Kawabata Yasunari

Kawabata is without a question one of the most remarkable Japanese novelists. He is famous of his lyrical works such as Snow Country, Yukiguni.

Kawabata Yasunari in Japanese stamp

Kawabata Yasunari was born in Osaka, June 14, 1899. His father, Eikichi Kawabata was a famous physician who died to tuberculosis when Yasunari was just two. His mother died a year after that and since then he lived with his grandmother, until her death when he was seven. His sister died after two years. He lost his grandfather when he was fourteen, after which he moved to his mother's hometown.

He graduated Tokyo Imperial University in 1924 after which he was emplyed by Maichichi Shimbun.

In Kawabata's works, it is still possible to realize the atmosphere from early 19th century, as well as the deaths of her family. Kawabata described himself "a child without home or family." He said he learned too soon what it means to be rootless.

Perhaps most interesting elements of his life was his refusal to serve the wheels of the military. Without a question, war, as well as losing his family members in such a young age, had a deep influence for his works. Himself he stated that after the war he could only write elegies. He wasn't too happy about the political reforms that came after the World War II.

But Kawabata embraced his roots, whatever there was left of them. His writing has a very Japanese feel to it. Kawawbata is often said to be one of the most Japanese writers.

Kawabata Yasunari

His first work Snow Country, which he wrote 1934, and was first published in short parts from 1935 to 1937. His other works are Thousand Cranes, The Sound of the Mountain, The House of the Sleeping Beauties, Beauty and Sadness and The Old Capital. The Master of Go, published in 1951 is said to be his finest work, although some say that it is the lyrical Snow Country. The Nobel Committee cited three of his novels, Snow Country, Thousand Cranes, and The Old Capital (Kyoto) in the award ceremony.

His works have been also translated to many foreign languages and is broadly known abroad. He was also president of Japanese P.E.N. after the war.

It's much because of his accomplishments that Japanese literature is known so well abroad these days. Without a question, his work had strong effect on development of modern Japanese fiction.

Two years after death of Yukio Mishima, Kawabata committed suicide in 1972 by gassing himself. There however was something strange about his death. Many people, including his wife were unsure whether it really was a suicide or accident.

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