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Kazuo Dan

だん かずお

Dan Kazuo

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1912-02-03 （Tanimura, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture (now Tsuru), Japan）
Died
1976-01-02 （Kyushu University Hospital, Higashi Ward, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan） age 63
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Tanimura (now Tsuru), Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan → Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan → Shakujii, Tokyo, Japan → Santa Cruz (near Torres Vedras), Portugal → Noko Island, Fukuoka City, Japan (House 'Gekkodo')

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Lyricist, Culinary writer / Cook, Essayist, Translator
Active Years
1935-1976
Influenced By
Haruo Satō, Osamu Dazai, Ango Sakaguchi, Proletarian literature, Masuji Ibuse, Communism
Influenced
Wandering (as a literary motif), Culinary culture and culinary writers, Gofū Manabe, Kōzaburō Arashiyama

Education

Tokyo Imperial University (now University of Tokyo)
Faculty of Economics
Period: 1932年入学
Country: Japan
Founded literary magazines and published his first work ('Kono ie no seikaku') while at university.

Awards

Nogami Literary Encouragement Award
1944
Work: Tenmei
Organization: Nogami Literary Encouragement Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Naoki Prize
1951
Work: Chōgonka; Shinsetsu Ishikawa Goemon
Organization: Japan Literary Promotion Association
Result: 受賞
Yomiuri Literature Award
1976
Work: The Burning House
Category: 小説賞
Organization: Yomiuri Shimbun
Result: 追贈
Japan Literature Grand Prize
1976
Work: The Burning House
Organization: Japan Literature Grand Prize Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Ritsuko: Her Love

1950 I-novel (autobiographical fiction)

A series about his late wife Ritsuko that explores loss and memory in an autobiographical mode.

lossmemorylove

Ritsuko: Her Death

1950 I-novel (autobiographical fiction)

Written after Ritsuko's death, focusing on grief and self-reproach.

lossdeathatonement

Shinsetsu Ishikawa Goemon (A New Account of Ishikawa Goemon)

1951 Historical/period novel

A period novel retelling the legend of Ishikawa Goemon with a strong entertainment emphasis.

folk herorevengeperiod drama

Chōgonka (The Long Regret Song)

1951 Novel

A novel that examines love, jealousy and human frailty.

lovejealousymelancholy

Sunset and the Pistol

1956 Popular/entertainment fiction

An entertaining novel that was adapted into a film in the year of publication.

adventureromancerevenge
Adaptations
  • [Film] Sunset and the Pistol (1956)

The Burning House

1961 I-novel / autobiographical epic

A life work written over more than two decades about his relationship with actress Irie Kyoko; completed by dictation while hospitalized and published posthumously.

wanderinglove and breakupself-reflection
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Burning House / 深作欣二 (Kinji Fukasaku) (1986)

Dan-Style Cooking

1970 Cookbook / culinary essays

A collection of culinary knowledge and recipes that showcases Dan's approach to cooking.

cookingfood culturetravel

Bibliography

  • Hanagatami
  • Kokū Zōgan
  • Novel: Osamu Dazai
  • Tenmei
  • Ritsuko: Her Love
  • Ritsuko: Her Death
  • Shinsetsu Ishikawa Goemon
  • Chōgonka
  • Penguin Diary
  • Birth
  • Sunset and the Pistol
  • The Burning House
  • Dan-Style Cooking
  • The Essence of My Hundred Tastes
  • Gourmet Wandering Notes
  • The Freedom of Wandering
  • Novel: Ango Sakaguchi
  • Blue Clouds

Adaptations

  • Film 'The Burning House' (1986, dir. Kinji Fukasaku)
  • Film 'Sunset and the Pistol' (1956)
  • Documentary 'Mukashi Otoko Arikeri' (1984, RKB)
  • NHK Special 'When Life Fades — The Final Days of Kazuo Dan' (1987)

Translations by Author

  • Selected Japanese translation of 'Journey to the West' (Saiyūki)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Buraiha (anti-establishment) wandering styleAutobiographical 'I‑novel' voiceUse of classical allusions and folktalesEssayistic passages with detailed culinary descriptions
Recurring Motifs
wanderingcooking/foodalcoholtravelloss and memory

Health

  • Lung cancer
    1975年 - 1976年
    Hospitalized in 1975 with malignant lung cancer; completed the final chapter of 'The Burning House' by dictation while hospitalized, which had a major impact on his literary activity.

Legacy

Kazuo Dan is regarded as one of the late representatives of the Buraiha school, known for his autobiographical voice and writings on cooking. 'The Burning House' is his posthumous masterpiece, and his contributions continue to be recognized in both literature and culinary culture.

Museums

  • Kazuo Dan Literary Monument (Santa Cruz, Portugal) Santa Cruz (near Torres Vedras), Portugal
  • Kazuo Dan Literary Monument (Noko Island) Noko Island, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan Opened in 1977

In Popular Culture

  • Film 'The Burning House' (1986, dir. Kinji Fukasaku, starring Ken Ogata)
  • Documentary 'Mukashi Otoko Arikeri' (1984, RKB)
  • NHK Special 'When Life Fades — The Final Days of Kazuo Dan' (1987)

Quotes

  • Mogari flute — let me play it for many nights, that I may meet the flowers.
    Source: Inscription on the Noko Island literary monument (death haiku) (1977)
  • You are a genius.
    Source: Words Dan said to Osamu Dazai upon meeting him (1933)

Trivia

  • He was close friends with Osamu Dazai; it is said they once attempted suicide together.
  • Also known as a cook/culinary writer; authored books such as 'Dan-Style Cooking'.
  • His eldest daughter is the actress Fumi Dan.
  • 'The Burning House' was completed by dictation while he was hospitalized and is his posthumous work.
  • He won the Naoki Prize in 1951.