Kikuchi Kan Award
2 appearances
-
Edition 6 (1944) award
-
Edition 12 (1958) award
Yasunari Kawabata
カワバタ ヤスナリ
Kawabata Yasunari
Pen Names:
Chichibu Goichi（Pen name）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1899-06-14 （Kita-ku, Konohana-cho 1-79, Osaka-shi, Osaka Prefecture (now Tenjinbashi 1-16-12, Kita-ku, Osaka City)）
- Died
- 1972-04-16 （Kotsubo, Zushi City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Zushi Marina） age 72
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Kita-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture → Toyokawa Village, Mishima District, Osaka Prefecture → Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo → Koenji Minami, Suginami-ku, Tokyo → Nikaido, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture → Kotsubo, Zushi City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Literary critic
- Active Years
- 1919-1972
- Affiliations
- Japan Art Academy, Literary Society, Bungei Shunju contributor, Bungakkai contributor, Japan Literature Promotion Society, Japanese PEN Club, International PEN Club, Japan Literary Patriotic Association
- Influenced By
- Saneatsu Mushanokōji, Osamu Ema, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, Shūsei Tokuda, Tōsei Tsukakoshi, Mikihiko Nagata, Isamu Yoshii, Shunrō Oshikawa, Yaeko Nogami, Chiyoko Naitō, Hōsui Arimoto, Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, Naoya Shiga, August Strindberg, Fyodor Dostoevsky, James Joyce, Camille Flammarion, Oliver Lodge, Ikkyū Sōjun, The Tale of Genji, The Pillow Book, Medieval literature, Zen Buddhism, Pantheism, Matsuo Bashō, Saigyō
- Influenced
- Kazuo Fujisawa, Tamio Hōjō, Kanoko Okamoto, Tsuneko Nakazato, Kijirō Kajii, Takehiko Fukunaga, Akira Nogami, Hisao Sawano, Tsuneo Ishihama, Yukio Mishima, Shinichi Hoshi, Yasutaka Tsutsui, Seichō Matsumoto, Banana Yoshimoto, Yōko Ogawa, Ira Ishida, Tamaki Daimon, Shinya Tanaka, Gabriel García Márquez
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Imperial University | Faculty of Letters | Department of Japanese Literature | 文学士 | 1919-1924 | Japan |
| Saisei Gakusha (Predecessor of Nippon Medical School) | — | — | — | — | Japan |
Tokyo Imperial University
Faculty of Letters
/ Department of Japanese Literature
Degree:
文学士
Period:
1919-1924
Year of Graduation:
1924
Country:
Japan
Graduated with special considerations including credit advances
Saisei Gakusha (Predecessor of Nippon Medical School)
Country:
Japan
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Literary Society Prize | — | — | Literary Society | Winner |
| 1944 | Kikuchi Kan Prize | — | — | Kikuchi Kan Prize | Winner |
| 1958 | Kikuchi Kan Prize | — | — | Kikuchi Kan Prize | Winner |
| 1952 | Japan Art Academy Award | — | — | Japan Art Academy | Winner |
| 1954 | Noma Literary Prize | — | — | Noma Literary Prize | Winner |
| 1959 | Goethe Medal | — | — | City of Frankfurt | Winner |
| 1960 | Ordre des Arts et des Lettres | — | — | Government of France | Winner |
| 1961 | Order of Culture | — | — | Government of Japan | Winner |
| 1962 | Mainichi Publishing Culture Award | The Nobel Prize in Literature | — | Mainichi Newspaper Company | Winner |
| 1968 | Nobel Prize in Literature | Snow Country, Thousand Cranes, The Old Capital, Suigetsu, The Letter of a Mole | Literature | Swedish Academy | Winner |
Literary Society Prize
1937
Organization:
Literary Society
Result:
Winner
Kikuchi Kan Prize
1944
Organization:
Kikuchi Kan Prize
Result:
Winner
Kikuchi Kan Prize
1958
Organization:
Kikuchi Kan Prize
Result:
Winner
Japan Art Academy Award
1952
Organization:
Japan Art Academy
Result:
Winner
Noma Literary Prize
1954
Organization:
Noma Literary Prize
Result:
Winner
Goethe Medal
1959
Organization:
City of Frankfurt
Result:
Winner
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
1960
Organization:
Government of France
Result:
Winner
Order of Culture
1961
Organization:
Government of Japan
Result:
Winner
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award
1962
Work:
The Nobel Prize in Literature
Organization:
Mainichi Newspaper Company
Result:
Winner
Nobel Prize in Literature
1968
Work:
Snow Country, Thousand Cranes, The Old Capital, Suigetsu, The Letter of a Mole
Category:
Literature
Organization:
Swedish Academy
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Japan Art Academy Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 8 (1952) award
Noma Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 7 (1954) award
Works
Major Works
The Dancing Girl of Izu
1926 Novel 150 pagesThe Dancing Girl of Izu is based on Kawabata's solitary journey during his time at the First High School, portraying heartfelt connections.
InnocenceLyricismLonelinessYouth
Adaptations
- [Film] The Dancing Girl of Izu / 五所平之助 (1933)
- [Film] The Dancing Girl of Izu (1963) (1963)
Translations
- English
- German
Asakusa Red Gang
1929 Novel 210 pagesAsakusa Red Gang is a representative work of the New Sensation School, depicting the customs of Asakusa.
New Sensation SchoolUrban lifeLyricism
Lyric Song
1932 Novel 120 pagesA work with spiritual elements, centered on past heartbreak.
SpiritualismHeartbreakIntrospection
Beasts and Birds
1933 Novel 130 pagesA novel depicting the nihilistic feelings of a single man.
NihilismLonelinessAnimals
Snow Country
1935 Novel 320 pagesA serial novel portraying the fleeting love between a geisha in a snow-covered region and a man from the city.
LonelinessLoveJapanese aesthetics
Adaptations
- [Film] Snow Country / 豊田四郎 (1964)
Translations
- English
Thousand Cranes
1949 Novel 280 pagesA postwar family story highlighting the contrast between tradition and modernity.
FamilyTraditionPostwar
The Sound of Mountain
1949 Novel 260 pagesA masterpiece family novel depicting the deep scars of war.
FamilyWarSorrow
The House of the Sleeping Beauties
1960 Novel 180 pagesAn important late work delicately portraying the vision of the demon world.
Demon worldFantasyAging
The Old Capital
1961 Novel 300 pagesA work rich in traditional beauty depicting the fate of twin sisters set in Kyoto.
Traditional beautyFateKyoto
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- LyricPoeticNew Sensation SchoolFantastic
- Recurring Motifs
- InnocenceLonelinessDeath and life viewDemon worldYūgenMono no aware
Health
-
Tuberculosis幼児期Impaired vision in right eye
-
Gallstone and Cholecystitis晩年Required hospitalization
-
Sleeping pill intoxication晩年Adversely affected health
-
Appendicitis晩年Hospitalization and surgery
Legacy
Yasunari Kawabata was a leading Japanese novelist and the first Japanese to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. His works are renowned for bridging traditional Japanese aesthetics with modern literary expression. An avid art collector, his legacy continues through numerous memorials and exhibitions, solidifying his role as a significant figure in Japanese culture.
Museums
- Kawabata Yasunari Memorial Museum 1-12-5 Hase, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture Opened in 1976
- Ibaraki City Kawabata Yasunari Literary Museum Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture Opened in 1985
- Kamakura Museum of Literature Hase, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Academic Societies
- Japanese PEN Club
- Literary Society
- Japan Art Academy
Archives
- Kawabata Yasunari Memorial Room at the Museum of Modern Japanese Literature
In Popular Culture
- NHK TV specials and documentaries
- Collaboration project with the game 'Bungou to Alchemist'
Quotes
-
I believe that the Eastern classics, especially the Buddhist scriptures, are the greatest literature in the world.
Source: Literary Autobiography (1934) -
I was warmed, purified, and saved by this love.
Source: Dokuei Jimei (1970) -
Needless to say, the older the artwork, the more lively and strong its freshness.
Source: Sorihashi (1948)
Trivia
- Yasunari Kawabata was reported to have committed gas suicide, but left no will.
- His broken engagement with Hatsuyo Ito influenced his literature.
- He played a key role in hosting the International PEN Club conference in Japan.
- In later years, he used sleeping pills frequently.
- His literary activities slowed after winning the Nobel Prize.