Bungei Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 3 (1964) honorable mention
Isamitsu Kitakoji
きたこうじ いさみつ
Kitakoji Isamitsu
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1901-04-23 （Tokyo, Japan）
- Died
- 1989-02-27 age 87
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Tokyo, Japan → Kuramaguchi, Kyoto, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- poet, writer, novelist, university lecturer
- Active Years
- 1924-1989
- Affiliations
- University of Sydney (lecturer)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doshisha Middle School | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| Gakushuin Higher School (former system) | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| Tokyo Imperial University, Faculty of Letters | Faculty of Letters | — | — | — | Japan |
Doshisha Middle School
Country:
Japan
Secondary education (former system)
Gakushuin Higher School (former system)
Year of Graduation:
1922
Country:
Japan
Record of diploma issuance (Official Gazette)
Tokyo Imperial University, Faculty of Letters
Faculty of Letters
Country:
Japan
Withdrew (did not graduate)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Bungei Prize | Microkosmos | — | Bungei Prize selection committee | 佳作 |
| 1942 | Viscountcy (succeeded) | — | — | Official Gazette / Peerage records | 襲爵（子爵） |
| 1921 | Junior Fifth Rank | — | — | Official Gazette | 叙位 |
| 1931 | Senior Fifth Rank | — | — | Official Gazette | 叙位 |
| 1943 | Junior Fourth Rank | — | — | Official Gazette | 叙位 |
Bungei Prize
1964
Work:
Microkosmos
Organization:
Bungei Prize selection committee
Result:
佳作
Viscountcy (succeeded)
1942
Organization:
Official Gazette / Peerage records
Result:
襲爵（子爵）
Junior Fifth Rank
1921
Organization:
Official Gazette
Result:
叙位
Senior Fifth Rank
1931
Organization:
Official Gazette
Result:
叙位
Junior Fourth Rank
1943
Organization:
Official Gazette
Result:
叙位
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Dōji Terumaro
1924 NovelPublished in 1924. An early novel by Kitakoji; documentation is limited and many details are scarce.
familysocial statuscoming of age
The Breast
1926 NovelPublished in 1926; one of his early works.
familythe bodyidentity
Microkosmos
1964 Short storyA short piece known for receiving an honorable mention in the 1964 Bungei Prize.
microcosminterior life
Invitation to Kōdō (The Art of Incense)
1969 Essay / Cultural introductionAn introductory essay on Kōdō (the art of incense), discussing its history, practices, and aesthetics.
kōdō (incense art)aestheticstraditional culture
Seian Poetry Collection
1970 Poetry collection (tanka)A poetry (tanka) collection published in 1970, featuring personal themes including ambivalent feelings toward his mother, Byakuren Yanagihara.
feelings toward motherremembrancenostalgia
Shugakuin and Katsura Imperial Villas: The Life of Emperor Go-Mizunoo
1973 History / BiographyA historical study focusing on the life of Emperor Go-Mizunoo and the Shugakuin and Katsura Imperial villas.
imperial historyimperial villasearly modern history
The Fate of Flowers: The Era of Emperor Go-Mizunoo
1973 HistoryA historical examination of the era of Emperor Go-Mizunoo.
period studycultural history
Seian Tanka Notebook
1975 Poetry collection / private editionA privately published tanka notebook.
personal recollectionshort poems
Seian Poetry Volume (private edition)
1978 Poetry collection / private editionA privately issued poetry volume.
tankarecollection
Selections from Seian
1982 Poetry selections / private editionA selection of poems extracted from his works.
short poemsrecollection
Bibliography
- Dōji Terumaro (1924)
- The Breast (1926)
- Invitation to Kōdō (1969)
- Seian Poetry Collection (1970)
- Shugakuin and Katsura Imperial Villas: The Life of Emperor Go-Mizunoo (1973)
- The Fate of Flowers: The Era of Emperor Go-Mizunoo (1973)
- Seian Tanka Notebook (1975)
- Seian Poetry Volume (1978)
- Selections from Seian (1982)
- Microkosmos (short story, 1964)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyrical style influenced by waka (tanka)autobiographical/reflective elementsa prose that incorporates historical and cultural study
- Recurring Motifs
- ambivalent feelings toward motheraristocracy and the imperial householdmemory and nostalgiakōdō and traditional culturegardens and imperial villas
Legacy
Isamitsu Kitakoji was a 20th-century poet and writer who produced tanka collections often reflecting his complex relationship with his mother Byakuren Yanagihara, as well as historical and cultural works on kōdō and Emperor Go-Mizunoo. Born into an aristocratic family, he left a modest but notable body of lyrical and scholarly writings.
Archives
- National Diet Library (materials related to Isamitsu Kitakoji)
Quotes
-
that woman
Source: Interview by Michiko Nagahata (1982) -
The only image I remember is her startling long under-kimono when she changed her kimono.
Source: Interview by Michiko Nagahata (1982)
Trivia
- His mother was the poet Byakuren Yanagihara (Yanagihara Yoko).
- He was a second cousin of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito).
- He succeeded to the title of Viscount in 1942 upon his father's death.
- He served as a lecturer at the University of Sydney.
- 'Microkosmos' received an honorable mention in the 1964 Bungei Prize.
- Official ranks are recorded in the Official Gazette (Junior Fifth Rank 1921, Senior Fifth Rank 1931, Junior Fourth Rank 1943).