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Koji Hito

こうはると

Koji Hito

Pen Names: Koji Hito（Pen name used for literary works）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1906-08-01 （Yatsushiro, Kumamoto, Japan）
Died
1988-01-06 age 81
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Yatsushiro, Kumamoto, Japan (birthplace) → Nogata, Nakano-ku, Tokyo (from 1951)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Poet
Active Years
1930-1988
Influenced By
Senga Motomaro, Yasunari Kawabata

Education

Meiji Gakuin University
Department of English / Department of English
Country: Japan

Awards

Yomiuri Literary Prize
1970
Work: Ichijo no Hikari
Organization: Yomiuri Shimbun
Result: winner
Hirabayashi Taiko Literary Prize
1972
Work: Kono yo ni manekarete kita kyaku
Organization: Hirabayashi Taiko Literary Prize
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Koji Hito Poetry Collection

1930 Poetry collection

A poetry collection published in 1930 containing early poems written after studying under Senga Motomaro.

youthsolitudeintrospection

Kekkon

1948 Novel

A novel published in 1948 addressing postwar human relationships and society.

postwarhuman relationshipsfamily

Ichijo no Hikari

1969 Novel

A work in the I-novel style that closely depicts personal interiority and life's struggles. Awarded the Yomiuri Literary Prize in 1970.

I-novelinterioritysolitude

Uzumaki

1975 Novel

Published after Kawabata Yasunari's death; one of the works that treats themes implying a benefactor had taken land from the author, which provoked controversy.

land disputeinterpersonal relationsdelusion vs. reality

Sad Sounds Falling from the Ceiling

1986 Short story collection

Published in 1986; considered one of his representative works, containing poignant pieces that explore aging and loneliness.

aginglonelinessmelancholy

That May Be So

1988 Short story

A late short story in which a wife with dementia no longer recognizes her husband; when a nurse repeatedly tells her 'this is your husband', she responds 'That may be so.' The story's poignancy led to a modest revival of interest after the author's death.

dementiaagingmarital relationshipsmemory

Bibliography

  • Koji Hito Poetry Collection (1930)
  • Kekkon (1948)
  • Furyō Josei Gakusei (1949)
  • Shijin Senga Motomaro (1957)
  • Ushinawareta Sokoku / The Lost Homeland (1959)
  • Shijin Ragyoku (1964)
  • Kaitai (1966)
  • Ichijo no Hikari (1969)
  • When Death Visits the Poet (1971)
  • Uzumaki (1975)
  • Mother's Spirit (1977)
  • Ryōri / Cooking (1979)
  • Complete Poems of Koji Hito (1980)
  • Sad Sounds Falling from the Ceiling (1986)
  • Complete Works of Koji Hito (7 vols., 1988-89)
  • That May Be So (1988)
  • Ichijo no Hikari / Sad Sounds Falling from the Ceiling (Kodansha Bunko, 1991)

Adaptations

  • NHK Special 'What a Connection — The Love and Death of an Elderly Writer Couple' (1988)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
I-novel stylelyrical and melancholic narration
Recurring Motifs
aginglonelinessland and property disputesloss of memory

Health

  • Insomnia (regular use of sleeping pills)
    1960年代以降
    Regular use of sleeping pills led to deteriorating health, contributing to heart problems and ongoing medical visits.
  • Heart disorder
    1960年代以降
    Required medical treatment and affected his writing and daily life; in 1967 there was a suicide attempt using sleeping pills.

Legacy

Long overlooked as an I-novel writer of the postwar period, his recognition increased after winning the Yomiuri Literary Prize in 1970. After his death, the poignancy of the short story 'That May Be So' prompted a modest reevaluation and the publication of collected works. Controversies concerning his relationship with Yasunari Kawabata and land disputes remain part of his legacy.

In Popular Culture

  • NHK Special 'What a Connection — The Love and Death of an Elderly Writer Couple' (1988)

Quotes

  • That may be so.
    Source: Short story 'That May Be So', Kodansha, 1988 (1988)

Trivia

  • His real family name is said to be pronounced 'Tagayasu'.
  • In 1951 he and his wife moved to a leased plot in Nogata, Nakano Ward, Tokyo.
  • From around 1960 he suffered from insomnia and regularly used sleeping pills.
  • There is a record of a suicide attempt by sleeping pills in 1967, after which he was hospitalized.