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Kazuo Musha

むしゃ かずお

Musha Kazuo

Aliases: 中村 一雄
Pen Names: Kazuo Musha（Pen name used for publications (birth name: Nakamura Kazuo)）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1916-01-02 （Matsuida, Usui District, Gunma Prefecture, Japan (now Annaka)）
Died
2008-12-17 age 92
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Religion
Sōtō Zen (Buddhism)
Residence History
Annaka (formerly Matsuida), Gunma, Japan → Showa Village, Tone District, Gunma, Japan (served as head priest)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Children's author, Buddhist monk
Active Years
1930-2008
Affiliations
Japan PEN Club, Japan Children's Literature Association, Gunma PEN Club
Memberships
Japan PEN Club, Japan Children's Literature Association
Influenced
Michio Takeyama (musical/fictional portrayals influenced by Musha's wartime/story experiences)

Education

Komazawa University
Country: Japan

Awards

Kodansha Children's Literature Newcomer Award (Honorable Mention)
1967
Work: Burma's Earring
Category: 児童文学
Organization: Kodansha
Result: 佳作
Literary award in Burma (Myanmar)
Work: Burma's Earring (Burmese translation)
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Living Burmese Harp

1956 Essays / Memoir

An essayistic work recounting wartime experiences in Burma (now Myanmar) and subsequent reflections.

war experienceremembrancepeace

Burma's Earring

1968 Children's literature

A children's book based on his wartime experiences, portraying human kindness and sorrow through events in Burma.

war and peacefriendshiphealing
Adaptations
  • [Translation] Burmese translation of Burma's Earring
  • [TV program (related feature)] Faraway "The Burmese Harp" (1998)
Translations
  • Burmese translation

Exploring Scary Things

1976 Children's book

A children's adventure/reading book.

adventurecuriosity

Burmese Starry Sky

1997 Essays / Memoir

Reflections on memories from the battlefield and experiences in Burma.

recollectionwar experience

Bibliography

  • The Living Burmese Harp (1956)
  • Burma's Earring (1968; reprinted 1995)
  • Exploring Scary Things (1976)
  • Rascal Operation (1976)
  • Ninja of the Hidden Village (1984)
  • Burmese Starry Sky (1997)
  • Essays and Others (2003)

Adaptations

  • NHK documentary feature related to "The Burmese Harp" (1998)
  • Burmese translation of 'Burma's Earring' and a literary award in Myanmar

Translations of Works

  • Burma's Earring (Burmese translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
depictions based on wartime experiencesimple, child-friendly narrative voiceessayistic reminiscence
Recurring Motifs
Burma/battlefield landscapesperspective of a monkchild's viewpoint and healing

Legacy

An author who conveyed wartime experiences in a way accessible to children. He was internationally recognized for his ties with Burma (Myanmar), donating a school and erecting a memorial for war dead.

Academic Societies

  • Japan PEN Club
  • Japan Children's Literature Association

Archives

  • National Diet Library holdings / authority data
  • VIAF / CiNii / NDL identifiers in academic databases

In Popular Culture

  • Mentioned as one of the models for the protagonist in Michio Takeyama's 'The Burmese Harp'
  • Featured in NHK documentary special (1998) and similar programs

Trivia

  • Became a monk at age 13.
  • Fought in campaigns including Imphal, and served in China, the Philippines and Burma.
  • Reportedly formed a choir in a prisoner-of-war camp.
  • Donated a primary school in Myanmar and erected a memorial for the war dead using personal funds.
  • 'Burma's Earring' was translated into Burmese and is said to have received a literary award there.