Kikuchi Kan Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 2 (1940) award
Saneatsu Mushanokōji
むしゃのこうじ さねあつ
Mushanokōji Saneatsu
Aliases:
武者小路 實篤 / 武者
Pen Names:
Mushanokōji Saneatsu (old orthography)（Old orthography）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1885-05-12 （Kojimachi, Tokyo (then Tokyo City, Tokyo Prefecture; now Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan)）
- Died
- 1976-04-09 （Komae, Tokyo, Japan (Tokyo Jikeikai Medical University Third Hospital)） age 90
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Kojimachi, Tokyo → Abiko, Chiba → Atarashiki Mura (Kijo, Miyazaki) → Moroyama, Saitama → Sengawa, Chofu, Tokyo
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Poet, Playwright, Painter, Biographer, Editor, Appointed member of the House of Peers
- Active Years
- 1908-1976
- Affiliations
- Shirakaba (White Birch) literary movement, Atarashiki Mura (New Village) communal movement, Japan Art Academy (member), Japanese Literary Patriotic Association (wartime involvement)
- Memberships
- Japan Art Academy (member), House of Peers (appointed member)
- Influenced By
- Leo Tolstoy, Natsume Sōseki
- Influenced
- Writers of the Shirakaba group, Members and participants of Atarashiki Mura
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gakushuin Higher School (old system) | — | — | — | 学習院在学（旧制初等・中等を経て高等科卒業） | Japan |
| Tokyo Imperial University (now University of Tokyo) | Philosophy | Sociology | — | 1906–1907（中退） | Japan |
Gakushuin Higher School (old system)
Period:
学習院在学（旧制初等・中等を経て高等科卒業）
Country:
Japan
Graduated from Gakushuin Higher School (old system)
Tokyo Imperial University (now University of Tokyo)
Philosophy
/ Sociology
Period:
1906–1907（中退）
Country:
Japan
Enrolled but withdrew
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Order of Culture | — | — | Government of Japan | 受章 |
| — | Person of Cultural Merit | — | — | Government of Japan | 選出 |
| — | Honorary Citizen of Tokyo | — | — | Tokyo Metropolitan Government | 称号授与 |
| — | Honorary Citizen of Mitaka | — | — | Mitaka City | 称号授与 |
| 1976 | Junior Third Rank (posthumous) | — | — | Government of Japan | 叙位（没時） |
Order of Culture
1951
Organization:
Government of Japan
Result:
受章
Person of Cultural Merit
Organization:
Government of Japan
Result:
選出
Honorary Citizen of Tokyo
Organization:
Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Result:
称号授与
Honorary Citizen of Mitaka
Organization:
Mitaka City
Result:
称号授与
Junior Third Rank (posthumous)
1976
Organization:
Government of Japan
Result:
叙位（没時）
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Wilderness
1908 Collection (short fiction)Debut collection, self-published; includes early short pieces and sketches that show his emerging voice.
Youthful angstIdealismSearch for self
Translations
- The Wilderness
The Fortunate One
1911 Novel / Short novelPublished in 1911; one of his representative works, embodying the Shirakaba movement's idealistic and humanitarian concerns.
IdealismHumanitarianismFriendship
Translations
- The Fortunate One
Friendship
1919 Novel (serialized)Serialized beginning in 1919; focuses on friendship, human relations and the pursuit of ideals.
FriendshipIdealismHumanism
Adaptations
- [TV drama] Akatsuki (TV series; multiple episodes adapted from his works)
Translations
- Friendship
Long Live Humanity
1922 Play / DramaA 1922 play celebrating humanity and exploring idealistic themes through dramatic form.
Praise of humanityIdealismCommunity
Translations
- Long Live Humanity
Love and Death
1939 NovelPublished in 1939; treats universal themes of love and death, resonating with prewar/war-time contexts.
LoveDeathHuman existence
Translations
- Love and Death
Mr. Shinri (Mr. Truth)
1951 Novel (serialized)Serialized from 1949–1951; a long work reflecting late-career thought and views on humanity.
Philosophical inquiryEthicsIndividual and community
Translations
- Mr. Shinri (Mr. Truth)
Bibliography
- The Wilderness (1908)
- The Fortunate One (1911)
- Friendship (1919–1920)
- Long Live Humanity (1922)
- Love and Death (1939)
- Mr. Shinri (1949–1951)
Adaptations
- TV drama 'Akatsuki' (several episodes adapted from Mushanokōji's works)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Unaffected, flowing prosePlain yet emotive narrationIdealistic and humanitarian stance
- Recurring Motifs
- FriendshipUtopian/community idealsLove and deathThe motto often rendered as 'How beautiful is harmony'
Health
-
Uremia1976（晩年・終末期）Died in 1976 of uremia
Legacy
A leading figure of the Shirakaba movement and a founder of the utopian commune Atarashiki Mura. His wartime cooperation is controversial, but his major works remain widely read. He received honors such as the Order of Culture, and his former home in Chofu is preserved as a memorial museum and park.
Museums
- Mushanokōji Saneatsu Memorial Museum (Saneatsu Park) Sengawa, Chofu, Tokyo, Japan
Academic Societies
- Japan Art Academy
Archives
- Collections at the Mushanokōji Saneatsu Memorial Museum
- Holdings and bibliographic records at the National Diet Library
In Popular Culture
- Works adapted for TV (e.g. the series 'Akatsuki'); NHK featured him and his family in documentary programming
Quotes
-
How beautiful it is when people are friendly (Harmony is beautiful)
Source: Inscribed on colored paper and in essays (phrase often attached to his paintings and calligraphy in later life)
Trivia
- The family name was originally read 'Mushanokōji' (むしゃのこうじ), but Saneatsu sometimes used the reading 'Mushakoji'; the older reading remained common among the public.
- He helped found the communal settlement Atarashiki Mura but left the village in 1924 and became an external member while continuing literary work.
- In later life he became famous for attaching short inscriptions to paintings of vegetables and other works of art.