Mainichi Publishing Culture Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 61 (2007) award
Yusuke Tsurumi
つるみ ゆうすけ
Tsurumi Yusuke
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1885-01-03 （Shinmachi, Tano District, Gunma Prefecture, Japan）
- Died
- 1973-11-01 （Sekimachi, Nerima, Tokyo, Japan） age 88
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese, English
- Residence History
- Shinmachi, Tano District, Gunma Prefecture, Japan → Akasaka, Tokyo, Japan → Okayama, Okayama Prefecture, Japan → Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan → Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan → Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan → Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan → Seijo, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan → Sekimachi, Nerima, Tokyo, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- bureaucrat, politician, author, essayist, novelist, translator
- Active Years
- 1910-1968
- Affiliations
- Ministry of Railways (Railway Agency), New Liberalism Association, Pacific Association (Pacific Culture Association), Rikken Minseitō (Constitutional Democratic Party), Japan Progressive Party, Kaishin Party, Japan Democratic Party, Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
- Memberships
- New Liberalism Association, Pacific Association
- Influenced By
- Inazo Nitobe, Shinpei Goto, Natsume Soseki, Woodrow Wilson, Charles A. Beard
- Influenced
- Shunsuke Tsurumi, Kazuko Tsurumi, Members of the Pacific Association and later generations involved in civic diplomacy
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okayama Middle School (old system) | — | — | — | ～1903 | Japan |
| First High School (old system) | Law, Class A (English-French course) | — | — | 1903-1906 | Japan |
| Tokyo Imperial University, Faculty of Law, Department of Political Science (now University of Tokyo) | Faculty of Law, Department of Political Science | Political Science | — | 1906-1910 | Japan |
Okayama Middle School (old system)
Period:
～1903
Year of Graduation:
1903
Country:
Japan
Completed secondary education under the old system
First High School (old system)
Law, Class A (English-French course)
Period:
1903-1906
Year of Graduation:
1906
Country:
Japan
Active in English studies and debating during First High School
Tokyo Imperial University, Faculty of Law, Department of Political Science (now University of Tokyo)
Faculty of Law, Department of Political Science
/ Political Science
Period:
1906-1910
Year of Graduation:
1910
Country:
Japan
Graduated near top of class; passed higher civil service exam and entered government service
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Commemorative Medal for the 2600th Anniversary of the Imperial Era | — | — | Government of Japan | 受章 |
| 1964 | Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star | — | — | Government of Japan | 受章 |
| 1973 | Order of the Sacred Treasure, First Class (posthumous) | — | — | Government of Japan | 追贈 |
| 1973 | Junior Third Rank (posthumous) | — | — | Government of Japan | 叙位 |
Commemorative Medal for the 2600th Anniversary of the Imperial Era
1940
Organization:
Government of Japan
Result:
受章
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star
1964
Organization:
Government of Japan
Result:
受章
Order of the Sacred Treasure, First Class (posthumous)
1973
Organization:
Government of Japan
Result:
追贈
Junior Third Rank (posthumous)
1973
Organization:
Government of Japan
Result:
叙位
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Call for Heroes
1928 political essayA political essay published in 1928 arguing for the need and role of strong individuals in national life from a liberalist perspective; it reached a wide readership at the time.
heroismleadership and the nationnew liberalism
The Mother
1929 novelA novel centered on family and the figure of the mother. It was a bestseller, adapted for stage and film, and the author translated it into English for publication abroad.
familymotherhoodmodern Japanese society
Adaptations
- [stage] The Mother (stage adaptation) (1929)
- [film] The Mother (film adaptation) (1929)
- [film] The Mother (film adaptation) (1935)
- [film] The Mother (film adaptation) (1950)
Translations
- The Mother
Travel Notes of Europe and America
1933 travelogue / essays 790 pagesA substantial travelogue (790 pages) compiling observations from stays in Europe and America in the 1920s–30s, including commentary on international relations and attitudes toward Japan.
international relationsU.S.-Japan relationscultural observation
Shinpei Goto (4 vols.)
1965 biography / studyA comprehensive multi-volume biography of Shinpei Goto, produced as a major scholarly work.
biographypolitical historymodern Japanese administration
Plutarch's Lives (translation)
1934 translation / biographyA Japanese translation of Plutarch's biographies, introducing classical lives to a Japanese readership and broadening cultural literacy.
biographyclassicscharacter studies
Bibliography
- South Seas Travelogue (1917)
- Impressions of Western Notables (1921)
- Collected Great Lectures by Yusuke Tsurumi (1924)
- People on the Platform, Paper, and Streets (1926)
- On Contemporary Japan (1927)
- A Heart Walking the Middle Path (1927)
- The Call for Heroes (1928)
- Japan and the World (1929)
- The Mother (1929)
- Travel Diary of a Free Man (1930)
- Napoleon (1931)
- Travel Notes of Europe and America (1933)
- Byron (1935)
- Reading Indulgences (1936)
- Disraeli (1936)
- New Elocution (1941)
- Seijo Letters (8 vols., 1950)
- New Call for Heroes (1951)
- North America Tour Record (1956)
- Children (1957-58)
- Winston Churchill (1958)
- Lights of Youth (1960)
- Shinpei Goto (4 vols., 1965-67)
- Selected Essays on Figures by Yusuke Tsurumi (1968)
Adaptations
- The Mother (stage and film adaptations, 1929 / 1935 / 1950)
Translations by Author
- The Mother → The Mother (self-translation into English, 1932)
Translations of Works
- Plutarch's Lives (Japanese translation, 1934)
- Several works published or issued in English (selected items)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- oratorical, persuasive proseessayistic and observational voiceclear, diplomat-minded explanatory style
- Recurring Motifs
- international relations (especially Japan–U.S.)Pacific issuesimages of heroes and leadershipfamily and motherhoodJapan's modernization and national interest
Health
-
insomnia1930年ごろ（1930–1931頃）temporary decline in writing productivity and health
-
cerebral softening / cerebrovascular disease1959年 - 1973年Collapsed and hospitalized in 1959. After discharge he had impaired mobility and speech and lived in long-term care
Legacy
Yusuke Tsurumi was both a bureaucrat and politician and a prolific writer; he is remembered as a pioneer of civic diplomacy thanks to his fluency in English and extensive lecturing abroad. He participated in international conferences, engaged in public diplomacy in the U.S., and after the war served as an adviser, member of the House of Councillors, and Minister of Health and Welfare. His wartime political activities remain a subject of debate.
Academic Societies
- Pacific Association
- New Liberalism Association
Archives
- National Diet Library, Parliamentary Archives (Yusuke Tsurumi related papers)
In Popular Culture
- Stage and film adaptations of the novel The Mother (1929, 1935, 1950)
Quotes
-
"We must leave Japan and go out into the world."
Source: Recollection from his middle school years / biographical accounts
Trivia
- He was fluent in English and frequently lectured in the United States and published works in English.
- 'The Call for Heroes' sold about 500,000 copies; 'The Mother' sold about 240,000 copies.
- 'The Mother' was adapted for stage and film (1929, 1935, 1950).
- He was purged from public office after the war but returned in the 1950s as an adviser to several parties.
- His children include philosopher Shunsuke Tsurumi and sociologist Kazuko Tsurumi.