Yojiro Ishizaka

Novelist. Born January 15, 1900 (July 25, according to his family register) in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture. After graduating from Hirosaki Middle School under the old system, he entered the preparatory course for the Faculty of Letters at Keio University in 1919 (Taisho 8). In 1921, he married Imai Ura, who was from the same hometown. He graduated from university in 1925 and soon began working at Hirosaki Girls' High School in his hometown. He was later transferred from Akita Prefectural Yokote Girls' High School to Prefectural Yokote Middle School, where he taught for a total of 13 years while devoting himself to writing. After his debut novel, Going to See the Sea (1927), he mainly published in Mita Bungaku, but established his status as a writer with the publication of Young People in May and June 1933 (Showa 8). This achievement marked the blossoming of Ishizaka's literature, which aims to "please the general public as much as possible" (Tankai Kanjo). After "Wheat Doesn't Die" (1936) and "Where (Izuko e)" (1941), he wrote successful newspaper novels such as "Blue Mountains" (1947), "Sunny Slope" (1956-57), and "Shining Sea" (1963), many of which were adapted for the screen. These so-called "youthful" works have in common that they feature characters who are blunt but do not come across as nasty, and contain explicit sexual descriptions that do not give the impression of being dirty. He also wrote unusual works such as "My Days, My Dreams" (1946) and "The Behavior of Professor Ishinaka" (1948-54). He died on October 7, 1986.

[Eiichi Mori]

"The Ishizaka Yojiro Library, 20 volumes (1966-67, Shinchosha)" ▽ "The Literature of Ishizaka Yojiro, by Mori Eiichi (1981, Sorinsha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小説家。明治33年1月15日（戸籍上は7月25日）青森県弘前(ひろさき)市に生まれる。旧制弘前中学校を経て1919年（大正8）慶応義塾大学文学部予科に入学。21年同郷の今井うらと結婚。25年大学を卒業、まもなく郷里の弘前高等女学校に奉職。のち秋田県立横手高等女学校から県立横手中学校へ転任、通算13年間の教員生活を勤め、かたわら創作に専念する。処女作『海をみに行く』（1927）以後『三田文学』をおもな発表舞台としたが、33年（昭和8）5、6月の『若い人』によって作家的地位を確立。この完成は「出来るだけ一般の人々を喜ばせる」（『短い感想』）ことを目的とする石坂文学の開花を意味した。『麦死なず』（1936）、『何処(いずこ)へ』（1941）を経て第二次世界大戦後は、『青い山脈』（1947）、『陽(ひ)のあたる坂道』（1956～57）、『光る海』（1963）等の新聞小説に成功、映像化された作品も多い。これら「青春もの」といわれる諸作品は、無遠慮な口をきくが、相手に毒を感じさせない人物を登場させ、露骨でありながら、不潔感を抱かせない性描写を含む、という点で共通する。『わが日わが夢』（1946）、『石中先生行状記』（1948～54）等の異色作もある。昭和61年10月7日没。

［森　英一］

『『石坂洋次郎文庫』全20巻（1966～67・新潮社）』▽『森英一著『石坂洋次郎の文学』（1981・創林社）』

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