Mitsuharu Kaneko

Poet. Born December 25, 1895 in Koshiji Village, Kaito County, Aichi Prefecture (Tsushima City). The third son of his father, Oshika Kazuyoshi, and mother, Ryo. His real name was Yasukazu. His younger brother, Hidezo, was the poet and novelist Oshika Taku. In 1897 (Meiji 30), he was adopted by Kaneko Sotaro, the manager of the Nagoya branch office of the Shimizu Corporation, a construction company, and moved to Kyoto and Tokyo. After graduating from Gyosei Junior High School, he dropped out of Waseda University, Tokyo School of Fine Arts, and Keio University. In 1916 (Taisho 5), he attempted to write poetry for the first time while bedridden, and continued to do so for the next 60 years. In January 1916, he published his first collection of poems, "A House of Red Clay," with the remainder of his father-in-law's inheritance, and in February of the same year, he traveled to Europe accompanied by antique dealer Suzuki Kojiro, and devoted himself to writing poetry in Belgium. One of these poems is "Kogane Mushi" (1923), which sings of his passionate yearning for beauty. He lost his home in the Great Kanto Earthquake and wandered from place to place. In 1924, he married Mori Michiyo, a student at Tokyo Women's Higher Normal School (now Ochanomizu University). However, Michiyo was a woman who had many love affairs, and in 1927 (Showa 2), she eloped with Hijikata Sadakazu. With the efforts of Kusano Shinpei, he was able to bring her back to Japan, and after 5 years of wandering, he traveled from Southeast Asia to Europe. During this difficult journey, he gained the perspective of a stateless person and made great strides as a poet. After returning to Japan, he compiled "Same" (1937), which depicts the war in a critical manner and is said to be one of the most representative collections of poetry of the modern era. The anti-war poems he wrote during World War II were published after the war as "Parachute" and "Moth" (both 1948) and "Song of the Demon Child" (1949), attracting attention. After the war, he pursued the tragedy of the Japanese people in autobiographical works such as "Ningen no Higeki" (1953), "Suisei" (1956), and "IL" (1965), establishing his own unique style of writing. In his later years, he wrote the autobiographical novel "Skull Cup" (1971) and other works, displaying his flexible and free-flowing narrative style. He died on June 30, 1975.

[Motosumi Shuto]

"The Complete Works of Kaneko Mitsuharu, 15 volumes (1975-77, Chuokoron-Shinsha)" ▽ "Research on Kaneko Mitsuharu, by Sudo Motosumi (1970, Shinbi-sha)" ▽ "A Study of Kaneko Mitsuharu, by Shimaoka Akira (1973, Satsuki Shobo)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

詩人。明治28年12月25日、愛知県海東郡越治村（津島市）生まれ。父大鹿(おおしか)和吉、母りやうの三男。本名安和(やすかず)。弟の秀三は詩人、小説家の大鹿卓(たく)。1897年（明治30）建築業清水組名古屋出張所主任金子荘太郎の養子となり、京都、東京に移り住む。暁星中学を経て、早稲田(わせだ)大学、東京美術学校、慶応義塾大学をいずれも中退。1916年（大正5）病臥(びょうが)中に初めて詩作を試み、以後60年に及ぶ。19年1月、義父の遺産の残りで、処女詩集『赤土(あかつち)の家』を出版、同年2月、骨董(こっとう)商鈴木幸次郎に伴われ渡欧、ベルギーで詩作に励んだ。その一部が『こがね虫』（1923）で、熱烈な美への憧憬(しょうけい)をうたっている。関東大震災で家を失い、各地を放浪。24年、東京女子高等師範学校（現お茶の水女子大学）の生徒森三千代と結婚。だが、三千代は恋多き女で、27年（昭和2）土方(ひじかた)定一と駆け落ちした。草野心平(しんぺい)の尽力により連れ帰り、日本を脱出、足掛け5年、東南アジアからヨーロッパまで放浪旅行。この苦しい旅で、無国籍者の視座を得、詩人として大きく飛躍した。帰国後にまとめた『鮫(さめ)』（1937）は戦争を批判的に描き、現代を代表する詩集といわれている。第二次世界大戦中に書きためた反戦詩は、戦後『落下傘』『蛾(が)』（ともに1948）、『鬼の児の唄(うた)』（1949）として刊行、注目された。戦後は自伝的な『人間の悲劇』（1953）、『水勢』（1956）、『IL（イル）』（1965）などで、日本人の悲劇を追究し、独得の文体を確立した。晩年は自伝小説『どくろ杯』（1971）ほかを書き、柔軟、自在な語り口を示している。昭和50年6月30日没。

［首藤基澄］

『『金子光晴全集』全15巻（1975～77・中央公論社）』▽『首藤基澄著『金子光晴研究』（1970・審美社）』▽『嶋岡晨著『金子光晴論』（1973・五月書房）』

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