Kawakami Bizan

Novelist. Born in Osaka. Real name Akira. Dropped out of the Faculty of Letters at the Imperial University. Became a member of the Kenyusha Publishing House and made his name with "Sumizomezakura" (1890), then wrote "Shizuhata" and "Shirafuji" (both 1893). From this time on, he gradually became dissatisfied with Kenyusha Publishing House and associated with the members of the "Bungakukai" Publishing House. He eventually became a popular writer with "Shokikan" (The Secretary) and "Ura Omote" (The Inside and the Outside) (both 1896), which are considered conceptual novels incorporating social consciousness. However, after his father died in 1896 (Meiji 29), he was troubled by his father's debts and went through a period of decline, such as a wandering life, but he returned to the literary world. He wrote works such as "Kannon'iwa" (1903-07), which dealt with the conflict between landlords and tenant farmers and the ostracism of villagers, but then suddenly committed suicide. The cause of his death is said to be financial difficulties or a loss of confidence due to his inability to keep up with the literary trend toward naturalism.

[Minoru Hata]

"Complete Works of Modern Japanese Literature 2: Kawakami Bizan and Other Works" (1954, Chikuma Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小説家。大阪生まれ。本名亮(あきら)。帝国大学文科大学中退。硯友社(けんゆうしゃ)の同人となり『墨染桜(すみぞめざくら)』（1890）で文名をあげ、ついで『賤機(しずはた)』『白藤(しらふじ)』（ともに1893）などを書いた。このころよりしだいに硯友社に飽き足らず、『文学界』の同人たちと交わり、やがて社会意識を盛り込んだ観念小説とよばれる『書記官』『うらおもて』（ともに1896）などを発表して流行作家となった。しかし、1896年（明治29）父が没し、亡父の債務に悩まされ、一時放浪生活をするなど沈滞時期を迎えたが、ふたたび文壇に復帰。地主と小作人の対立、農村の村八分を扱った『観音岩(かんのんいわ)』（1903～07）などを書いたが、突然自殺した。彼の死の原因は、生活難とも、自然主義に向かう文壇の流れについていけず自信を失ったことともいわれている。

［畑　実］

『『現代日本文学全集2　川上眉山他集』（1954・筑摩書房）』

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