Matsutaro Kawaguchi

Novelist, playwright, and director. Born on October 1, 1899, in Asakusa, Tokyo. He experienced hardships from his childhood, working as a waiter at the police station and a telegram clerk at the post office. In 1915 (Taisho 4), he studied under Kubota Mantaro. He then lived with lecturer Godoken Entama, helping him with dictation while studying Edo-period literature for the common people and Chinese poetry and prose. This became the foundation for his later writing and his unique storytelling skills. In 1923, he became a student of Osanai Kaoru, writing plays, and after the Great Kanto Earthquake, he worked in Osaka as an editor for the magazine Kuraku, published by Platosha, with Naoki Sanjugo and others. His novel "Tsuruhachi Kakujiro," published in 1934 (Showa 9), was highly praised by Kikuchi Kan, and the following year he won the first Naoki Prize for works such as "Furyu Fukagawa Uta" and "Meiji Ichidai Onna." His works include those three that depict the arts, period pieces such as "Onna Musashi" (1964-65) and "Shingo Juban Shobu" (1957-59), contemporary stories such as "Aizen Katsura" (1937-38) and "Yoru no Cho" (1957), and autobiographical works such as "Rice and Soup" (1960) and "Harekabure" (1965), all of which are masterpieces that capture the feelings of the common people using his unique storyteller style. In addition, from 1965 he became the head of the new Shinpa school led by Hanayagi Shotaro and other actors, writing scripts and directing, and thereafter consistently devoted himself to preserving and nurturing the traditions of Shinpa, for which he received the Kikuchi Kan Award (1963). In 1965 (Showa 40), he was elected a member of the Japan Art Academy, and in 1969 he received the Yoshikawa Eiji Literature Award for "Shigure Chaya Oriku," and in 1973 he was named a Person of Cultural Merit. He passed away on June 9, 1985. His wife was the actress Misu Aiko (1910-1982).

[Isogai Katsutaro]

"The Complete Works of Shotaro Kawaguchi, 16 volumes (1968-69, Kodansha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小説家、劇作家、演出家。明治32年10月1日、東京・浅草生まれ。警察署の給仕、郵便局の電報係などを勤め、少年時代から世の辛酸をなめた。1915年（大正4）久保田万太郎に師事。その後、講釈師の悟道軒円玉のもとに住み込み、口述筆記の手伝いのかたわら、江戸の庶民文学や漢詩文を学んだが、これが後年、作品を執筆するうえに独自の話術の妙を発揮する下地となった。23年、小山内薫(おさないかおる)門下生となり、戯曲を書き、関東大震災後は大阪で直木三十五(さんじゅうご)らとプラトン社発行の雑誌『苦楽』の編集に従事した。34年（昭和9）発表の『鶴八鶴次郎』が菊池寛に激賞され、翌年『風流深川唄(うた)』や『明治一代女』などで第1回直木賞を受賞。これらの3作に代表される芸道物、『女人武蔵』（1964～65）、『新吾十番勝負』（1957～59）などの時代物、『愛染(あいぜん)かつら』（1937～38）、『夜の蝶(ちょう)』（1957）などの現代風俗物、『飯と汁』（1960）、『破れかぶれ』（1965）などの自伝的作品などは、いずれも独自の「語りべ」口調で、庶民的心情をとらえた代表作である。また、40年からは花柳(はなやぎ)章太郎らの新生新派の主事となって脚本執筆、演出にあたり、以後一貫して新派の伝統保存と育成に力を注ぎ、その功績で菊池寛賞を受賞した（1963）。65年（昭和40）には芸術院会員に選ばれ、69年『しぐれ茶屋おりく』で吉川英治文学賞を受賞、73年には文化功労者となった。昭和60年6月9日没。夫人は女優の三益(みます)愛子（1910―82）。

［磯貝勝太郎］

『『川口松太郎全集』全16巻（1968～69・講談社）』

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