Kubota Utsubo

Poet and Japanese literature scholar. Born on June 8, 1877, in Wadamura Village, Higashichikuma County, Nagano Prefecture (now Matsumoto City). His real name was Tsuji. He graduated from the Department of Literature at Tokyo Senmon Gakko (now Waseda University). After working as a newspaper and magazine journalist, he became a professor at Waseda University's School of Literature. In 1900 (Meiji 33), he was recognized by Yosano Tekkan for the tanka he submitted to the magazine Bunko, and published new style poems and tanka in the early period of Myojo, but left within a year and published the poetry collection Mahiruno (1905), leaving behind clear and elegant works that sing of romantic longing and introspectively express the subtleties of emotional sorrow. From this time, in the midst of naturalistic thought, he began to write novels, study and critique Japanese literature, and published a collection of short stories called "Rohen" (1911). He compiled "Utsubo Poems" (1912) with the intention of moving away from tanka poetry. However, with the "Jutsukikai" group, which was centered around Utsubo, as its mother, he founded "Kokumin Bungaku" (National Literature) (first published in 1914) and returned to tanka poetry in earnest. After that, having passed through the world of naturalism, his style of poetry established a unique life-oriented style in so-called "kyogai-ei," which uses everyday life as its subject matter, and is based on the richness and depth of one's state of mind, savoring life, and is also unusual for a modern poet, as he composed many long poems, reviving choka in a modern style.

He wrote 23 volumes of poetry anthologies, including "Muddy River" (1915), "Looking at the Earth" (1918), "Mirror Leaves" (1926), "Light on the Table" (1955), and "Last Year's Snow" (1967). He left behind works that added depth to his clear-sighted view of life until his death. His works include complete commentaries on the Manyoshu, Kokinshu, and Shin Kokinshu, as well as many other Japanese literature research books, essays on poetry, travelogues, and essays. He was a member of the Japan Art Academy in 1941 (Showa 16), and a Person of Cultural Merit in 1983. He passed away on April 12, 1967.

The poet Shoichiro Kubota is his eldest son.

[Takashi Takekawa]

Like the yellow winter roses falling apart,

"The Complete Works of Kubota Utsubo, 28 volumes and 1 supplementary volume (1965-67, Kadokawa Shoten)" ▽ "Biography of Kubota Utsubo, by Murazaki Bonjin (1954, Hasegawa Shobo)" ▽ "A Study of Kubota Utsubo, by Iwata Tadashi (1976, Geijutsu Seikatsusha)" ▽ "Kubota Utsubo, by Kubota Shoichiro (1980, Ohfusha)" ▽ "Tanka of Kubota Utsubo, by Kubota Shoichiro (1996, Tanka Shimbunsha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

歌人、国文学者。明治10年6月8日、長野県東筑摩(ひがしちくま)郡和田村（現松本市）生まれ。本名は通治(つうじ)。東京専門学校（現早稲田(わせだ)大学）文学科卒業。新聞・雑誌記者などを経て、早大文学部教授。1900年（明治33）、雑誌『文庫』に投稿した短歌によって与謝野鉄幹(よさのてっかん)に認められ、初期『明星』に新体詩、短歌を発表したが、1年足らずで去り、詩歌集『まひる野』（1905）を刊行、浪漫(ろうまん)的な憧(あこが)れや内省的に心情の悲傷の機微を歌い、清澄、優婉(ゆうえん)な作を残した。このころから、自然主義思潮のなかで、小説を書き、国文学への研究、評論が始まり、短編集『炉辺(ろへん)』（1911）などがある。『空穂歌集』（1912）をまとめたのは、短歌から別れようとする意識からのものであった。しかし、空穂中心の「十月会」を母胎として、『国民文学』（1914創刊）をおこすに及び、本格的に短歌に復帰した。以後、自然主義的世界をくぐった歌風は、日常生活を題材に、人生を味到する、心境の滋味・深さを身上とする、いわゆる境涯詠に独自な人生的歌風を樹立し、また近代歌人としては珍しく、多くの長歌をつくり、長歌を現代的に再生させた。

　歌集は『濁れる川』（1915）、『土を眺めて』（1918）、『鏡葉(かがみば)』（1926）、『卓上の灯(ひ)』（1955）、『去年(こぞ)の雪』（1967）など23冊。死に至るまで、人生明視の深さを加えた作を残した。万葉、古今、新古今の全評釈をはじめ、多くの国文学研究書、歌論、紀行、随筆などがある。1941年（昭和16）芸術院会員、58年文化功労者。昭和42年4月12日没。

　歌人窪田章一郎は長男である。

［武川忠一］

　はらはらと黄の冬ばらの崩れ去るかりそめならぬものの如くに

『『窪田空穂全集』28巻・別巻1（1965～67・角川書店）』▽『村崎凡人著『評伝窪田空穂』（1954・長谷川書房）』▽『岩田正著『窪田空穂論』（1976・芸術生活社）』▽『窪田章一郎著『窪田空穂』（1980・桜楓社）』▽『窪田章一郎著『窪田空穂の短歌』（1996・短歌新聞社）』

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