Mantaro Kubota

Novelist, playwright, haiku poet. Born in Tokyo on November 7, 1889. His family ran a bag manufacturing and sales business in Asakusa, and he was in a position to take over the family business, but after transferring from Prefectural Third Middle School (now Ryogoku High School) to the Keio University Junior High School, he began to aspire to become a writer. While studying at Keio University, he published his novel "Morning Glories" (1911) in "Mita Bungaku," a magazine that had just been launched by Nagai Kafu, and his play "Prologue" won a prize in a contest held by the magazine "Taiyo" (1911). As a result, he was recognized as a budding Mita school writer, and published his first collection of works, "Asakusa" (1912). His style of writing, which sings of the feelings of people living in Tokyo's downtown area with a melancholy voice using downtown idiom, remained unchanged throughout his life since his debut work. In 1917 (Taisho 6), he wrote his early representative novel "Uragare" (Uragare), and married Oba Kyo in 1919. He also approached the theatrical world by writing plays such as "Odera Gakko" (Odera Gakko) (1927) and directing Shinpa plays. From 1926, he worked at Tokyo Central Broadcasting Station (now NHK), and published novels such as "Shundei" (Spring Mud) (1928) and "Hanabie" (Blooming Cold) (1938), as well as his first collection of haiku poems, "Michishiba" (Dōshiba) (1927). He also participated in the founding of the Bungakuza Theatre Company after working at the Tsukiji Theatre Company, and engaged in a wide range of activities, including writing scripts for Shinpa plays for works by Izumi Kyōka, Nagai Kafu, and Higuchi Ichiyō. In 1935 (Showa 10), he lost his wife, and in 1946, he remarried Mita Kimi. After the war, he became a member of the Japan Art Academy, received the Order of Culture in 1982, and traveled to Norway and China as a representative of the Japanese theater world. He also wrote the novels "Ichiijin" (1949) and "Ushirokage" (1950). He studied haiku from Matsune Toyojo and others during his student days, and although he always described it as a hobby, he produced many excellent poems with unique emotion and technique, and after the war he became the editor of the haiku magazine "Shunto." He died on May 6, 1963.

[Takako Yanagisawa]

"The Complete Works of Mantaro Kubota, 15 volumes (1967-68, Chuokoron-Shinsha)" ▽ "Mantaro Kubota, by Koji Toita (1967, Bungeishunju)" ▽ "My Mantaro Kubota, by Tozo Goto (1973, Seigabo)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小説家、劇作家、俳人。明治22年11月7日、東京生まれ。生家は浅草で袋物製造販売業を営み、家業を継ぐべき立場にあったが、府立三中（現両国高校）から慶応義塾大学普通部へ転じたころから、文学を志すようになる。慶大在学中に、永井荷風によって創刊されたばかりの『三田文学』に小説『朝顔』（1911）を発表し、また戯曲『Prologue(プロロオグ)』が雑誌『太陽』の懸賞に当選（1911）したことから、三田派の新進作家として認められ、第一作品集『浅草』（1912）を刊行。東京下町に生きる人々の心情を下町ことばの駆使により哀愁を込めて歌い上げるという作風は、処女作以来終生変わることがなかった。1917年（大正6）、初期の代表的小説『末枯(うらがれ)』を書き、19年には大場京と結婚。また、『大寺(おおでら)学校』（1927）などの戯曲や、新派の演出などを手がけて劇壇にも接近した。26年以降東京中央放送局（現在のNHK）に勤め、小説『春泥(しゅんでい)』（1928）、『花冷(はなび)え』（1938）などの佳作や、第一句集『道芝』（1927）を刊行し、また築地(つきじ)座を経て文学座の創立に加わり、新派の舞台にも泉鏡花、永井荷風、樋口(ひぐち)一葉作品の脚本を提供するなど、多彩な活動を繰り広げる。35年（昭和10）妻を失い、46年に三田きみと再婚。戦後は日本芸術院会員となり、57年文化勲章を受け、日本演劇界を代表してノルウェーや中国にも赴いた。ほかに小説『市井人』（1949）、『うしろかげ』（1950）などを残す。俳句は学生時代から松根東洋城(まつねとうようじょう)らに学び、本人はつねに余技と称したが、独特な情緒と技巧をもつ秀句も多く、戦後、俳誌『春燈(しゅんとう)』を主宰した。昭和38年5月6日没。

［柳沢孝子］

『『久保田万太郎全集』全15巻（1967～68・中央公論社）』▽『戸板康二著『久保田万太郎』（1967・文芸春秋）』▽『後藤杜三著『わが久保田万太郎』（1973・青蛙房）』

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