Masao Kume

Novelist and playwright. Born on November 23, 1891 in Ueda-cho, Chiisagata-gun, Nagano Prefecture (now Ueda City). He lost his father at a young age and moved to his mother's hometown, Kuwano-mura, Asaka-gun, Fukushima Prefecture (now Koriyama City). He graduated from the Department of English Literature at Tokyo Imperial University. He showed an interest in creative writing while at university, and as a major writer for the third and fourth issues of Shinshicho, he published plays such as The Milkman's Brothers and The Love Suicides of Abukuma, and novels such as The Magician and The Rowing Race, which attracted attention. In the autumn of 1915 (Taisho 4), he studied at Soseki-san's studio with Akutagawa Ryunosuke and became his pupil. However, after Soseki's death, he fell in love with Soseki's surviving child, Fudeko, and the relationship ended in a breakup, which marked a turning point in his writing style. He published a series of works based on his own experiences of heartbreak, such as "Hotarugusa" (1918) and "Hasen" (1922, 1923), and gained fame as a writer. These novels, wrapped in sweet melancholy, were worthy of the sympathy of the public. Having become a popular author, Kume recognized himself as a socialite in the literary world and found a new avenue in the field of popular novels. His representative popular novels include "Jinchōge" (1933) and others. His haiku pen name was Santei, and he was also known as a haiku poet. He died on March 1, 1952.

[Yasuyoshi Sekiguchi]

"Complete Works of Modern Japanese Literature 25: Masao Kume and Other Works" (1956, Chikuma Shobo) " Biographies of Modern Authors by Kozue Muramatsu" (1953, Shinchosha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小説家、劇作家。明治24年11月23日、長野県小県(ちいさがた)郡上田町（現上田市）に生まれる。幼時に父を失い、母方の里、福島県安積(あさか)郡桑野村（現郡山(こおりやま)市）に移住。東京帝国大学英文科卒業。在学中から創作に関心を示し、第三、四次『新思潮』の主要な書き手として、戯曲『牛乳屋の兄弟』『阿武隈(あぶくま)心中』、小説『手品師』『競漕(きょうそう)』などを発表、注目された。1915年（大正4）秋、芥川龍之介(あくたがわりゅうのすけ)と漱石(そうせき)山房をくぐり、その門下生となる。が、漱石没後遺児筆子に一方的恋情を懐(いだ)き、それが破局に至ったことは、彼の作風に一転機をもたらすこととなる。すなわち、『蛍草(ほたるぐさ)』（1918）、『破船(はせん)』前後編（1922、23）など、自らの失恋体験を素材とした作品を次々と発表し、文名を高めていく。甘美な哀愁に包まれたその小説は、世の同情をよぶにふさわしかった。人気作家となった久米は、以後自ら文壇の社交家をもって認じ、通俗小説の面にも新たな活路をみいだしていった。通俗小説の代表作に『沈丁花(じんちょうげ)』（1933）その他がある。俳号を三汀(さんてい)といい、俳人としても知られる。昭和27年3月1日没。

［関口安義］

『『現代日本文学全集25　久米正雄他集』（1956・筑摩書房）』▽『村松梢風著『現代作家伝』（1953・新潮社）』

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