Ango Sakaguchi

Novelist. Born October 20, 1906 in Niigata City. His real name was Heigo. He was the fifth son of his father, Jinichiro, and mother, Asa. The Sakaguchi family was an old family and a large landowner. Ango could not get along with his permissive father and mother, and was often an outcast in kindergarten, elementary school, and junior high school, and did not attend school regularly. It was the sea, sky, and wind of his hometown that healed him after rebelling against his "family." In 1922 (Taisho 11), he dropped out of Niigata Prefectural Junior High School and transferred to Buzan Junior High School in Tokyo in the third year. After graduating from junior high school, he became a substitute teacher, but in 1951, he entered the Department of Indian Philosophy at Toyo University. With a strong determination, he spared no time to study and master philosophical and religious books, Sanskrit, Pali, French, and other languages. In 1953 (Showa 3), he entered Athénée Français, where he met Nagashima Atsumu and others. In 1930, he graduated from Toyo University. He founded the literary magazine Kotoba. In 1931, he published his first works, From the Sake Cellar in the Winter Drying and A Hymn to My Hometown. His Kaze Hakase (1931) was highly praised by Makino Shinichi, and his Kurodani Mura (1931) by Shimazaki Toson and Uno Koji, and he made a dashing debut on the literary scene. In 1932, he was tormented by his intense platonic love for the beautiful young female writer Yada Tsuseko, and moved to Kyoto. His settlement with Yada came to fruition in the long novel Fubuki Monogatari (1938). He returned to Tokyo in 1938. During the Pacific War, he published his bold and unconventional critique Nihon Bunka Shikan (1943).

In the midst of the confusion and confusion of the postwar period, he published "Decadence Theory" (1946), which offered insight into the true nature of human beings, and "The Idiot" (1946), which was an example of his insight. These literary activities had a great impact on the Japanese people who were in a state of collapse after the war. Together with Ishikawa Jun and others, he was called the new Gesaku or Burai school, and was in the limelight as a leader in the literary world at the beginning of the defeat. He then became a popular writer, and in 1947 (Showa 22) published his masterpiece "Under the Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom". He married Kaji Michiyo, and the result of this marriage was reflected in "The Woman Who Washes the Blue Demon's Fundoshi" (1947). It was around this time that he also wrote the historical novel "Oda Nobunaga" (1948) and the detective novel "The Discontinuous Murder Case" (1947-48). In 1949, his addiction to sleeping pills and stimulants led to violent and delirious behavior. In 1950, he continued to criticize society in his "Ango Kodan" magazine, and attracted attention by writing letters of protest to the National Tax Agency and the Bicycle Promotion Association. He also published "Yonagahime to Mimio" (1952), but died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage on February 17, 1955, leaving behind "Kyoujin Isho" (1955). He was 50 years old when he died.

[Ban Yutaka]

"The Definitive Collection of Sakaguchi Ango, 13 volumes (1967-71, Fuyukisha)" ▽ "The Complete Collection of Sakaguchi Ango Criticism, 7 volumes (1971-72, Fuyukisha)" ▽ "Sakaguchi Ango Studies I & II, edited by Sekii Mitsuo (1972, 1973, Fuyukisha)" ▽ "The Great Dropout Sakaguchi Ango, by Moriyasu Masafumi (Shakai Shisosha, Gendai Kyoyo Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小説家。明治39年10月20日、新潟市生まれ。本名は炳五(へいご)。父仁一郎、母アサの五男。坂口家は旧家で大地主。放任主義の父、母にもなじめなかった安吾は、幼稚園、小学校、中学とはみだしが多く、まともに通学しなかった。「家」に反逆し孤立した彼を癒(いや)してくれたのは、故郷の海と空と風であった。1922年（大正11）県立新潟中学を退学して、東京の豊山(ぶざん)中学3年に編入学。中学卒業後代用教員となったが、26年東洋大学印度哲学科に入学。一念発起、寸暇を惜しんで哲学宗教書、梵語(ぼんご)、パーリ語、フランス語などを勉強し習得した。28年（昭和3）アテネ・フランセに入学し、長島萃(あつむ)などを知る。30年東洋大学卒業。同人誌『言葉』を創刊。31年、処女作『木枯の酒倉から』『ふるさとに寄する讃歌(さんか)』を発表。『風博士』（1931）を牧野信一が、『黒谷村』（1931）を島崎藤村(とうそん)、宇野浩二(こうじ)がそれぞれ激賞、さっそうと文壇に登場した。32年、新進美貌(びぼう)の女流作家矢田津世子(やだつせこ)と激しいプラトニック・ラブに陥って苦しみ、京都に転住。矢田との愛の清算は長編『吹雪(ふぶき)物語』（1938）となって結実した。38年帰京。太平洋戦争下に大胆破格な評論『日本文化私観』（1943）を発表。

　戦後は混迷錯乱状況のなかで、人間の本質を洞察した『堕落論』（1946）を、その実践として『白痴』（1946）を発表した。これらの文学活動は、戦後の虚脱状態にあった日本人に一大衝撃を与えた。石川淳(じゅん)などといっしょに新戯作(げさく)派ないし無頼派とよばれ、敗戦当初の文壇の旗手として脚光を浴びた。その後、一躍流行作家となり、1947年（昭和22）名作『桜の森の満開の下』を発表。梶(かじ)三千代と結婚、その反映が『青鬼の褌(ふんどし)を洗ふ女』（1947）となる。歴史小説『織田信長』（1948）、推理小説『不連続殺人事件』（1947～48）にも筆を染めたのもこのころである。49年、睡眠薬と覚せい剤による中毒症状が狂暴錯乱の行動をもたらした。50年、『安吾巷談(こうだん)』で世相を切り続け、国税庁や自転車振興会を相手に抗議文を書き注目を集めた。また『夜長姫と耳男』（1952）を発表したが、『狂人遺書』（1955）を残し脳出血により昭和30年2月17日急逝した。享年50。

［伴　悦］

『『定本坂口安吾全集』全13巻（1967～71・冬樹社）』▽『『坂口安吾評論全集』全7巻（1971～72・冬樹社）』▽『関井光男編『坂口安吾研究Ⅰ・Ⅱ』（1972、73・冬樹社）』▽『森安理文著『偉大なる落伍者坂口安吾』（社会思想社・現代教養文庫）』

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