Haruo Sato - Haruo Sato

Poet, novelist, and critic. Born on April 9, 1892, in Shingu, Wakayama Prefecture. He comes from a family of doctors with strong literary tendencies, and his Kishu-jin (Kishu) temperament is also evident in his impressionable literary activities in his hometown in his youth. He was an avid reader of literary books from an early age, loved poetry, and submitted tanka poems to magazines such as Myojo and Shumi, and was also involved in the coterie magazine Hamayufu. In 1910 (Meiji 43), he graduated from Shingu Middle School and moved to Tokyo, where he studied under Ikuta Choko and Yosano Hiroshi (Tekkan), nurturing the seeds of his innate critical spirit and classical sentiment. It was around this time that he became acquainted with Horiguchi Daigaku and deepened his friendship with him. He entered the Faculty of Letters at Keio University Preparatory School, where he was also influenced by Mori Ogai and Nagai Kafu. He contributed tanka, poetry, critiques, and translations to magazines such as Subaru and Mita Bungaku, and continued to grow as a writer. He showed his talent in lyrical love poems, as well as in Death of a Fool (1911), a poem about Seinosuke Oishi (a doctor from his hometown) who was involved in the High Treason Incident. He dropped out of Keio University, and for a time developed an interest in oil painting, even being selected for the Nikaten Exhibition. In 1914 (Taisho 3), he cohabited with the actress Utako Kawaji, and in 1916, he temporarily moved to Nakazato Village, Kanagawa Prefecture (present-day Midori Ward, Yokohama). While living in the suburbs without electricity, he made the transition to the world of novels, and in 1917, he published the fantastical House of the Spanish Dog in Seiza, a coterie magazine he co-authored with Kiyoshi Eguchi and others, and wrote The Sick Rose. The latter was later revised and expanded into "Countryside Melancholy," a masterpiece that depicts how sharp sensitivity stands out in the midst of reality.

After returning to Tokyo and breaking up with the actress, he formed a friendship with Jun'ichiro Tanizaki, and fell in love with Jun'ichiro's wife Chiyoko. He compiled his first collection of poems, Junjo Shishu (1921), amidst the love-hate triangle he found himself in, and wrote his famous Sanma no Uta (Sanma Song) (1921). He also published short stories such as Li Taihaku and Okinu to sono kyodai (Okinu and her brothers) in 1918, and wrote Utsukushii Machi (Beautiful Town) (1919), Tokai no Yuutsu (Melancholy of the City) (1922), and Uwabishisugiri (Too Wabi) (1923), becoming an important figure in the literary world. In 1926, he became a guest writer for the Hochi Shimbun newspaper, and his wide-ranging sensibility was apparent in works such as Kamigami no Asobi (The Play of the Gods) (1927-28) and Kaisei-ki (Record of Reconstruction) (1929). He will never forget his essays and critiques, such as "Taking Boring Dokuhon" (1926), and his translation of poems by Chinese poets, "Shajinshu" (1929). In August 1930 (Showa 5), ​​he sent a letter of greeting signed jointly with Junichiro and married Chiyoko. He gradually leaned towards an oriental literary lifestyle, producing works such as "Kikusuitan" (1935), which depicts the monk Honen Shonin, and the poetry collection "Witch" (1931). During the war, his statements also tended towards more traditional styles. From 1945, he evacuated to Saku, Nagano Prefecture, for a time, and compiled the poetry collection "Saku no Kusabue" (1946).

After the war, he showed his unique way of reading works in his collection of essays, "Prospects for Modern Japanese Literature" (1950), and demonstrated his talent in biographical novels such as "Akiko Mandala" (1954) and "Chieko Novel" (1957). His unique state of mind is also expressed in works such as "Sobae" (1952). He combined his natural literary temperament with a Western sensibility, cultivated a world of inspiration as he pleased, and created a rich literary world throughout his life, which occupies an important place in modern Japanese literature. He became a member of the Japan Art Academy in 1948 (Showa 23), and was awarded the Order of Culture in 1985. He died on May 6, 1964.

[Kunihiko Nakajima]

"The Complete Works of Haruo Sato, 12 volumes (1966-70, Kodansha)" ▽ "On Haruo Sato, by Mitsuo Nakamura (1962, Bungeishunju Shinsha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

詩人、小説家、評論家。明治25年4月9日、和歌山県新宮(しんぐう)に生まれる。文人気質(きしつ)の濃い医者の家系で、若き日の故郷での多感な文学活動にも、紀州人としての気質が示されている。早くから文学書を耽読(たんどく)、詩歌を好み『明星』『趣味』などに短歌を投稿、同人誌『はまゆふ』にも関係した。1910年（明治43）新宮中学を卒業し上京、生田長江(いくたちょうこう)や与謝野寛(よさのひろし)（鉄幹(てっかん)）らの教えを受け、生来の批評精神と古典的情緒の芽を育てた。堀口大学を知り交友を深めたのもこのころである。慶応義塾大学予科文学部に入り、森鴎外(おうがい)や永井荷風(かふう)からも影響を受けた。『スバル』『三田(みた)文学』などに短歌、詩、評論、翻訳を寄せ、文学的成長を図る。大逆事件の大石誠之助(せいのすけ)（同郷の医師）を歌う詩『愚者の死』（1911）や叙情的恋愛詩に力量を示した。慶応義塾を退学、一時油絵に興味をもち、二科展に入選したりした。14年（大正3）女優川路歌子と同棲(どうせい)、16年には一時神奈川県中里村（現在の横浜市緑区）に転居。電灯もない郊外での生活のなかで、小説の世界への転身を達成、17年には幻想的な『西班牙(スペイン)犬の家』を江口渙(きよし)らとの同人誌『星座』に発表、『病める薔薇(そうび)』を執筆。後者はのち加筆修訂されて『田園の憂鬱(ゆううつ)』としてまとめられ、鋭い感受性が現実のなかで際だつさまを描く代表作となった。

　帰京し女優と別れてから谷崎潤一郎と親交を結び、潤一郎夫人千代子と恋愛、三角関係の愛憎のなかで処女詩集『殉情(じゅんじょう)詩集』（1921）をまとめ、有名な『秋刀魚(さんま)の歌』（1921）を執筆。一方、1918年に『李太白(りたいはく)』『お絹とその兄弟』などの短編を発表、『美しい町』（1919）、『都会の憂鬱』（1922）、『佗(わび)しすぎる』（1923）などを書き、文壇に重きをなした。26年に報知新聞社客員となり、『神々の戯れ』（1927～28）、『更生記』（1929）などの作品にその幅広い感性の発露を示した。『退屈読本』（1926）に代表される随筆評論や、中国の閨秀(けいしゅう)詩人の訳詩集『車塵(しゃじん)集』（1929）も忘れられない。30年（昭和5）8月、潤一郎と連名の挨拶(あいさつ)状を出し、千代子と結婚。しだいに東洋的な文人生活に傾き、法然上人(ほうねんしょうにん)を描く『掬水譚(きくすいたん)』（1935）や詩集『魔女』（1931）などの収穫を得た。戦時中は、発言などにも伝統的な方面への傾斜がみられる。45年から疎開先の長野県佐久(さく)にしばらく住み、詩集『佐久の草笛』（1946）をまとめた。

　戦後は、評論集『近代日本文学の展望』（1950）で春夫独特の作品の読みを示し、『晶子曼陀羅(あきこまんだら)』（1954）、『小説智恵子(ちえこ)抄』（1957）などの伝記小説にその力量を示した。『日照雨(そばえ)』（1952）などにも特異な心境の発露がある。持ち前の文人気質に西欧的感性を結び合わせ、その感興の世界を気の赴くままに育て、豊かな文学世界をみせた一生は、近代日本文学に重要な位置を占めている。1948年（昭和23）に芸術院会員となり、60年には文化勲章を受章。昭和39年5月6日没。

［中島国彦］

『『佐藤春夫全集』全12巻（1966～70・講談社）』▽『中村光夫著『佐藤春夫論』（1962・文芸春秋新社）』

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