Yu Dafu - Ikutafu

Chinese author. His given name was Wen, and his pen name was Dafu. He was born on December 7th in Fuyang, Zhejiang Province. He came to Japan as a foreign student in 1913 (Taisho 2). He went on to study at First Higher School's special preparatory course, then Hachi Higher School, before graduating from the Faculty of Economics at Tokyo Imperial University. While studying abroad, he became absorbed in Western novels and began writing. The Creation Society, which he formed in his Hongo lodgings in 1921 while still a student at Tokyo University, came into conflict with the Literature Research Society, and was called the "Art and Romantic" faction in opposition to the latter's "Life and Realism" faction, dividing the nascent literary world in two. His breakthrough work, "Sinking Fall" (1921), was China's first collection of colloquial novels. He described the sexual anguish of a student studying abroad and his anger and grief at the contempt for "the Chinese," and his frank confessions caused a great sensation, earning him the name of the "Decadent School." One can point to the influence of the personal novels of Taisho-era Japanese literature, Sato Haruo, and British fin de siècle literature, but in his case, decadence actually meant the confession of an originally pure self's pain, and was a direct social and ethnic protest. He returned to China in 1922. In Shanghai, he published the Creative Quarterly and other publications with Guo Moruo and others. He engaged in vigorous creative activities, but soon grew tired of life and left for Beijing. With the rise of the National Revolution, he struggled to reform himself and change his style, but was frustrated and eventually retreated to the world of the literary man. He had many friendships with Japanese literary figures, and returned to Japan at the end of 1936 to renew old friendships. With the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, he was active in the national salvation movement. He moved to Singapore at the end of 1938, and escaped to Sumatra just before it fell. He was killed there by the Japanese military police immediately after the end of the war.

[Toramaru Ito]

"Modern Chinese Literature 6: Yu Dafu and Cao Yu," translated by Okazaki Toshio et al. (1971, Kawade Shobo Shinsha)" ▽ "Yu Dafu Materials: Biography, Reference Materials and Chronology," edited by Ito Toramaru, Inaba Shoji and Suzuki Masao, Supplementary Yu Dafu Materials, Volumes 1 and 2 (1969-1974, both published by the Oriental Studies Document Center attached to the Institute of Oriental Culture, University of Tokyo)" ▽ "The Biography of Yu Dafu, by Oda Gokuo (1975, Chuokoron-Shinsha)" ▽ "Yu Dafu: His Youth and Death, by Inaba Shoji (1982, Toho Shoten)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国の作家。名は文。達夫は字(あざな)。12月7日生まれ。浙江(せっこう／チョーチヤン)省富陽の人。1913年（大正2）留学生として来日。一高特設予科、八高を経て東京帝国大学経済学部卒業。留学中に西洋小説を耽読(たんどく)し創作を開始。1921年東大在学中に彼の本郷の下宿で結成された創造社は、文学研究会と対立して、後者の「人生派・写実派」に対して「芸術派・浪漫派」とよばれ、草創期の文壇を二分した。出世作『沈淪(ちんりん)』（1921）は中国最初の口語小説集。留学生の性的な煩悶(はんもん)と「支那(しな)人」蔑視(べっし)への悲憤を描き、赤裸な告白によって大きな反響をよび「頽廃(たいはい)派」の名を得た。大正期日本文学の私小説、佐藤春夫、イギリス世紀末文学の影響などが指摘できるが、彼の場合、頽廃は実は本来純潔な自己の苦痛の表白を意味し、そのまま社会的、民族的な抗議であった点に特徴がある。1922年帰国。上海(シャンハイ)で郭沫若(かくまつじゃく／クオモールオ)らと『創造季刊』等を発刊。旺盛(おうせい)な創作活動を展開するが、まもなく生活に疲れて北京(ペキン)に去る。国民革命の高潮とともに自己変革と作風の転換を求めて苦悩するが挫折(ざせつ)し、やがて文人的な世界に退いた。日本の文学者との交友も多く、1936年（昭和11）末には再来日して旧交を温めた。日中戦争の開戦とともに救国運動に活躍。1938年末シンガポールに移り、陥落直前スマトラへ脱出。終戦直後同地で日本憲兵に殺害された。

［伊藤虎丸］

『岡崎俊夫他訳『現代中国文学6　郁達夫・曹禺』（1971・河出書房新社）』▽『伊藤虎丸・稲葉昭二・鈴木正夫編『郁達夫資料――作品目録・参考資料目録及び年譜』『郁達夫資料補編　上下』（1969～1974・ともに東京大学東洋文化研究所付属東洋学文献センター）』▽『小田獄夫著『郁達夫伝』（1975・中央公論社）』▽『稲葉昭二著『郁達夫　その青春と死』（1982・東方書店）』

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