Izumi Kyoka

Novelist. Born November 4, 1873 in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. His real name was Kyokataro. His father, Seiji, was a skilled engraver, and his craftsmanship name was Masamitsu. His mother, Suzu, was the daughter of the Nakata family, a family of okawa drummers of the Edo Kadono school. Suzu's older brother, Matsumoto Kintaro, was a Noh actor who was known as a shite actor in the Hosho school, and his son, Nagashi, was also renowned as a Noh master. It is fair to say that Kyoka's literature is a blend of the blood of craftsmanship on his father's side and the blood of performing arts on his mother's side. In 1882 (Meiji 15), his mother Suzu died after giving birth to their second daughter, Yae, and the delicately-spoken boy, Kyokataro, was deeply hurt, and the longing for his mother became one of the main themes in his work.

In 1884, he entered Kanazawa High School, later transferring to Hokuriku English School, where he soon became familiar with literary books. He was particularly impressed by the works of Ozaki Koyo, and in 1890, at the age of 17, he moved to Tokyo. In 1891, he visited Koyo's house in Yokodera-cho, Ushigome, where he was allowed to become his apprentice and lived there as the front desk attendant. In 1893, he serialized "Kanmuri Yazaemon" in Kyoto's Hinode Shimbun, which was translated by Sazanami Sanjin and attributed to Izumi Kyoka, and in 1894, he published "Giketsu Kyoketsu" in the Yomiuri Shimbun under the signature "Nanigashi." The latter, titled "Taki no Shiraito," became one of the important plays of the Shinpa school. In 1894, his father Seiji died, and he struggled to make ends meet, supporting his grandmother and younger brother. In 1895, he published "Night Patrolman" and "Operating Room" in the largest literary magazine of the time, "Bungei Club," and was immediately catapulted into the limelight as a promising new writer. An anonymous commentary also appeared, praising him, saying, "Kyoka's writing in 'Night Patrolman' is worthy of much attention. His writing skills, which show great promise, shine on the pages" (Bungeikai, "Jibun," May 1895). In 1896, he serialized "Teriha Kyogen" in the Yomiuri Shimbun, and moved away from the world of sharp perception and criticality known as "ideal novels" that he had written up until then, to a new realm of fresh lyricism with a young boy as the protagonist. He published a succession of controversial works, including "Kecho" (1897), "Tatsumi Kodan" (1898), "Yushima Mode" (1899), and "Kouya Hijiri" (1900), and achieved a status as a popular writer surpassing that of his teacher, Koyo.

From around 1906 (Meiji 39), due to the influence of the rise of naturalist literature, Kyoka's presence in the literary world became somewhat obscure, but the world of Kyoka, who had a deep knowledge of Noh and Edo literature, combined motherly feelings, vivid colors, and a dreamlike quality, and even during this difficult time, he was able to produce fantastical works such as "Spring Day" (1906) and "Grass Labyrinth" (1908).He also showed a mature state in works with a strong sense of customs, such as "Onnakeizu" (1907), "Shirasagi" (1909), "Utaandon" (1910), and "Nihonbashi" (1914). In the Taisho period, he also depicted the pathos of women who endure the persecution of the secular world in plays such as "Yashagaike" (1913) and "Tenshu Monogatari" (1917), wrapped in gorgeous fantasy. In 1899 (Meiji 32), he met Suzu (a geisha from Kagurazaka, Momotaro), who would later become his wife, and they soon began living together, but it is well known that they were separated due to Momiji's anger. His last work was "Rukōshinsō" (1939), and he passed away on September 7, 1939. He is buried in Zōshigaya Cemetery in Tokyo, and was given the posthumous posthumous name of Yugen'in Kyoka Nisai Koji. Today, there are many voices calling for a reevaluation of his world, which is deeply connected to pre-modern culture and the roots of folk customs, and it has become the subject of various discussions, including the issue of rewriting literary history.

[Nobuo Kasahara]

"The Complete Works of Kyoka, 29 volumes (1973-76, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Izumi Kyoka, the Alchemist of Words, by Sadaka Muramatsu (Shakai Shisosha, Gendai Kyoyo Bunko)" ▽ "Izumi Kyoka - The Structure of Beauty and Eros, by Nobuo Kasahara (1976, Shibundo)" ▽ "The Literature of Izumi Kyoka, by Hideaki Mita (1976, Ohfusha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小説家。明治6年11月4日、石川県金沢生まれ。本名鏡太郎。父清次は腕のいい彫金師で、工名は政光。母鈴は江戸葛野(かどの)流の大鼓(おおかわ)の家中田氏の娘で、鈴の兄松本金太郎は宝生(ほうしょう)流のシテ方として聞こえた能楽師、その子長(ながし)も能の名人として高名である。鏡花文学には、父方の工芸の血と、母方の芸能の血が一つになって流れている、とみなしてよいだろう。1882年（明治15）母鈴は次女やゑ出産後死亡、繊細な神経をもつ少年鏡太郎は心に深い傷を受け、母を恋うる感情は、彼の作品の主要なテーマの一つとなる。

　1884年金沢の高等小学校に入学、のちに北陸英和学校に転じ、やがて文学書に親しむようになる。とくに尾崎紅葉(こうよう)の作品に感嘆し、1890年17歳で上京、1891年牛込(うしごめ)横寺町の紅葉宅を訪ねて入門を許され、玄関番として住み込む。1893年京都『日出(ひので)新聞』に漣山人(さざなみさんじん)閲、泉鏡花著として『冠弥左衛門(かんむりやざえもん)』を連載、1894年「なにがし」の署名で『義血侠血(きょうけつ)』を『読売新聞』に掲げる。後者は『滝の白糸』という題名で新派の重要な演目の一つとなる。1894年父清次死去、祖母や弟を抱え生活苦を味わう。1895年『夜行巡査』『外科室』を当時最大の文芸誌『文芸倶楽部(くらぶ)』に発表、一躍新進作家として脚光を浴びる。「鏡花の『夜行巡査』着筆思想大いに見るに足る。前途多望の筆力紙面に躍る」（『文学界』「時文」1895.5）と評する匿名時評も現れた。1896年『照葉(てりは)狂言』を『読売新聞』に連載、それまでの「観念小説」とよばれる鋭い感覚と批評性をはらんだ世界から、少年を主人公とする清新な叙情をたゆたわせる新しい境地へ転じ、『化鳥(けちょう)』（1897）、『辰巳巷談(たつみこうだん)』（1898）、『湯島詣(ゆしまもうで)』（1899）、『高野聖(こうやひじり)』（1900）等々、立て続けに問題作を発表するに及んで、師紅葉を超えるほどの人気作家の地位を獲得する。

　1906年（明治39）ごろより活発になる自然主義文学隆盛の影響で、文壇的にはいささか影の薄い存在となるが、能楽や江戸文学への造詣(ぞうけい)の深い鏡花の世界は、母恋いの情、鮮やかな色彩性、夢幻性をあわせもち、この不遇の間にも『春昼(しゅんちゅう)』（1906）、『草迷宮』（1908）といった幻想的な作品に特色をみせる。また『婦系図(おんなけいず)』（1907）、『白鷺(しらさぎ)』（1909）、『歌行燈(うたあんどん)』（1910）、『日本橋』（1914）といった風俗性の濃い作品においても円熟の境地をみせている。大正期に入っては『夜叉(やしゃ)ヶ池』（1913）、『天守物語』（1917）などの戯曲の世界でも、俗世間の迫害に耐える女たちの哀れさを、華やかな幻想性に包み込んで描きあげる。1899年（明治32）、のちに夫人となるすず（神楽坂(かぐらざか)の芸妓(げいぎ)桃太郎）を知り、やがて同棲(どうせい)、紅葉の怒りにあって一度は離別したことは有名。『縷紅新草(るこうしんそう)』（1939）を最後として、昭和14年9月7日永眠した。墓は東京・雑司ヶ谷(ぞうしがや)墓地にあり、戒名幽幻院鏡花日彩居士。前近代の文化とも、また土俗の根とも深くつながるその世界は、今日再評価の声が高く、文学史の書き換えの問題ともあわせて、さまざまな論議の対象となっている。

［笠原伸夫］

『『鏡花全集』全29冊（1973～76・岩波書店）』▽『村松定孝著『ことばの錬金術師泉鏡花』（社会思想社・現代教養文庫）』▽『笠原伸夫著『泉鏡花――美とエロスの構造』（1976・至文堂）』▽『三田英彬著『泉鏡花の文学』（1976・桜楓社）』

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