Chikamatsu Shuko

Novelist and critic. Born on May 4, 1876 in Fujino Village, Wake County, Okayama Prefecture (now Wake Town). His real name was Tokuda Koji. He initially went by the name Tokuda Shuko, but later changed it to honor his idol, Chikamatsu Monzaemon. After graduating from the English department of Tokyo Senmon Gakko (now Waseda University), he began his writing career by joining the Yomiuri Shimbun's monthly novel reviews under Shimamura Hogetsu. He then worked as an editor for magazines such as Chuokoron, but this did not last long. He later published a unique style of critique titled "Bunga Mudabanashi" (1908) in the Yomiuri literary column edited by Masamune Hakucho, whom he met while he was a student, and gained recognition as a critic. At the same time, he also took up the pen of novels, and showed his talent in "Letters to my Divorced Wife" (1910), serialized in "Waseda Bungaku," and its sequel "Suspicion" (1913), as well as the series "Black Hair" (1922), which also has the theme of a man's infidelity, are representative works that make him known as a typical author of destructive I-novel. However, Akio, who was devoted to depicting infidelity, gave birth to a daughter at the end of the Taisho era, and began to write works that were called "child's beloved things," such as "For the Love of a Child" (1924), and in the Showa era, his natural love of politics led him to write barbershop-style historical novels such as "Mizuno Echizen no Kami" (1931). He also wrote many lyrical essays and travelogues. He died on April 23, 1944.

[Motohisa Tazawa]

"Complete Works of Japanese Literature 14: Chikamatsu Shukoshu" (1974, Shueisha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小説家、評論家。明治9年5月4日、岡山県和気(わけ)郡藤野村（現和気町）の生まれ。本名徳田浩司(こうじ)。初め徳田秋江と号したが、のちに敬慕する近松門左衛門にちなんで改めた。東京専門学校（現早稲田(わせだ)大学）英文科卒業後、島村抱月のもとで『読売新聞』の小説月評などに加わり文筆活動を開始、その後『中央公論』などの雑誌編集に従事したが長続きせず、在学中に知った正宗白鳥(まさむねはくちょう)が編集していた読売文芸欄に『文壇無駄話』（1908）と題する独特のスタイルの評論を発表、批評家として認められた。同時に小説の筆もとっていたが、『早稲田文学』に連載された『別れたる妻に送る手紙』（1910）にその本領を発揮、その続編にあたる『疑惑』（1913）、それらと同じく男の情痴を主題とした『黒髪』（1922）の連作などを代表作として残し、典型的な破滅型私小説作者として知られる。しかし、情痴を描くことに徹した秋江も、大正末年に女児を得たことによって、『子の愛の為(ため)に』（1924）など「子の愛物」とよばれる作品を書くようになり、さらに昭和に入ると、生来の政治好きから『水野越前守(えちぜんのかみ)』（1931）などの床屋政談的歴史小説も執筆した。そのほか叙情味豊かな随筆、紀行文も多い。昭和19年4月23日没。

［田沢基久］

『『日本文学全集14　近松秋江集』（1974・集英社）』

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