Naoki Sanjugo - Naoki Sanjugo

Novelist. Born in Osaka City on February 12, 1891. His real name was Uemura Soichi. After graduating from Ichioka Middle School, he worked as a substitute teacher before moving to Tokyo and entering the preparatory course for the English department at Waseda University in 1911 (Meiji 44). After being expelled for not paying tuition fees, he founded publishing companies such as Shunjusha and Tokasha, but failed. He returned to Osaka at the time of the Great Kanto Earthquake and worked on editing the magazine Kuraku. He then founded Rengo Eiga to produce literary films, but after repeated failures, he returned to Tokyo again and in 1921 (Taisho 10) wrote literary critiques for the Jiji Shimpo under the pen name Naoki Sanjuichi, concentrating on writing. He was 31 years old at the time. From then on, he would use the pen names Sanju-ni, Sanju-san, and then skipped Sanju-four, eventually settling on Sanju-go. In 1930 (Showa 5), ​​he published "Nankoku Taiheiki," a novel based on the Oyura Uprising of the Shimazu clan, and became a hit in the literary world. His other works include "Shinsaku Adauchi Zenshu" (1926), "Araki Mataemon" (1930), "Kusunoki Masashige" (1931), "Meian Sanseisou" (1932), and "Genkuro Yoshitsune" (1933). He passed away on February 24, 1934. It is said that Naoki's greatest achievement was elevating historical novels to a level that would be read by the intellectual class, and the Naoki Prize was established to commemorate his achievements during his lifetime.

[Isogai Katsutaro]

"Revised and Expanded Collection of Showa National Literature, Vol. 5, Naoki 35 Collection" (1978, Chikuma Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小説家。明治24年2月12日、大阪市生まれ。本名植村宗一。市岡中学卒業後、代用教員を務めたが上京、1911年（明治44）早稲田(わせだ)大学英文科予科に入学。学費滞納により除籍されたのち、春秋社、冬夏社などの出版社を設立するが失敗、関東大震災を期に大阪へ戻り、雑誌『苦楽』の編集に従事した。その後、連合映画をおこして文芸映画を作製したが、失敗を重ねて再度上京、1921年（大正10）『時事新報』に文芸時評を直木三十一の筆名で執筆し、文筆に専念する。当時31歳であった。以後、年を追って三十二、三十三とし、三十四を飛ばして三十五の筆名で定着した。1930年（昭和5）島津藩のお由良(ゆら)騒動を素材とした『南国太平記』を発表して文壇の流行児となった。ほかに『新作仇討全集(しんさくあだうちぜんしゅう)』（1926）、『荒木又右衛門(あらきまたえもん)』（1930）、『楠木正成(くすのきまさしげ)』（1931）、『明暗三世相』（1932）、『源九郎義経(げんくろうよしつね)』（1933）などがある。昭和9年2月24日没。直木の功績は時代小説を知識階級に読まれる内容にまで高めた点にあるといわれ、生前の業績を記念して直木賞が設定された。

［磯貝勝太郎］

『『増補昭和国民文学全集5　直木三十五集』（1978・筑摩書房）』

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