Mikihiko Nagata

Novelist. Born in Kojimachi, Tokyo. Influenced by his older brother Hideo, he joined Shinshisha, but left and joined Subaru, where he began his writing career. While studying at Waseda University, he wandered around Hokkaido, and with his works Mio (1911-12) and Rairaku (1912), which were based on his life as a traveling actor, he quickly became a star in the literary world as a budding writer. During that time, he stayed in Kyoto and Osaka with Jun'ichiro Tanizaki for about a year, and later wrote a series of works known as Gionmono, including Gion Yawa (1915), becoming a representative writer of the aesthetic school, on a par with Jun'ichiro. However, he was dealt a blow by Akagi Kohei's "Eradication of Debauchery Literature" (1916), and although he continued to attract readers by riding the popularity of love stories, his works became popular. From the early Showa period, he wrote many works as a songwriter of popular songs, such as "Gion Kouta" and "Island Girl", and after World War II, he wrote memoirs such as "Youthful Age" (1952) and popular novels, as well as writing books on spiritualism.

[Motohisa Tazawa]

"Modern Japanese Literature Series 91: Modern Masterpieces (1)" (1973, Chikuma Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小説家。東京・麹町(こうじまち)生まれ。兄秀雄(ひでお)の影響で新詩社に入るが、脱退して『スバル』に参加して文筆活動を開始。早稲田(わせだ)大学在学中、北海道を放浪、そのときの旅役者生活に取材した『澪(みお)』（1911～12）、『零落(れいらく)』（1912）で一躍新進作家として文壇の花形となった。そのころ1年ほど谷崎潤一郎とともに京阪に滞在、のちに、『祇園(ぎおん)夜話』（1915）など祇園物とよばれる作品群を執筆、潤一郎と並称される耽美(たんび)派の代表的作家となる。しかし赤木桁平(こうへい)の『遊蕩(ゆうとう)文学の撲滅』（1916）論で打撃を受け、情話物の流行にのって読者をひきつけはしたが、作品は通俗化していった。昭和初期からいわゆる歌謡曲の作詞家として『祇園小唄(こうた)』『島の娘』など多数の作品を残し、第二次世界大戦後は『青春時代』（1952）などの回想記や通俗小説を執筆するかたわら心霊学の著作なども残した。

［田沢基久］

『『現代日本文学大系91　現代名作集（1）』（1973・筑摩書房）』

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