Twenty-four eyes

Japanese: 二十四の瞳 - にじゅうしのひとみ

A full-length novel by Tsuboi Sakae. It was serialized in the Christian youth magazine "New Age" from February to November 1952, and published by Kobunsha in December of the same year. Miss Oishi, born on Shodoshima in the Seto Inland Sea, is assigned to an elementary school on the island's cape as a newly graduated female teacher, and she cares for the 12 children she teaches there. However, the storm of World War II engulfs the children of this small island, with one girl going to the red-light district and another boy going to the battlefield, and when the war ends, Miss Oishi herself becomes a widow with children. This is a masterpiece of a family novel that is read by both children and adults, and is backed by a protest against the war. It was made into a movie in 1954, directed by Kinoshita Keisuke and starring Takamine Hideko. Bronze statues of the protagonists have been erected in Tonosho Port on Shodoshima, where the story is set.

[Shoichiro Kami]

movie

Japanese film. Directed by Kinoshita Keisuke in 1954 (Showa 29). Based on the novel by Tsuboi Sakae. Hisako (Takamine Hideko) is appointed as an elementary school teacher on Shodoshima Island and becomes the homeroom teacher for 12 children. Although Hisako gains the trust of the children, the war oppresses her respect for human life. Hisako's husband is killed in the war, and her daughter dies after the war. Some of her former students died of illness, were killed in the war, or lost their eyesight. This is a masterpiece by Kinoshita, one of the most active directors in the postwar Japanese film industry. Kinoshita has produced many experimental works, but this film is a straightforward depiction of a woman's life and the deep relationship of trust between her and her students. As a result, it is a successful denunciation of the war that takes away the lives of ordinary, brave citizens, and in that sense it can be said to be an anti-war film.

[Hiroshi Ishizuka]

"Kokubu Ichitaro's 'Twenty-Four Eyes'" (included in 'The Small Colossus' edited by Asahi Journal, 1974, Asahi Shimbun) " ▽ "31 Film Directors of the World: Japanese Film History" (1976, Kinema Junpo) ▽ "200 Japanese Films: The Best 200 in Film History Series (1982, Kinema Junpo)" ▽ "Sato Tadao's 'Japanese Film History 2, 3, 4', expanded edition (2006, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Inomata Katsuhito and Tayama Rikiya's 'Complete History of Japanese Film Directors, Vol. 1' (Shakai Shisosha, Gendai Kyoyo Bunko)" ▽ "Bungeishunju's 'The Best 150 Japanese Films - Based on a Large-Scale Survey' (Bunshun Bunko Visual Edition)" ▽ "Twenty-Four Eyes" (Obunsha Bunko, Kaiseisha Bunko, Kadokawa Bunko, Kodansha Bunko, Shincho Bunko)

[References] | Kiyoshita Keisuke | Takamine Hideko | Tsuboi Sakae | Japanese film

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

壺井栄(つぼいさかえ)の長編小説。1952年（昭和27）2月から11月までキリスト教系の青年雑誌『ニュー・エイジ』に連載、同年12月に光文社から刊行。瀬戸内海の小豆島(しょうどしま)に生まれた大石先生が新卒の女教師として島の岬の小学校に赴任、そこで受け持った12人の子どもをかわいがる。しかし、第二次世界大戦の嵐(あらし)はこの小さな島の子どもたちをも巻き込み、ある少女は紅灯の巷(ちまた)へ、ある少年は戦場へと行ってしまい、戦争が終わったときには大石先生も子持ちの未亡人となっていた。戦争に対する抗議に裏打ちされた、子どもにも大人にも読まれる家庭小説の秀作。1954年に木下恵介(けいすけ)監督・高峰秀子主演で映画化された。舞台となった小豆島の土庄(とのしょう)港には主人公たちのブロンズ像が建てられている。

［上笙一郎］

映画

日本映画。1954年（昭和29）、木下恵介監督。原作は壺井栄。小豆島の小学校教師に赴任した久子（高峰秀子）は、12人の子どもの担任になる。子どもたちの信頼を得る久子だが、戦争は人命を尊重する彼女の考え方を圧迫していく。久子の夫は戦死し、戦後には娘が亡くなる。そしてかつての教え子のなかには病死、戦死、失明した者がいた。戦後の日本映画界でもっとも活躍した監督の一人である木下の代表作。木下には実験的な作品も少なくないが、本作はある女性の半生と、彼女と教え子との深い信頼関係が正攻法で描かれている。結果として平凡で健気な市民の生活を奪い去る戦争に対する告発に成功しており、そういう意味では本作は反戦映画であるともいえる。

［石塚洋史］

『国分一太郎「二十四の瞳」（朝日ジャーナル編『小さい巨像』所収・1974・朝日新聞社）』▽『『世界の映画作家31　日本映画史』（1976・キネマ旬報社）』▽『『映画史上ベスト200シリーズ　日本映画200』（1982・キネマ旬報社）』▽『佐藤忠男著『日本映画史2、3、4』増補版（2006・岩波書店）』▽『猪俣勝人・田山力哉著『日本映画作家全史　上』（社会思想社・現代教養文庫）』▽『文芸春秋編『日本映画ベスト150――大アンケートによる』（文春文庫ビジュアル版）』▽『『二十四の瞳』（旺文社文庫・偕成社文庫・角川文庫・講談社文庫・新潮文庫）』