Shin Hasegawa

Novelist and playwright. Born in Yokohama on March 15, 1884. His real name was Shinjiro. He was separated from his biological mother when he was four years old, and his feelings of longing for her crystallized in the play Mabuta no Haha (Mother of the Eyelids) (1930). He dropped out of elementary school and worked as an apprentice at a tobacco shop, an errand boy for a construction company, and a water sprinkler. He then worked for the Mainichi Shimbun and the Miyako Shimbun. From around 1917 (Taisho 6), he published miscellaneous reports and novels under the pen names Hasegawa Imo and Yamano Imosaku. He gained recognition with Tensho Murderer in 1923, and then started his career as a short story writer with Kengyo All Night Long. He showed an early interest in popular entertainment, and 167 plays were performed or screened, including "Mother of the Eyelids," "Ippongatana Dohyo-iri" (1931), and "Kutsukake Tokijiro" (1928). Most of his works were solid and backed by a commoner's style, and he became a leading figure in the matatabi genre. Later, he gradually leaned towards historical tales, and compiled works such as "Araki Mataemon" (1936-37), "Uesugi Taiheiki" (1939-40), "Edo Bakumatsushi" (1940-41, renamed "Sagara Sozo and his comrades" when published), "Nihon horo-shi" (1949-50), and "Nihon kataki uchi shi" (1961). His life work was researching prisoner of war and revenge, and his attitude shows a certain worldview. He was awarded the Asahi Culture Prize in 1962 (Showa 37). He passed away on June 11, 1963. As the central figure of the Shinyokai group, he nurtured new writers in popular literature, and produced such writers as Murakami Genzo, Yamate Kiichiro, and Yamaoka Sohachi. After his death, in accordance with his will, the Shinyokai Foundation was established based on his library and copyrights, and the Hasegawa Shin Prize was also established.

[Hideki Ozaki]

"The Complete Works of Hasegawa Shin, 16 volumes (1971-72, Asahi Shimbun Company)" ▽ "On Hasegawa Shin, by Tadao Sato (Chuko Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小説家、劇作家。明治17年3月15日に横浜市で生まれる。本名伸二郎。4歳のとき実母と別れ、その思慕の情は戯曲『瞼(まぶた)の母』（1930）に結晶している。小学校を中退し、たばこ屋の丁稚(でっち)、土建屋の使い走り、撒水夫(さんすいふ)などを転々、その後『毎朝新聞』を経て『都新聞』に勤め、1917年（大正6）ごろから長谷川芋生、山野芋作などの筆名で雑報や小説を発表、23年の『天正(てんしょう)殺人鬼』で認められ、さらに『夜もすがら検校(けんぎょう)』を書いて短編作家としてスタートした。大衆演芸にも早くから関心を示し『瞼の母』や『一本刀(いっぽんがたな)土俵入』（1931）、『沓掛時次郎(くつかけときじろう)』（1928）など上演、上映された劇作品は167編に上る。作風は庶民性によって裏打ちされた堅実なものが大部分で、股旅(またたび)ものの第一人者となった。のちしだいに史伝ものに傾斜し、『荒木又右衛門(またえもん)』（1936～37）、『上杉太平記』（1939～40）、『江戸幕末志』（1940～41、出版に際し『相楽総三(さがらそうぞう)とその同志』と改む）、『日本捕虜志』（1949～50）、『日本敵(かたき)討ち異相』（1961）などをまとめた。捕虜志、敵討ち研究は彼のライフワークであり、その姿勢に一つの世界観が示される。62年（昭和37）朝日文化賞受賞。昭和38年6月11日没。なお、新鷹会(しんようかい)の中心として大衆文学の新人育成にあたり、村上元三、山手樹一郎(きいちろう)、山岡荘八(そうはち)らを輩出。没後、遺言により蔵書と著作権を基に財団法人新鷹会が設置され、長谷川伸賞も制定された。

［尾崎秀樹］

『『長谷川伸全集』全16巻（1971～72・朝日新聞社）』▽『佐藤忠男著『長谷川伸論』（中公文庫）』

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