Akita Ujaku

Playwright and children's story writer. Born January 30, 1883 in Kuroishi-cho, Aomori Prefecture. His real name was Tokusaburo. He graduated from the English department of Waseda University. He gained recognition as a playwright with his romantic plays "First Dawn" (1911, premiered at the Jiyugeki Theater) and "Buried Spring" (1912). In 1913 (Taisho 2), he joined the Geijutsuza Theatre Company, led by Shimamura Hogetsu, as a manager, and later became a member of the scriptwriting department. He was once seduced by mysticism due to his father's imprisonment and his second daughter's death from illness, but he soon began to look at reality, and in his play "Land" (1917-1918) he deepened his naturalistic tendencies. He then moved from humanitarianism to socialism, and published such excellent plays as "Night at the Border" (1920), "Grenade" (1923), and "Dancing Skeleton" (1924). He also wrote children's stories such as "The Sun and the Garden" (1920). In 1923 he founded the Pioneer Theatre Company and promoted the proletarian theater movement. After visiting the Soviet Union in 1927 (Showa 2), he became the director of the Institute of Proletarian Science. In 1934, he worked hard to establish the Shinkyo Theater Company, and after the Second World War, he served as the director of the Performing Arts Academy and the Japan Association of Children's Literature Writers, and was respected as an elder in the theater and literary circles. He died on May 12, 1962.

[Hiroyuki Fujiki]

"Ujaku Autobiography" (1953, Shinhyoronsha) ▽ "Akita Ujaku Play Collection" (1975, Hirosaki Ujaku-kai) ▽ "Akita Ujaku Study" by Tatsuo Fujita (1972, Tsugaru Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

劇作家、童話作家。明治16年1月30日青森県黒石町に生まれる。本名徳三。早稲田(わせだ)大学英文科卒業。浪漫的傾向の戯曲『第一の暁』（1911・自由劇場初演）、『埋(うずも)れた春』（1912）で劇作家として認められた。1913年（大正2）島村抱月(ほうげつ)主宰の芸術座に幹事として参加、のち脚本部員となる。父の入獄、次女の病死などで一時神秘思想にとらわれたが、やがて現実を凝視する姿勢をとり、戯曲『土地』三部曲（1917～1918）で自然主義的傾向を深め、さらに人道主義から社会主義思想に移って戯曲『国境の夜』（1920）、『手投弾(てなげだま)』（1923）、『骸骨(がいこつ)の舞跳(ぶちょう)』（1924）などの佳作を発表。『太陽と花園』（1920）などの童話も書いた。1923年先駆座を興してプロレタリア演劇運動を進め、1927年（昭和2）訪ソ後はプロレタリア科学研究所長となった。1934年新協劇団結成に尽力し、第二次世界大戦後、舞台芸術学院長、日本児童文学者協会長を務め、劇壇、文壇の長老として尊敬を集めた。昭和37年5月12日没。

［藤木宏幸］

『『雨雀自伝』（1953・新評論社）』▽『『秋田雨雀戯曲集』（1975・弘前雨雀会）』▽『藤田龍雄著『秋田雨雀研究』（1972・津軽書房）』

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