Mayama Fruits and Vegetables - Mayama Squid

Playwright, novelist, and historical researcher. His real name was Akira. He was born on September 1, 1878 in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. After dropping out of the Second High School's medical department, he worked as a pharmacy student and substitute doctor at a hospital before moving to Tokyo and studying under Sato Koroku and Oguri Fuyo. He was recognized as a budding naturalist writer with his novel series "Minamikoizumimura" (1907-09), which portrayed the lives of farmers in the Tohoku region with a pitiless eye, and "Myogabatake" (1907). However, he retired from the literary world after causing two manuscript double-selling scandals, and at the end of 1913 (Taisho 2), he joined Shochiku at the recommendation of Kitamura Rokuro, and became a resident playwright for Shinpa plays. During his time as a Shinpa writer, he went by the pen name Teiteisei and wrote the scripts "Mibana Adabana," "Asagiri Kouta," "Kumo no Wakareji," and adapted "Shuchu Nikki." His one-act play "Genboku and Choei," published in 1924 (Taisho 13), was well-received and marked his return to the literary world. He continued to present and perform a series of powerful masterpieces, including the historical drama series "Taira no Masakado" (1925-26), "Oshio Heihachiro" (1926), "Tochuken Kumoemon" (1927), "Sakamoto Ryoma" (1928), "Shogun Nogi" (1929-30), and the trilogy "Edo Castle General Siege" (1926-34), becoming a leading figure in the commercial theater world. He also performed the 10-part series "Genroku Chushingura" (1934-41), which was based on meticulous historical research and unique character interpretations, and marked the pinnacle of Seika historical drama. Many of his works are character tragedies, historical dramas, and biographical dramas that depict the conflicts and struggles of the characters' personalities, based on rigorous and thorough historical research. He also devoted himself to research into the works of Saikaku, Bakin, Edo geography, and the Sendai dialect. He became a member of the Japan Art Academy in 1942 (Showa 17). He passed away on March 25, 1948. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth, the "Seiga Mayama Complete Works" was re-edited and published. His daughter, Miho Mayama (1922-2006), is the head of the Shinseisakuza theatre company and a playwright and director.

[Hiroyuki Fujiki]

"The Complete Works of Mayama Seika, Volume 18, Supplementary Volume 5, and Supplementary Volume 2 (1975-78, Kodansha)" ▽ "Mayama Seika: The Person and His Works, by Oyama Isao (1978, Mokujisha)" ▽ "Biography of Mayama Seika, by Nomura Takashi (1994, Libroport)" ▽ "Mayama Seika: The Great Soul, by Tanabe Akio (1999, Okisekisha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

劇作家、小説家、考証家。本名彬(あきら)。明治11年9月1日宮城県仙台に生まれる。第二高等学校医学部中退後、病院の薬局生や代診医を勤めたのち上京し、佐藤紅緑(こうろく)、小栗風葉(おぐりふうよう)に師事した。東北の農民の姿を非情な眼(め)でとらえた小説『南小泉村』（1907～09）の連作や『茗荷畑(みょうがばたけ)』（1907）で、自然主義の新進作家として認められた。が、二度にわたる原稿二重売り事件を引き起こして文壇を退き、1913年（大正2）末、喜多村緑郎(きたむらろくろう)の勧めで松竹に入社、新派劇の座付作者となった。新派作者時代は亭々生(ていていせい)と号し、脚本『実花仇花(みばなあだばな)』『朝霧小唄(こうた)』『雲の別れ路(じ)』や、『酒中日記』の脚色などにあたった。24年（大正13）発表の一幕物『玄朴(げんぼく)と長英(ちょうえい)』が好評を博し、文壇復帰のきっかけとなる。引き続き史劇の連作『平将門(まさかど)』（1925～26）をはじめ、『大塩平八郎』（1926）、『桃中軒雲右衛門(とうちゅうけんくもえもん)』（1927）、『坂本龍馬(りょうま)』（1928）、『乃木(のぎ)将軍』（1929～30）や三部作『江戸城総攻(そうぜめ)』（1926～34）など力強いタッチの大作を次々に発表上演して、商業劇壇の第一人者となった。さらに、綿密な考証と独自の人物解釈による10編の連作『元禄(げんろく)忠臣蔵』（1934～41）が上演され、青果史劇の頂点を示すこととなった。厳密周到な歴史考証のもとに、人物の性格的対立や葛藤(かっとう)を描く性格悲劇、歴史劇、伝記劇が多い。ほかに、西鶴(さいかく)、馬琴(ばきん)、江戸地誌、仙台方言などの考証にも力を注ぐ。42年（昭和17）芸術院会員となった。昭和23年3月25日没。生誕百年を記念して『真山青果全集』が再編集され刊行された。新制作座の主宰者で劇作家・演出家の真山美保(みほ)（1922―2006）はその娘。

［藤木宏幸］

『『真山青果全集』本巻18・補巻5・別巻2（1975～78・講談社）』▽『大山功著『真山青果　人と作品』（1978・木耳社）』▽『野村喬著『評伝真山青果』（1994・リブロポート）』▽『田辺明雄著『真山青果――大いなる魂』（1999・沖積舎）』

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