Hyakken Uchida

Novelist and essayist. He used the name Hyakken until around 1935 (Showa 10). His other pen name was Hyakkien. He was born on May 29, 1889, as the only son of a sake brewer in Furugyo-cho (now Naka-ku), Okayama City. His real name was Eizo. During his middle school days in Okayama, he admired Natsume Soseki and submitted his works to the Bunsho Sekai and other publications under the pen names Setchin and Ryuseki. During his time at the former Sixth Higher School, he learned haiku from Shida Sokin and published his works in the Alumni Association Journal under the name Hyakken. In 1910 (Meiji 43), he entered the German Literature Department of Tokyo Imperial University, and the following year he became a student of Soseki, and began to be friends with Morita Sohei, Suzuki Miekichi, and others. In 1916 he became an instructor at the Army Academy, and from the following year he also served as an instructor at the Naval Engineering School. In 1920 he became a professor at Hosei University. He made his debut on the literary scene with "Meido" (1917), which continued and developed Soseki's "Ten Nights of Dreams," and won a large readership with his novel-like essay collection "Hyakkien Zuihitsu" (1933). He wrote a wide variety of essays, including "Aho Ressha" (1952), which describes a pointless train trip around the country, and "Noraya" (1957), in which he reveals his strange obsession with his pet cat. He died on April 20, 1971.

[Hideyuki Sakai]

"The Complete Works of Uchida Hyaku, 10 volumes (1971-73, Kodansha)" ▽ "Hyakkien Suihitsu, Obo Ressha (Obunsha Bunko)" ▽ "The Tale of Hyakkien, a Man of Poetry and Wine, by Saburo Hirayama (1979, Ozawa Shoten)" ▽ "My Professor Hyakkien, by Saburo Hirayama (1979, Rokuko Publishing)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小説家、随筆家。1935年（昭和10）ごろまでは百間の号を用いた。別号百鬼園(ひゃっきえん)。明治22年5月29日、岡山市古京(ふるぎょう)町（現中区）の造酒屋(つくりざかや)のひとり息子として生まれる。本名栄造。岡山中学時代、夏目漱石(そうせき)に私淑(ししゅく)し、雪隠(せっちん)、流石(りゅうせき)の筆名で『文章世界』などに投稿した。旧制六高時代には志田素琴(そきん)に俳句を学び、『校友会会誌』に百間の号で発表した。1910年（明治43）東京帝国大学独文科に入学、翌年から漱石門下生となり、森田草平(そうへい)、鈴木三重吉(みえきち)らとの交友が始まる。1916年陸軍士官学校教官、翌々年から、海軍機関学校教官を兼務。1920年法政大学教授。漱石の『夢十夜』を継承発展させた『冥途(めいど)』（1917）を発表して文壇に登場、小説的な随筆集『百鬼園隨筆』（1933）によって多数の読者を獲得した。全国各地への無用の列車旅行をつづった『阿房(あほう)列車』（1952）、飼い猫への異様な執心を吐露した『ノラや』（1957）など多彩な随筆がある。昭和46年4月20日没。

［酒井英行］

『『内田百全集』全10巻（1971～73・講談社）』▽『『百鬼園隨筆』『阿房列車』（旺文社文庫）』▽『平山三郎著『詩琴酒の人　百鬼園物語』（1979・小沢書店）』▽『平山三郎著『わが百鬼園先生』（1979・六興出版）』

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