Muro Saisei

Poet and novelist. Real name Terumichi. Born on August 1, 1889, in Ura-Sennichicho, Kanazawa, to Obata Yazaemon Yoshitane, a samurai of the former Kaga domain, and his maid Haru. Shortly after birth, he was adopted by Akai Hatsu and registered as her illegitimate child. Hatsu was the common-law wife of Muroo Shinjo, the head priest of Uho-in Temple, and Saisei was adopted by Shinjo at the age of seven, taking the surname Muroo. When he was nine, his father died and his mother went missing. At the age of 12, on his mother's orders, he dropped out of Kanazawa Higher Elementary School in the third year and became a waiter at the courthouse. He composed haiku for his superiors, and submitted poems to Shinsei. After being transferred to the Kanazawa Registry Office, he quit his job in the autumn of his 20th year, aiming to become a poet. He later wrote about these events in "Childhood" and "Around the Time I Awakened to Sex" (both 1919). After working as a reporter for local newspapers, he moved to Tokyo, but was unable to make a living there and returned home twice. His poetry was recognized in the autumn of 1912 (Taisho 1), and the following year it was published in every issue of "Zamboa", a magazine edited by Kitahara Hakushu, from January until it ceased publication in May. "Kokei Ijyo", which sings "My hometown is far away and I think of it", was published in May and is a representative example of his early lyric poetry. At this time he received a letter from Hagiwara Sakutaro, and the two of them became friends. These poems were later included in "Jojo Kokyokushu" (Collection of Lyric Poems) (1918). In 1916, he founded the poetry magazine "Kanjo" together with Sakutaro and Yamamura Bocho. Hakushu praised him as "a sentimentalist, natural and immature, yet as simple as the leaves of a young chestnut tree with their silvery down." In "Poetry of Love" (1918), he also wrote colloquial poetry with a spiritualistic stylization. After "Childhood," he was recognized as a novelist, and especially after "Brother and Sister" (1934), he wrote works that were called "city demons," depicting the lives of wild people who live earnestly in the streets. During the Pacific War, he wrote autobiographical works such as "The Song of the Mud Sparrow" (1942) and court stories such as "The Song of the Dearest One" (1939). After the war, his essay "Onna Hito" (Woman) (1955) was well received, and he became active again. He won the Yomiuri Literature Prize for "Anzukko" (1957), a story about himself and his daughter. He won the Noma Literary Prize for his dynasty novel "Kagero's Diary Remains" (1958). During this time, he continued to write poetry, and published many anthologies, including "Bōshun Shishu" (1922), "Tsuru" (1928), "Kurogane Shu" (1932), and "Miikusa" (1942). He began by searching for a way to live despite his unfortunate upbringing, and especially in his later years, he found a deeper meaning in life by focusing on women. He passed away on March 26, 1962. His grave is in Nodayama, Kanazawa, and the Ishikawa Museum of Modern Literature has an exhibition commemorating Saisei's life.

[Kunio Torii]

"Complete Works of Saisei Muroo" 12 volumes and 2 supplementary volumes (1964-65, Shinchosha)" ▽ "Complete Poetry Collection of Saisei Muroo" 3 volumes (1978, Fuyukisha)" ▽ "Muro Saisei by Shigeharu Nakano (1968, Chikumashobo)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

詩人、小説家。本名照道。明治22年8月1日、金沢市裏千日町に、旧加賀藩士小畠弥左衛門吉種と女中ハルの間に生まれる。生後まもなく赤井ハツにもらわれ、その私生児として届けられた。ハツは雨宝院の住職室生真乗の内縁の妻で、犀星は7歳のとき真乗の養嗣子(しし)となり、室生姓を名のる。9歳で実父が死ぬとともに実母は行方不明となる。12歳のとき、母の命により、金沢高等小学校3年で中退、裁判所の給仕となる。上司に交わって俳句を詠み、さらに詩を『新声』に投稿する。金石(かないわ)登記所に配転されたのち、20歳の秋、詩人を志して職を辞す。この間のことはのちに『幼年時代』『性に眼(め)覚める頃(ころ)』（ともに1919）に書かれる。地方新聞の記者として転々したのち上京するが、生活できずに帰郷すること2回。1912年（大正1）秋から詩が認められ、翌年は北原白秋主宰の『朱欒(ザムボア)』に1月から5月廃刊まで毎号掲載される。「ふるさとは遠きにありて思ふもの」と歌う「小景異情」は5月に発表され、初期叙情詩を代表するものである。このとき萩原朔太郎(はぎわらさくたろう)から手紙をもらい、以後親交を結ぶ。これらの詩はのちに『抒情(じょじょう)小曲集』（1918）に収められた。16年朔太郎および山村暮鳥(ぼちょう)とともに詩誌『感情』を創刊する。白秋は、「自然の儘(まま)で、稚(おさな)い、それでも銀の柔毛(にこげ)を持つた栗(くり)の若葉のやうに単純な、感傷家(センチメンタリスト)」とたたえた。『愛の詩集』（1918）では、求道的な口語詩もみられる。『幼年時代』以後、小説家としても認められ、ことに『あにいもうと』（1934）以後は市井鬼ものとよばれる作品を書き、巷(ちまた)に真剣に生きる野性的な人間の生命を描き出した。太平洋戦争中は『泥雀の歌』（1942）などの自伝的作品や、『つくしこひしの歌』（1939）などの王朝ものを書いていた。戦後、随筆『女ひと』（1955）が好評を博してふたたび活発な活動に入る。自分と娘を描いた『杏(あんず)っ子』（1957）では読売文学賞を受賞。王朝ものの『かげろふの日記遺文』（1958）では野間文芸賞を受賞した。この間、詩もつくり続け、詩集も『忘春詩集』（1922）、『鶴(つる)』（1928）、『鉄(くろがね)集』（1932）、『美以久佐(みいくさ)』（1942）など数多い。不幸な生い立ちのなかに生きる道を求めるところから出発して、ことに晩年は、女性を見つめて深い人生をみいだしている。昭和37年3月26日死去。墓地は金沢市野田山にあり、石川近代文学館は犀星の生涯をしのぶ展示をしている。

［鳥居邦朗］

『『室生犀星全集』12巻・別巻2（1964～65・新潮社）』▽『『室生犀星全詩集』全3巻（1978・冬樹社）』▽『中野重治著『室生犀星』（1968・筑摩書房）』

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