Shugoro Yamamoto - Yamamoto Shugoro

Novelist. Born on June 22, 1903, in Shimo Hatsukari, Hatsukari-cho, Otsuki, Yamanashi Prefecture. His real name was Shimizu Satomu. He graduated from Seisoku English School. He became an apprentice at a pawn shop, a newspaper and magazine journalist, and then became a novelist. His breakthrough work in the literary world was "Sumadera Fukinai," which he entered into a contest in the April issue of "Bungei Shunju" in 1926 (Taisho 15). At first, he mainly wrote plays, fairy tales, and girls' novels, but after publishing his historical novel "Dara Danbei" in the May 1932 (Showa 7) issue of "King," he began to focus his literary activities on adult entertainment magazines. Because of this, he was generally considered a popular writer, and was largely ignored by pure literature authors and critics during his early and middle years. However, Yamamoto believed that "in literature there is no such thing as 'pure' or 'impure', no such thing as 'the masses' or 'the minority'. There are only 'good novels' and 'bad novels'", and made it his life's goal to create a universally valid portrayal of humanity. Yamamoto always stood on the side of the unsung common people and maintained a bold attitude of resistance to established authority. In 1968, he firmly declined the 17th Naoki Prize, and has rejected every literary award he has been asked to accept, stemming from his authorial ethics that "literature does not exist for the sake of awards", and his unyielding determination is unparalleled in the history of modern Japanese literature. After the war, he finally gained a wide readership and published masterpieces such as "The Fir Tree Remains" (1958), "Red Beard's Medical Treatment Story" (1958), "Osan" (1961), "Aobeka Monogatari" (1960), and "Sabu" (1963), and his reputation has increased even more since his death. Some have even said that "100 years from now, he will remain one of Japan's leading short story writers" (Okuno Takeo) and "he surpassed Chekhov in depicting cute women" (Shimada Kinji). He died on February 14, 1967, at his workplace in Makado-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama. In September 1987, the "Yamamoto Shugoro Prize" was established by the Shincho Literature Promotion Association.

[Kimura Hisanori]

"The Complete Works of Shugoro Yamamoto, 30 volumes (1981-84, Shinchosha)" ▽ "The Tale of Blue Beard, The Tale of Red Beard's Medical Treatment, Sabu (Shincho Bunko)" ▽ "Research on Shugoro Yamamoto, edited by Hisanori Kimura (1973, Gakugei Shorin)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小説家。明治36年6月22日、山梨県大月市初狩町下初狩に生まれる。本名清水三十六(しみずさとむ)。正則英語学校卒業。質店の徒弟、新聞・雑誌記者を経て小説家となる。1926年（大正15）『文芸(ぶんげい)春秋』4月号の懸賞に投じた『須磨寺附近』が文壇出世作となる。初めは劇作や童話、少女小説の執筆を主としていたが、32年（昭和7）5月号『キング』に時代小説『だゝら團兵衛』を発表して以後、大人向けの大衆娯楽雑誌を作品活動の舞台とするようになる。ために一般からは大衆作家とみなされ、新進、中堅時代には純文学作者や批評家からはほとんど黙殺された。だが山本は「文学には“純”も“不純”もなく、“大衆”も“少数”もない。ただ“よい小説”と“わるい小説”があるばかりだ」を信念とし、普遍妥当性をもつ人間像の造形を生涯の目的とした。山本はつねに日の当たらぬ庶民の側にたち、既成の権威に敢然と抵抗する態度を持し続けた。43年、第17回直木賞を断固辞退したのをはじめ、受賞を要請された文学賞のすべてを一蹴(いっしゅう)したのは「文学は賞のためにあるのではない」との作者の倫理に発したもので、その硬骨ぶりは日本近代文学史上、他に例がない。戦後、ようやく幅広い読者を獲得し、『樅(もみ)ノ木は残った』（1958）、『赤ひげ診療譚(たん)』（1958）、『おさん』（1961）、『青べか物語』（1960）、『さぶ』（1963）などの傑作を世に問い、死後、声価はますます高い。「100年後、日本の代表的短編作家として残ろう」（奥野健男(たけお)）、「可愛い女を描いてチェホフを抜く」（島田謹二(きんじ)）と評価するむきもあるほどである。昭和42年2月14日、横浜市中区間門(まかど)町の仕事場で死去。なお、1987年9月、「山本周五郎賞」が新潮文芸振興会により設定された。

［木村久邇典］

『『山本周五郎全集』全30巻（1981～84・新潮社）』▽『『青べか物語』『赤ひげ診療譚』『さぶ』（新潮文庫）』▽『木村久邇典編『研究山本周五郎』（1973・学芸書林）』

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