Kaoru Osanai - Kaoru Osanai

Director, playwright, novelist. Born in Hiroshima Prefecture on July 26, 1881. When he was four years old, his father, an army surgeon, died and he moved with his family to Tokyo. Graduated from the Department of English Literature at Tokyo Imperial University in 1906 (Meiji 39). While still a student, he frequented the Ii Yoho troupe, and became acquainted with Mori Ogai, writing theater reviews and translations. In 1907, he launched the magazine Shinshicho (first issue), breathing fresh air into the world of theater and literature. In 1909, he teamed up with Ichikawa Sadanji II, who had just returned from studying abroad, to form the Jiyugekijo (Free Theater Company). For the first performance, he performed Ibsen's John Gabriel Borkman, sparking the new theater movement by introducing modern European drama. He traveled abroad from 1912 to 1913 (Taisho 1 to 2). After returning to Japan, he became an advisor to the Ichimuraza Makuuchi Theatre and worked to reform commercial theatres, and in 1920, after the dissolution of the Jiyugeki Theatre, he was welcomed as an advisor to Shochiku Kinema's research institute, and was in charge of overall direction for the production of the film Souls on the Street. Murata Minoru, Ushihara Kiyohiko, and Ito Daisuke were among his students during his time at Shochiku. He moved to Osaka for a time due to the Great Kanto Earthquake, but returned to Tokyo in 1924 at the urging of Hijikata Yoshi, and together with his comrades, he founded the Tsukiji Little Theatre. The Tsukiji Little Theatre's immediate goal was to fully transplant modern European drama, and it had an immeasurable impact on the subsequent development of Japanese theatre through the establishment of directing methods, training of modern actors, and advocacy of teaching principles, and he was its greatest leader. In 1927 (Showa 2), he was invited to participate in the celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, but died of a heart attack on Christmas night the following year (Showa 3) at a celebration party for a performance at the Tsukiji Little Theatre. He is known as the "father of new drama." His books include critical essays such as "Director's Notes" and "Theatrical Studies," as well as plays such as "The First World" (1921), "Son" (1922), "Nishiyama Monogatari" (1924), and "Mori Arinori" (1926), and the novel "Okawabata" (1912). He is also known as a pioneer of radio dramas, and in 1925 he translated and conducted Japan's first full-scale radio drama, "Inside the Coal Mine" (based on an original story by Richard Hughes). His younger sister was Yachiyo Okada, the playwright and wife of the Western-style painter Saburosuke Okada, and his cousin was the painter Tsuguharu Foujita (their mothers were sisters).

[Tsutomu Ohshima]

"The Complete Works of Oyamauchi Kaoru, 8 volumes (1975, Rinkawa Shoten)" ▽ "The Complete Works of Oyamauchi Kaoru's Theatrical Theory, 5 volumes (1964-1968, Miraisha)" ▽ "Oyamauchi Kaoru, by Kubo Sakae (Kadokawa Shinsho)" ▽ "Oyamauchi Kaoru, by Mizushina Haruki (1961, Jiji Press)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

演出家、劇作家、小説家。明治14年7月26日広島県に生まれる。4歳のとき陸軍軍医であった父が死亡し、一家とともに東京に移る。1906年（明治39）東京帝国大学英文科卒業。在学中から伊井蓉峰(ようほう)一座に出入りし、森鴎外(おうがい)の知遇を得て劇評や翻訳を手がけ、1907年には雑誌『新思潮』（第一次）を発刊して、劇文壇に新風を吹き込んだ。1909年、遊学から帰朝した2世市川左団次と組んで自由劇場を結成、その第1回公演としてイプセンの『ジョン・ガブリエル・ボルクマン』を取り上げ、ヨーロッパ近代劇の導入による新劇運動の火ぶたを切った。1912～1913年（大正1～2）外遊。帰国後は市村座の幕内顧問となって商業劇場の改革にあたり、自由劇場解散後の1920年には松竹キネマの研究所顧問に迎えられ、映画『路上の霊魂』製作の総指揮にあたった。村田実、牛原虚彦(きよひこ)、伊藤大輔(だいすけ)らは松竹時代の弟子である。関東大震災により一時大阪に移ったが、1924年土方与志(ひじかたよし)の懇望を受けて東京に戻り、同志とともに築地(つきじ)小劇場を設立した。築地小劇場は、ヨーロッパ近代戯曲の本格的移植を当面の目的とし、演出の確立、近代俳優の養成、指導理念の提唱など、その後の日本演劇の進展に計り知れぬ影響を与えたが、彼はその最大の指導者であった。1927年（昭和2）ロシア革命10周年記念祭に招かれて参加したが、翌年（昭和3）12月25日のクリスマスの夜、築地小劇場上演慰労会の席上、心臓発作のため死去した。「新劇の父」とよばれる。著書として、『演出者の手記』『演劇論叢(ろんそう)』などの評論のほか、戯曲に『第一の世界』（1921）、『息子』（1922）、『西山物語』（1924）、『森有礼(ありのり)』（1926）、小説に『大川端』（1912）などがある。なお、放送劇の開拓者としても知られ、1925年にはわが国初の本格的ラジオドラマ『炭坑の中』（リチャード・ヒューズ原作）の翻訳・指揮にあたっている。洋画家岡田三郎助の夫人で劇作家の岡田八千代は実妹、画家藤田嗣治(つぐじ)は従兄弟(いとこ)（母親同士が姉妹）にあたる。

［大島　勉］

『『小山内薫全集』全8巻（1975・臨川書店）』▽『『小山内薫演劇論全集』全5巻（1964～1968・未来社）』▽『久保栄著『小山内薫』（角川新書）』▽『水品春樹著『小山内薫』（1961・時事通信社）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例