Daibutsu Jiro - Osaragi Jiro

Novelist. Born in Yokohama on October 9, 1897. His real name was Nojiri Kiyohiko. His eldest brother was Nojiri Hoei. He studied at Tokyo Prefectural First Junior High School, the former First Senior High School, and then at the Department of Politics at Tokyo Imperial University. He was baptized by Taisho democracy and subsequently adopted a liberal stance. He published "Ichiko Romance" (1917) while at First Senior High School. After graduating from university, he worked in the Treaty Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but devoted himself to writing after the Great Kanto Earthquake. He used the pen name Daibutsu because he lived behind the Hase Daibutsu in Kamakura. Starting with "The Old Woman with a Demon Mask" in 1924 (Taisho 13), he wrote the series "Kurama Tengu" (Kurama Tengu). In 1926, he serialized his first newspaper novel, "Sunny and Cloudy Days," in the Osaka Asahi Shimbun. From 1927 to 1928 (Showa 2-3), he became a star in the popular literary world with "Ako Roshi," which he wrote for the Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun. His period works include "Yui Masayuki" (1930) and "Kojiki Taisho" (1944-46). After "White Ane," which was serialized in both the Tokyo and Osaka Asahi Shimbun in 1931, he became active in the field of novels of manners and manners. After writing modernization stories such as "Mist Horn" (1933), he achieved his greatest success after World War II with "Return Home" (1948, Art Academy Prize). Other works he wrote include "The Dreyfus Affair" (1930), "The Tragedy of General Boulanger" (1935), and "The Panama Affair" (1960), which dealt with political events under the French Third Republic, and "Paris Burning" (1961-63), which depicts the Paris Commune. Another outstanding work is "The Emperor's Century" (1967-73, unfinished), which empirically captures the changes from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period. He also wrote many children's books, plays, and essays, and exudes a sense of common sense. He became a member of the Japan Art Academy in 1985 (Showa 35). He was awarded the Order of Culture in 1989. He passed away on April 30, 1973. The Daisaragi Jiro Memorial Museum is located in Yokohama. After his death, the Daisaragi Jiro Prize was established to recognize outstanding works (established in 1973, first awarded the following year).

[Hideki Ozaki]

"Daibutsu Jiro's Self-Selected Works: Contemporary Novels," 11 volumes (1972-73, Asahi Shimbun)" ▽ "Daibutsu Jiro Complete Essays," 3 volumes (1973-74, Asahi Shimbun)" ▽ "Daibutsu Jiro Complete Historical Novels," 24 volumes (1975-77, Asahi Shimbun)" ▽ "Daibutsu Jiro Complete Plays," 1 volume (1977, Asahi Shimbun)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小説家。明治30年10月9日横浜生まれ。本名野尻(のじり)清彦。長兄に野尻抱影(ほうえい)がいる。東京府立第一中学校から旧制第一高等学校を経て東京帝国大学政治学科に学ぶ。大正デモクラシーの洗礼を受け、それ以後リベラルな立場をとる。一高在学中に『一高ロマンス』（1917）を出版。大学卒業後、外務省条約局に勤めたが、関東大震災を機に文筆に専念。鎌倉、長谷(はせ)大仏裏に住んでいたため大仏の筆名を用いる。1924年（大正13）『鬼面の老女』を皮切りに『鞍馬天狗(くらまてんぐ)』の連作を執筆、26年に初めての新聞小説である『照る日くもる日』を『大阪朝日新聞』に連載、27～28年（昭和2～3）『東京日日新聞』に執筆した『赤穂浪士(あこうろうし)』で大衆文壇の花形となった。時代物に『由比(ゆい)正雪』（1930）、『乞食(こじき)大将』（1944～46）などがある。31年に東京・大阪の両『朝日新聞』に連載した『白い姉』以後、風俗小説の分野でも活躍。『霧笛』（1933）など開化物を経て第二次世界大戦後の『帰郷』（1948。芸術院賞）に大成された。またフランス第三共和政下の政治的諸事件を扱った『ドレフュス事件』（1930）、『ブゥランジェ将軍の悲劇』（1935）、『パナマ事件』（1960）や、パリ・コミューンを描いた『パリ燃ゆ』（1961～63）があり、幕末から明治へかけての変革を実証的にとらえた『天皇の世紀』（1967～73。未完）も優れた業績である。児童文学、戯曲、随想なども多く、市民的良識を感じさせる。60年（昭和35）芸術院会員。64年文化勲章受章。昭和48年4月30日没。横浜に大仏次郎記念館がある。なお、没後、優れた著作に与えられる大仏次郎賞が設けられた（1973創設、翌年第1回）。

［尾崎秀樹］

『『大仏次郎自選集　現代小説』全11巻（1972～73・朝日新聞社）』▽『『大仏次郎随筆全集』全三巻（1973～74・朝日新聞社）』▽『『大仏次郎時代小説全集』全24巻（1975～77・朝日新聞社）』▽『『大仏次郎戯曲全集』全一巻（1977・朝日新聞社）』

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