Yamada Bimyō

In this Japanese name, the family name is Yamada.
Yamada Bimyō

Yamada Bimyō (山田 美妙), born Yamada Taketarō (山田 武太郎, 1868–1910), was a Japanese novelist.[1]

Jim Reichert, author of Yamada Bimyō: Historical Fiction and Modern Love, wrote that Bimyō was "one of the most influential literary reformers of the 1880s" who had "an instrumental role" in producing rekishi shōsetsu, the modern form of a Japanese historical novel.[2] According to Reichert, during the 1880s the public perceived Bimyō "to be at the forefront of the literary reform movement, offering a fresh and exciting strategy for reforming Japanese literature."[2]

Louis Frédéric, author of the Japan Encyclopedia, wrote that Bimyō was, along with Kōda Rohan, "the most representative authors" of the first modern school of literature to appear in Meiji Japan.[3]

History

Bimyō was a part of the "Ken'yūsha" ("Friends of the Inkstone") literary group formed in February 1885, along with Ozaki Kōyō, Ishibashi Shian, and Maruoka Kyūka.[4]

Bimyō married the writer Tazawa Inabune (Tazawa Kin) after she traveled to Tokyo to meet him.[5] At the time, Bimyō's financial situation was deteriorating, and Inabune's family was wealthy. Yukiko Tanaka, author of Women Writers of Meiji and Taisho Japan: Their Lives, Works and Critical Reception, 1868-1926, stated that the marriage would not have occurred if the financial situation did not exist.[6]

During the marriage Bimyō had affairs with other women.[5] Bimyō told Ozaki Kōyō, who criticized his having affairs, that he did them to enhance his artistic abilities.[7] The marriage attracted scrutiny from the press, and after three months they divorced and Inafune was forced to return home.[6]

The man's relationships with his colleagues eventually deteriorated.[8] Bimyō's ex-wife's died, and many newspapers reported that she committed suicide. Melek Ortabasi, author of "Tazawa Inabune (1874-1896)", wrote that Inafune's death ended Bimyo's career "in large part" because Bimyō received criticisms for how he had treated Inafune.[9]

Bimyō died at age 42. At the time of his death he was in a poor economic situation.[8] In 2006 Reichert stated that Bimyō had "faded into relative obscurity".[2]

Writing style

Yamada Bimyō in 1910

Tomi Suzuki, author of Narrating the Self: Fictions of Japanese Modernity, wrote that Bimyō's writing style "was in fact far from the spoken languages of the time."[1] Bimyō favored genbun-itchi (言文一致), which means unifying spoken and written language, and also used Western literature features including different grammatical persons, ellipses, passive voice, personification, and Western tense styles. He wrote an 1889 article advocating genbun-itchi.[1]

Works

Collections

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Suzuki, Tomi. Narrating the Self: Fictions of Japanese Modernity. Stanford University Press, July 1, 1997. ISBN 0804731624, 9780804731621. p. 44.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Reichert, p. 99.
  3. ↑ Frédéric, Louis. Japan Encyclopedia. Harvard University Press, 2002. ISBN 0674017536, 9780674017535. p. 596.
  4. ↑ Wallace, Denton, and Fulton, page unstated (Google Books PT86).
  5. 1 2 Tanaka, Yukiko. Women Writers of Meiji and Taisho Japan: Their Lives, Works and Critical Reception, 1868-1926. McFarland, September 1, 2000. ISBN 0786481978, 9780786481972. p. 84.
  6. 1 2 Tanaka, Yukiko. Women Writers of Meiji and Taisho Japan: Their Lives, Works and Critical Reception, 1868-1926. McFarland, September 1, 2000. ISBN 0786481978, 9780786481972. p. 85.
  7. ↑ Tanaka, Yukiko. Women Writers of Meiji and Taisho Japan: Their Lives, Works and Critical Reception, 1868-1926. McFarland, September 1, 2000. ISBN 0786481978, 9780786481972. p. 84-85.
  8. 1 2 Miller, J. Scott. The A to Z of Modern Japanese Literature and Theater (Volume 187 of The A to Z Guide Series). Scarecrow Press, April 1, 2010. ISBN 1461731887, 9781461731887. p. 141.
  9. ↑ Ortabasi, p. 158.
  10. 1 2 Sullivan p. 31.

Further reading

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/29/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.