Junichiro Tanizaki is a famous Japanese writer whose works have become world classics. To this day, Junichiro books are read all over the world - readers find more and more beautiful in them.
Writer Biography
Junichiro Tanizaki was born on July 24, 1886 in the Japanese capital, in Tokyo.
The father of the writer was a serious and wealthy businessman. Later, when Junichiro Tanizaki began to write his legendary works, in one of the books he admitted that he was very spoiled in childhood. Despite the fact that Tanizaki was considered at that time to be prosperous people, some time later the family began to get poor. That is what influenced Junichiro Tanizaki's career. The family moved to a poorer Tokyo area, Junichiro got a job as a school teacher. He held this position for a long time, helping students to develop more and more in the literary direction.
Tanizaki received his education at the University of Tokyo, where he studied at the Faculty of Literature. But the salary was very small, parents barely made ends meet, so Junichiro had to leave school, since he did not have the means to pay for his education.
The first steps in creativity
Tanizaki began to engage in writing in 1909. The writer's first step in his work was a small play, which did not bring the author great fame, since it was published in a local magazine.
Speaking about the dawn of Junichiro, it is important to note that at first the writer rejected any manifestation of literary naturalism. The works of Junichiro Tanizaki were written in the modern and avant-garde styles. In addition, the uniqueness of Tanizaki's works lies in the fact that they are not devoid of romanticism and philosophically deep, which at that time was more likely characteristic of naturalism.
Starting to write, Junichiro tried to do the almost impossible - he decided to combine in his works the ancient Japanese traditions, sacred from century to century, and the Western European dynamic culture, which became for the writer a breath of fresh air.
About works
The peculiarity of Tanizaki's works is that the writer outlined female images in a special way. In his books you can see how unique female characters are: Junichiro often chose fatal ladies as heroines. If you compare the works of Tanizaki with the works of other Japanese writers of that time, you can see how much they differ in style, subjects and heroes. The emotions that provoke Tanizaki's works cannot be described, they are so different from the literature familiar to a person. Tanizaki books can change the world view, broaden one's horizons and help in finding one's life path.
Tanizaki’s writing style is very different from his fellow writers. Readers perceived his works in completely different ways. Some Japanese critics condemned his desire for innovations in literature, while others admired the new that he tried to introduce Junichiro into Japanese culture. The innovative work of the writer not only entered the culture of Japan, but became one of the most important stages in the development of world literature.
Sunset creativity
At sunset, Junichiro decided to abandon the synthesis of cultures of Europe and Japan in his works. Tanizaki’s latest works are increasingly filled with Japanese literary culture and traditions. He wrote books based on ancient Japanese history.
The death of a writer
Junichiro died on July 30, 1965 at the age of 79. After the death of the great writer in Japan, the Junichiro Tanizaki Literary Prize was officially established.
The memory of the writer
Traditional comics are very popular in Japan today. Having gained eternal glory and respect, the writer became the hero of the stray dogs comic book. Junichiro Tanizaki has a different name in the work, but everyone knows that the author of the comic strip portrayed this great representative of Japanese literature and world classics.
"Key"
Junichiro Tanizaki's work “The Key” became one of the central works of Japanese literature of that time. The narrative is in the form of two diaries, which are husband and wife. The confrontation between spouses, family troubles, misunderstanding and great love for each other - this is what Junichiro Tanizaki wrote about.
"Praise the shadow"
In the book “Praise of the Shadow,” a Japanese writer talks about the magic of female beauty. The work is frank, as it contains elements of eroticism, which was not inherent in Japanese literature of the twentieth century.
"Small snow"
Junichiro Tanizaki’s book, “Small Snow,” has become one of the most famous and important in the writer's work. You can also find another name for this work - "Snowy Landscape".
The events Tanizaki writes about take place in the 30s of the last century in Japan. The plot focuses on a rather rich family in which four daughters grow. The writer tells how the life of each of the girls of a famous old family develops. At the center of the story are their experiences and emotions, which send ongoing events to the background.
"Fool's love"
In the thick of things the writer's works are the simplest people. However, life is such that the relationship between them is too complex. Showing how a person is able to behave in a certain situation, Tanizaki reveals the essence of the whole human soul. In addition, the author gives many differences between a resident of Western Europe and a resident of Japan.