TANIZAKI Jun'ichiro

(1886 - 1965)

Quick Facts

• author

• born in Nihonbashi, Tokyo

• family was in wealthy merchant class

• watched his family's wealth dwindle due to poor business practice of his father

• was forced to withdraw from college

• initial obsession with Western influences; this opinion changed drastically after the 1923 earthquake

• moved away from Tokyo region: Odawara in 1919, Yokohama in 1922, Kyoto in 1923, Kobe in 1928, Atami, Shizuoka in 1942, Kyoto in 1946, Yugawara, Kanagawa in 1964

• one of Japan's three most famous authors (the other two being KAWABATA and MISHIMA)

• writing often dealt with worship of idealized female figures

Relevant Class Works

• "The Reed Cutter"

External Links

1. "Jun'ichiro Tanizaki" at Wikipedia.