Kafū Nagai (永井 荷風, Nagai Kafū, 3 December 1879 – 30 April 1959) was a Japanese writer, editor and translator.[1] His works like Geisha in Rivalry and A Strange Tale from East of the River are noted for their depictions of life of the demimonde in early 20th-century Tokyo.[2]
Kafū Nagai
Kafū Nagai in 1947
Born
Sōkichi Nagai (1879-12-03)3 December 1879 Tokyo, Japan
Died
30 April 1959(1959-04-30) (aged 79) Ichikawa, Japan
Nagai was born Sōkichi Nagai (永井 壮吉) in Koishikawa, Bunkyō, Tokyo, as the eldest son of government official Kyūichirō Nagai[1][3] and his wife Tsune, the daughter of scholar Washizu Kidō.[4] His father was an elite government official in the Home Ministry, who had studied as an exchange student in the United States[1] and also wrote and published Chinese poetry.[5] Kyūichirō later left his Ministry occupation to work for the Nippon Yusen shipping company.[2] When the second son was born in 1883, Nagai was sent to live with his maternal Grandmother until 1886.[5] During his childhood, he visited a Chinese language school, and, under his mother's influence, was taught singing and playing music instruments, showing a fondness for utazawa, a late Edo era style of singing accompanied by the shamisen.[5] Starting in 1890, he was also taught English language.[5]
Due to illness, Nagai spent several months in 1895 in a hospital in Odawara.[6] From 1897 on, he started his regular visits to the Yoshiwara red-light district, accompanied by his friend and writer Seiichi Inoue (1878–1923).[5] The same year, he graduated from Junior High School.[1] With his mother and younger brothers, he visited Shanghai, where his father was working for Nippon Yusen.[6] He returned to Japan in Autumn and enrolled in the Tokyo School of Foreign Languages.[1][3]
Kafū Nagai in 1912
In 1898, he published his first short story Sudare no tsuki.[5] He became a disciple of novelist Hirotsu Ryūrō and writer Fukuchi Ōchi, studied rakugo and kabuki play writing, appeared on stage in yose plays, and dropped out of University.[1][5] His writings were influenced by French Naturalism and Émile Zola, whose work he also translated.[5] Between 1903 and 1908, through his father's interference, Nagai visited the United States and later France, a time which he wrote down in his American Stories (Amerika monogatari) and Furansu monogatari (lit. "French Stories").[5] The 1908 publication of American Stories met with much critical acclaim.[1]
In 1910, Nagai started teaching as a professor of literature at Keio University and became the editor of the literary magazine Mita Bungaku.[1] At this time, he had already turned away from Naturalism and taken a shift towards Aestheticism.[1][3][5] The transition from the Meiji era to the Taishō era was also a turning point in Nagai's biography: the death of his father, the divorce from both his first and second wife[1] (the second marriage to a geisha led to the alienation from his mother),[2] and the resigning from his position at Keio University and Mita bungaku.[1] A frequenter of Tokyo's demimonde, Nagai wrote many stories about its inhabitants, geisha, courtesans and their customers, most notably Geisha in Rivalry (1916–17).[2]
After a decade-long hiatus, he published the novellas During the Rains (1931), Flowers in the Shade (1934) and A Strange Tale from East of the River (1937), with the latter having repeatedly been cited as his major work.[2][7] His contempt for the militarist regime, which in turn regarded his work as subversive for the war effort, led to a halt of the publishing of his writings until the end of World War II.[1][2] The publication of his diaries (1917–1959) ranks as the major literary event of his post-war career.[2]
1931: During the Rains (つゆのあとさき, Tsuyu no atosaki)
1934: Flowers in the Shade (ひかげの花, Hikage no hana)
1937: A Strange Tale from East of the River (濹東綺譚, Bokutō kidan)
References
^ abcdefghijklmn"永井荷風 (Nagai Kafū)". Kotobank (in Japanese). Retrieved 24 September 2022.
^ abcdefghDunlop, Lane (1994). "Translator's Preface"". During the Rains & Flowers in the Shade: Two Novellas by Nagai Kafu. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
^ abcHenshall, Kenneth G. (2014). Historical Dictionary of Japan to 1945. Scarecrow Press. pp. 279–280. ISBN9780810878716.
Works by Kafū Nagai at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
J'Lit | Authors : Kafu Nagai | Books from Japan (in English)
Kafū Nagai's grave (in English)
February 27, 2023
kafū, nagai, 永井, 荷風, nagai, kafū, december, 1879, april, 1959, japanese, writer, editor, translator, works, like, geisha, rivalry, strange, tale, from, east, river, noted, their, depictions, life, demimonde, early, 20th, century, tokyo, 1947bornsōkichi, nagai,. Kafu Nagai 永井 荷風 Nagai Kafu 3 December 1879 30 April 1959 was a Japanese writer editor and translator 1 His works like Geisha in Rivalry and A Strange Tale from East of the River are noted for their depictions of life of the demimonde in early 20th century Tokyo 2 Kafu NagaiKafu Nagai in 1947BornSōkichi Nagai 1879 12 03 3 December 1879Tokyo JapanDied30 April 1959 1959 04 30 aged 79 Ichikawa JapanOccupationWriter translator editorEducationJunior High SchoolLiterary movementNaturalism Aestheticism Contents 1 Biography 2 Selected works 3 References 4 External linksBiography Edit Nagai Kyuichirō Kafu s father Nagai was born Sōkichi Nagai 永井 壮吉 in Koishikawa Bunkyō Tokyo as the eldest son of government official Kyuichirō Nagai 1 3 and his wife Tsune the daughter of scholar Washizu Kidō 4 His father was an elite government official in the Home Ministry who had studied as an exchange student in the United States 1 and also wrote and published Chinese poetry 5 Kyuichirō later left his Ministry occupation to work for the Nippon Yusen shipping company 2 When the second son was born in 1883 Nagai was sent to live with his maternal Grandmother until 1886 5 During his childhood he visited a Chinese language school and under his mother s influence was taught singing and playing music instruments showing a fondness for utazawa a late Edo era style of singing accompanied by the shamisen 5 Starting in 1890 he was also taught English language 5 Due to illness Nagai spent several months in 1895 in a hospital in Odawara 6 From 1897 on he started his regular visits to the Yoshiwara red light district accompanied by his friend and writer Seiichi Inoue 1878 1923 5 The same year he graduated from Junior High School 1 With his mother and younger brothers he visited Shanghai where his father was working for Nippon Yusen 6 He returned to Japan in Autumn and enrolled in the Tokyo School of Foreign Languages 1 3 Kafu Nagai in 1912 In 1898 he published his first short story Sudare no tsuki 5 He became a disciple of novelist Hirotsu Ryurō and writer Fukuchi Ōchi studied rakugo and kabuki play writing appeared on stage in yose plays and dropped out of University 1 5 His writings were influenced by French Naturalism and Emile Zola whose work he also translated 5 Between 1903 and 1908 through his father s interference Nagai visited the United States and later France a time which he wrote down in his American Stories Amerika monogatari and Furansu monogatari lit French Stories 5 The 1908 publication of American Stories met with much critical acclaim 1 In 1910 Nagai started teaching as a professor of literature at Keio University and became the editor of the literary magazine Mita Bungaku 1 At this time he had already turned away from Naturalism and taken a shift towards Aestheticism 1 3 5 The transition from the Meiji era to the Taishō era was also a turning point in Nagai s biography the death of his father the divorce from both his first and second wife 1 the second marriage to a geisha led to the alienation from his mother 2 and the resigning from his position at Keio University and Mita bungaku 1 A frequenter of Tokyo s demimonde Nagai wrote many stories about its inhabitants geisha courtesans and their customers most notably Geisha in Rivalry 1916 17 2 After a decade long hiatus he published the novellas During the Rains 1931 Flowers in the Shade 1934 and A Strange Tale from East of the River 1937 with the latter having repeatedly been cited as his major work 2 7 His contempt for the militarist regime which in turn regarded his work as subversive for the war effort led to a halt of the publishing of his writings until the end of World War II 1 2 The publication of his diaries 1917 1959 ranks as the major literary event of his post war career 2 In 1952 Nagai received the Order of Culture and in 1954 he was elected a member of the Japan Art Academy 1 He died on 30 April 1959 1 2 Selected works Edit1908 American Stories あめりか物語 Amerika monogatari 1911 The River Sumida すみだ川 Sumidagawa 1916 1917 Geisha in Rivalry 腕くらべ Ude kurabe 1917 1959 Danchōtei nichijō 断腸亭日乗 1931 During the Rains つゆのあとさき Tsuyu no atosaki 1934 Flowers in the Shade ひかげの花 Hikage no hana 1937 A Strange Tale from East of the River 濹東綺譚 Bokutō kidan References Edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 永井荷風 Nagai Kafu Kotobank in Japanese Retrieved 24 September 2022 a b c d e f g h Dunlop Lane 1994 Translator s Preface During the Rains amp Flowers in the Shade Two Novellas by Nagai Kafu Stanford California Stanford University Press a b c Henshall Kenneth G 2014 Historical Dictionary of Japan to 1945 Scarecrow Press pp 279 280 ISBN 9780810878716 Nagai Kafu 2000 Shitaya sōwa 荷風 永井 Iwanami Shoten 岩波書店 pp 12 13 ISBN 4 00 310428 5 OCLC 675288661 a b c d e f g h i j Schulz Evelyn 1997 Nagai Kafu Tagebuch eines Heimgekehrten Hamburg LIT a b Seidensticker Edward 1965 Kafu the Scribbler The Life and Writings of Nagai Kafu 1879 1959 Stanford California Stanford University Press 濹東綺譚 Bokutō kidan Kotobank in Japanese Retrieved 27 September 2022 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kafu Nagai Works by Kafu Nagai at Project Gutenberg Works by or about Kafu Nagai at Internet Archive Works by Kafu Nagai at LibriVox public domain audiobooks J Lit Authors Kafu Nagai Books from Japan in English Kafu Nagai s grave in English Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kafu Nagai amp oldid 1138726102, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
