更新日：2010年7月5日

Nakayama Gishu

Novelist Nakayama Gishu was born in 1900 in Fukushima Prefecture. His real name was Yoshihide. While he was studying at Waseda University, he founded the coterie magazine "To" (Tower) with Yokomitsu Riichi and others, and contributed his first story, "Ana" (The Hole).

Gishu taught at a middle school until 1933 from the graduation of a university, all the while continuing with his creative activity. In 1938, he brought out his first collection of short stories, "Denko" (Electric Light) and two years later, won the Akutagawa Prize for "Atsumonozaki," a novelette. He finally earned a firm place in the literary world with his next short story, "Ishibumi" (Monument), which was followed by "Seifu Sassa" (Swift Breeze) and "Fuso" (Wind and Frost).

After World War II, he began to branch out into a new area, with historical novels such as "Zansho" and "Shinobu no Taka," connected to his home region. His stories about brave swordsmen and warlords included "Hirade Shuzo," "Shin Kengoden," and "Shoan," which was about the 16th century warrior Akechi Mitsuhide. He also wrote essays, among them "Hanazono no Shisaku" (Meditation on a Flower Garden), "Futatsu no Shogai" (Two Lives) and "Watakushi no Bundan Fugetsu." Gishu died in 1969 at the age of 68, leaving an unfinished serial, "Basho-an Tosei."

Gishu lived at Gokurakuji, Kamakura, from 1943 to the end of his life and took an active interest in the lending library, Kamakura Bunko, and the publishing house of the same name.