Kikuko Kawakami

Kikuko Kawakami (Japanese川 上 喜 久 子, born February 9, 1904 in Shizuoka Prefecture, † 26 October 1985 in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture) was a Japanese writer of the Shōwa period. Her birth name was Shinoda Kikuko (筱 田 喜 久 子).

Life

They first completed the Heijo - girls secondary school (平壤 高 女) and a specialized course (専 攻 科, senkōka ) at the Yamawaki - girls secondary school (山 胁 高 女). In 1924 she accompanied her husband to Korea, which was then under Japanese rule, and lived there until 1931.

In 1927 she was honored by the Asahi Shimbun with an award for her novel Aru Minikui Biganjutsu -shi (或る 醜き 美顔 術 師), which appeared then as a serial novel in the newspaper.

After returning to Japan in 1931, she and her now retired husband to Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, where it was possible to have a disease that they had suffered in Korea treat. She lived in Takumagayatsu (宅間ヶ谷), in Kamakura until her death in 1985.

During her time in Kamakura, she had the opportunity to make the acquaintance of some established writers there, including Hayashi Fusao, Kawabata Yasunari and Yosano Akiko ( she taught in the writing of tanka ). Some of her poems have been published in the literary magazine Myojo (明星).

1936 encouraged Hayashi and Kawabata Kawakami to Fuyubi no Kage (冬 日 の 影), Saigetsu (歳 月) and Metsubō no Mon (滅亡 の 門) in the Bungakukai to publish a large, monthly literary magazine. All three stories were celebrated by the literary criticism, Metsubō no Mon was awarded the eleventh Bungakukai Prize and nominated for the fourth Akutagawa Prize.

Following this recognition Kawakami wrote in rapid succession a series of novels, including Honokanari Hikari (光 仄か なり), Biko (微光) and Hanazono no Shōsoku (花園 の 消息), which were also published in Bungakukai. In factual, sober style she described it the ever-increasing repression under Japan's growing militarism.

After the Second World War, Kawakami withdrew from their literary activity, however, published in later years Kagero no Banka (陽炎 の 挽歌).