Yukio Mishima

1) His Biography:

Yukio Mishima was one of the three children born to Shizue Hiraoka and Azusa Hiraoka on January 14, 1925, in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. In 1945, his sister Mitsuko died of typhus at the age of 17. Chiyuki was the name of his brother. Mishima was taken from his immediate family and raised by his paternal grandmother, Natsuko (family register name: Natsu) Hiraoka, for a period of time during his early childhood.

Natsuko was born into an aristocratic family and made an effort to uphold certain pretensions connected with the Japanese upper class life, despite marrying a bureaucrat who amassed his riches through the recently opened colonial frontier in the north (modern-day Russia). Mishima’s political views and literary output were significantly influenced by his background. Mishima’s works alluded to the often violent and gruesome outbursts Natsuko experienced.

His grandmother, according to several of his biographers, was the inspiration behind his later fixation with death. She prevented him from playing or interacting with other boys, and she even kept him out of the sun. Mishima finally moved back in with his parents at the age of 12. His father made the decision to punish his children using military principles. If they behaved badly, they received harsh punishment. Azusa frequently entered the little boy’s chamber to search for any indication of his love of books and torn into any manuscripts he discovered.

At Gakushuin, the Peers’ School in Tokyo, Mishima started his education at the age of six and studied German, English, and French there. When he was twelve years old, he began to compose stories. He studied traditional Japanese stories in great quantities, but he also became interested in European literature. The poet Michizo Tachihara, whose works taught Mishima to appreciate the traditional Japanese poetry genre of waka, was his greatest early inspiration. Early versions of his published works frequently include waka poetry.

Mishima’s pen name was initially thought up by some of his Gakushuin teachers to protect him from the hatred of his classmates. “Sorrel Flowers—Akihiko’s Memory of the Early Childhood,” was his first short story to be published in 1938. When World War II started, Mishima already had a number of previous short works published. The Journey, his first finished play, was not released during his lifetime. Because a novice army doctor misdiagnosed Mishima with tuberculosis, he was spared from combat.

After finishing his study and receiving his degree fromthe University of Tokyo in 1947, he began working for the finance ministry. He had a lot of potential for a career in finance, but he burned out pretty fast. After a year of employment, his father eventually assisted him in resigning from his position. He afterwards made writing his full-time career.

Yukio Mishima’s mother has consistently encouraged him to pursue a profession as a writer. She was the first to read his stories, in fact. He steadily rose to prominence in the Japanese literary scene after the war. He wrote books, essays, short stories, and novellas in serial form. He has created a number of critically praised plays for the Kabuki theater as well as contemporary adaptations of classical Noh drama. His debut book, “Thieves” was released in 1948. The novel, which followed the downward spiral of two young aristocratic men toward death, cemented his place among the Second Generation of Postwar Writers.

In 1949, he released “Confessions of a Mask” which is regarded as a semi-autobiographical account. A young gay who is the story’s protagonist must conceal his actual identity beneath a mask in order to avoid social rejection. Mishima wrote roughly 50 plays, 25 short story collections, 35 essay books, 34 novels, and one libretto during the course of his career. He also wrote a movie’s screenplay. Mishima translated a number of plays from Europe, including Oscar Wilde’s “Salome” (1960) and Racine’s “Britannicus” (1957).

For his writings, Mishima achieved recognition across the globe and won fans in Europe and North America. Several of his writings were accessible in translation on all of these continents. He would travel frequently between the two continents. Mishima was three times a finalist for the Nobel Prize in Literature. In 1968, he came very close to receiving it, but Yasunari Kawabata, his fellow countryman and former mentor, ultimately received the honor. Mishima came to the conclusion that there was absolutely no chance of another Japanese author receiving the honor in the near future.

In addition, Mishima did some modeling and appeared in a few movies. He acted as a model for Eikoh Hosoe’s “Ba-ra-kei: Ordeal by Roses”, Tamotsu Yato’s “Otoko: Photo Studies of the Young Japanese Male” as well as “Young Samurai: Bodybuilders of Japan.” He appeared on cinema for the first time in 1951’s “Junpaku no Yoru.” He made his American debut in 1960’s “Afraid to Die”. In the 1966 short film “Patriotism” he co-directed, starred and created the script.

The first volume of Mishima’s “Sea of Fertility” tetralogy, Haru no Yuki (Spring Snow), was published. Along with the other three works in the series, “Runaway Horses” (1969), “The Temple of Dawn” (1970), and “The Decay of the Angel” (1971), “Spring Snow,” which was published in book form in 1969, is regarded as his greatest achievement. Shigekuni Honda, a rich former judge in the final book of the series and a law student in the first, tells the story from 1912 to 1975. He encounters various people who he believes to be the reincarnations of his friend from high school, Kiyoaki Matsugae, throughout the course of the series. For “The Temple of the Golden Pavilion,” Mishima earned the Yomiuri Prize from Yomiuri Newspaper Co. in 1956. In 1961, he received the same award once more for his play “Toka no Kiku.”

On June 11, 1958, Yukio Mishima and Yoko Sugiyama exchanged vows. They later had two children together: Noriko (born on June 2, 1959) and Iichiro ( May 2, 1962). Throughout his professional life and even after his passing, rumors regarding his sexual orientation remained. His widow vehemently refuted any gay affiliation. Jiro Fukushima, however, claimed that he and Mishima were romantically involved in 1951.

Mishima founded the Tatenokai in 1968, a nationalist militia with the exceptional right to train alongside the Japan Self-Defense Forces. He and four other Tatenokai members entered the Ichigaya Camp, the Eastern Command of the Japan Self-Defense Forces’ Tokyo headquarters, on November 25, 1970, and kidnapped the commandant. He then left the balcony and addressed the soldiers assembled there, pleading with them to support the Tatenokai in their coup d’état attempt to return the emperor to his pre-World War II positions of authority.

His endeavor was fruitless. In response to his speech, the soldiers made fun of him. Then he returned and performed seppuku in the commandant’s office. His death’s manner has been the subject of numerous rumors. Many people think that he knew the coup would fail and that it was just a cover for him to ritually end his life.

2) Main Works:

Patriotism:

Mishima was able to offer his achingly idealistic patriotism an eternal vessel. When a Japanese army officer returns home, he tells his wife that his closest friends have turned mutinous. He makes the decision to terminate his life with his lovely, devoted wife. Mishima portrays Shinji and Reiko’s final act of infatuation and the subsequent seppuku of the couple in implacable detail.

Confessions of a Mask (1949):

The protagonist of this tale is Kochan, a young man who is tortured by a strong attraction to men. He wants to appear “normal.” Due of his small build, he cannot partake in the more sporty activities that his contemporaries can. He starts to become more and more attracted to several of the male students in the class. Kochan pursues Sonoko while concealing his homosexuality. But this makes him feel more attracted to males. Kochan muses about the fate of Japan and his place within its deeply ingrained propriety as word of the War spreads to Tokyo.

Confessions of a Mask is an autobiographical work that is set in post-World War II Japan and explores the topics of inner anguish and a research into the nature of desire. One of the first pieces of gay literature, this book is considered as a queer classic.

The Sound of Waves (1954):

The Sound of Waves is a classic tale of first love that is set in a little fishing village on the Japanese coast called Uta-jima Island. It depicts the tale of Hatsue, the lovely daughter of the richest man in the village, and Shinji, a young fisherman. Shinji and Hatsue fall in love when they see one other at dusk on the beach. Shinji must put his life in danger to show his worth when the villagers’ rumors threaten to keep them apart. The Sound of Waves is essentially a miniature work of art that eloquently conveys the naiveté and innocence of love. Mishima handles his tale in a responsible and realistic manner that prevents the book from devolving into melodrama.

After the Banquet (1960):

It focuses on Kazu, the middle-aged owner of a classy Japanese restaurant that serves politicians. After giving up her lucrative company, she eventually marries one of her clients with whom she had fallen in love. It is difficult for Kazu to give up her independence, and she eventually has to decide between her marriage and the needs of her indomitable energy. The domestic conflict between Kazu and Noguchi and the conflicts in the political sphere in After the Banquet are perfectly mirrored.

Spring Snow (1967):

The Sea of Fertility tetralogy, Mishima’s masterpiece, begins with Spring Snow. It raises issues with reincarnation, cultural persistence, and faith. The setting of the book is Meiji Japan in 1912, when “Taisho democracy” has taken over. In this scenario, the fading Japanese nobility is resigned to accept the encroachment of westernization and the dwindling of its rich cultural heritage. The Sea of Fertility tetralogy’s Spring Snow has received high praise from several critics. Runaway Horses, The Temple of Dawn, and The Decay of the Angel are the other volumes in the tetralogy.

Thirst for Love (1950):

In his third book, Thirst for Love, Mishima switches to a female protagonist and a third-person narrative instead of the usual coming-of-age male narrators in his works. It paints a picture of destructive jealousy and sexual agony. The story is rife with erotica, psychological suspense, and compassion. Thirst for Love addresses a number of issues that are prevalent in many of Mishima’s previous works, such as unfulfilled sexual desire and the need to hurt the person you love. Mishima has a gift for developing strong female characters.

3) Main Themes in his Writings:

To Each His Own:

Many of us are aware with the term “patriotism.” It can be something you experience every day or only on special occasions like the Fourth of July or when you meet a veteran. Yukio Mishima, a Japanese author, has always seen patriotism as a multifaceted emotion with many diverse expressions. Various people are affected differently by their sense of patriotism; some feel that they must defend their nation, while others believe that this is not a proactive action. Trouble usually results when one’s own sense of justice and one’s feelings of patriotism collide.

In Mishima’s short story Patriotism, which examines the Ni Ni Roku Incident, an attempt to overthrow the Japanese government by many Imperial Japanese Army officers in 1938, we see what occurs when this intense desire to be patriotic results in tragic outcomes. The Ni Ni Roku Incident’s main characters from Mishima’s short story are caught up in their own sense of justice.

First Love:

The main attraction of The Sound of Waves is that it is a love story. Shinji and Hatsue, two young residents of the post-World War II Japanese island of Uta-jima, are chronicled by Mishima in his spare, lucid style as they court, grow apart, and finally wed happily. The reader experiences first love’s distracting, devouring, and life-altering force mostly via Shinji’s perspective. After meeting Hatsue for the first time one day at the beach, Shinji himself is taken aback by how he responds to even the mention of her name.

Since he can’t sleep, he questions whether he is ill. He is perplexed and alarmed by how difficult it is for him to get her off of his mind. Without Hatsue, he can no longer imagine his once-simple plan of just growing up and co-owning a fishing boat with his brother. His first experience with love is therefore intrinsically related to his own coming of age. He is more ambitious and eager to leave the island and experience independence as a result of this developing relationship, which excites and enervates his once-calm mind. First love is therefore demonstrated to be strong, as well as healthy and enlightening.

The Power of Nature:

The Sound of Waves brilliantly illustrates the power of nature. She continuously makes herself known through the crashing of the waves, the downpour, the rough seas, and the turbulent skies. The storms frequently occur at the novel’s most intense action or emotional scenes, such as when Shinji must perform his heroic deed on the freighter and when he and Hatsue finally meet to confess their love in the tower.

In fact, nature can even be accused of undermining the forces of evil and immorality, like when a hornet prevents Yasuo from raping Hatsue, supporting the lovers’ mission and not attempting to stand in the way of their union. On Uta-jima, nature influences every aspect of daily life and gives almost everyone a means of subsistence. The inhabitants of the island “enthusiastically forged an alliance with nature and offered it their entire support,” as Chiyoko notes. Nature is a mainly kind force that rewards virtue and diligence. It feeds, shelters, and cares for the islanders.

Social Class:

In the Sound of Waves, social class plays a key role in dividing Shinji and Hatsue and creating the main conflict. Shinji is from a low-income household and works as a fisherman. Terukichi Miyata, the elderly and prosperous businessman who owns two coastal freighters, is the father of Hatsue, a member of a wealthy family. Terukichi feels that it is not quite appropriate to enable these two young individuals to be married. Terukichi places a special emphasis on this since he plans to adopt his daughter’s spouse as his son, ensuring that his name would live on even after his son has passed away.

Although the island is small and the living conditions are comparable for all classes, the inhabitants of the island lead very varied lives based on their stature. Hatsue’s house is bigger and more pleasant; Shinji’s house is smaller and smellier. There are noticeable disparities among the wealthy households, even while none of them live in extravagant grandeur (after all, they still must get their own water). Given that Hatsue also comes from a wealthy family, it makes more sense for Yasuo to wed him. Despite this, Terukichi sees that Shinji’s excellent character makes him a very ideal partner for his daughter and that his lower social position is immaterial. This shows that social class is not insurmountable.

Mind vs. Body:

The Sound of Waves is no different from the majority of Mishima’s books in that this tension is there, but it is largely resolved by the character of Shinji. He is an intensely physical being whose main gifts are power, stamina, and will. He is characterised as being utterly unintelligent. He mulls over how to gain Hatsue’s favour and finds that other than these displays of power, he has little to give. He is able to ultimately convince Terukichi of his value thanks to his guts and physical prowess, after all. But as the story goes on, his thinking does grow; his love for Hatsue broadens his perspective and piques his curiosity about new things. Shinji is developing into a more complete and mature human being who can balance his physical and mental identities. His body and mind are not mutually exclusive of one another any longer.

Passion and Sensibility:

In Mishima’s novel Spring Snow, the contrast between the apathetic, indifferent Kiyoaki, who tragically awakens to his manhood with a torrent of passion for Satoko, and his law-student schoolmate Honda, who offers a modicum of a grounded sensibility to balance Kiyoaki’s obsessions and rush to personal ruin, plays out the theme of passion and sensibility. Therefore, it is implied that these two sensitivities can be interpreted as indicators of Japan’s impending transition. The father of Honda, a Supreme Court justice who studied in Germany, values logic over emotions and feeling. Honda appears to be following in his father’s footsteps by putting caution and reason ahead of his impulses.

4) His Influence:

Mishima’s suicide has been the subject of numerous rumors. He had just finished writing the last volume in his Sea of Fertility tetralogy when he passed away. He was acknowledged as one of the most significant post-war Japanese language stylists. 34 novels, around 50 plays, 25 books of short stories, at least 35 books of essays, one libretto, and one movie were all written by Mishima.

Yukio Mishima’s grave is in Tama Cemetery. “Grave of Hiraoka family” is written on the marker. The tomb of Mishima is situated in Tokyo’s Fuch neighborhood’s Tama Cemetery. To celebrate his life and contributions, the Mishima Prize was founded in 1988. Yamanakako, Yamanashi Prefecture’s “Yukio Mishima Literary Museum” (Mishima Yukio Bungaku-kan) debuted on July 3, 1999.

The Mishima Incident played a role in the development of New Right (shin uyoku) organizations in Japan, including the “Issuikai,” which was started by Mishima’s adherent Tsutomu Abe. New Right organizations like the Issuikai tended to emphasize ethnic nationalism and anti-Americanism in contrast to earlier organizations like Bin Akao’s Greater Japan Patriotic Party that adopted a pro-American, anti-communist attitude.

Every year on November 25th, the “Yukio Mishima Study Group” (Mishima Yukio Kenkyukai) and former members of the “Japan Student Alliance” (Nihon Gakusei Domei) hold a memorial service for Mishima dubbed the “Patriotism Memorial” (Yukoku-ki). In addition to this, former Tatenokai members hold an annual memorial service that started in 1975, the year Masahiro Ogawa, Masayoshi Koga, and Hiroyasu Koga were freed on parole.

In numerous locations across Japan, cenotaphs and memorial stones have been built in remembrance of Mishima. For instance, stones have been placed in front of the 2nd company corps at JGSDF Camp Takigahara, near Hachiman Shrine in Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture, where his grandfather had a permanent residence, and in the backyard of one of Mishima’s acquaintances. Additionally, there is a “Monument of Honor Yukio Mishima & Masakatsu Morita” in front of Shimane Prefecture’s Rissho University Shonan High school.

On January 9, 1983, work began on the Mishima Yukio Shrine in the Shizuoka Prefecture suburb of Fujinomiya. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, a biographical film by Paul Schrader from 1985, is a portrayal of his life and career; yet, it has never been shown in Japanese theaters. The last day of Mishima’s life is also the subject of a 2012 Japanese movie called ’11:25 The Day He Chose His Own Fate’. The homosexual overtones of Mishima’s career were satirized in the gay pornographic film Beautiful Mystery from 1983. Mishima was among the first honorees of the Rainbow Honor Walk in 2014, a walk of fame in San Francisco’s Castro district honoring LGBTQ people who have “made substantial achievements in their industries.” Mishima was the subject of a sizable expressionist portrait painted by David Bowie and displayed in his Berlin home.