Yokomitsu Riichi Memorial Day

What Is Yokomitsu Riichi Memorial Day?

December 30 marks the death of Yokomitsu Riichi, the novelist, haiku poet and critic who died on this day in 1947. Together with Kawabata Yasunari he led the Shinkankaku-ha, or New Sensationalist school, and was called "the god of literature" and "the god of the novel."

A Writer Who Kept Changing His Style

Yokomitsu was born in 1898 at an inn in the Higashiyama hot spring district of Fukushima Prefecture. After an apprentice period under the influence of Shiga Naoya, he studied with Kikuchi Kan and made a striking debut with "Nichirin" and "Hae."

• Life: March 17, 1898 - December 30, 1947
• Debut: a striking entrance to the literary world with "Nichirin" and "Hae"
• New Sensationalism: a modernist school he led with Kawabata Yasunari
• Major works: "Kikai," "Ryoshu," and the essay "Junsui Shosetsu Ron"
• Reputation: "Kikai" drew acclaim, earning him the titles "god of literature" and "god of the novel"

"A Rare Writer Who Refused to Settle into a Style"

Yokomitsu shifted his prose sharply with each period and subject, and has been described as a rare writer who consciously refused to let his style settle. His long novel "Ryoshu" took up the clash between Western and Eastern civilization. Since the 2000s a Yokomitsu Riichi literary society has formed and his reputation has been rising again.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Read the short story "Hae" -- it is brief and easy to finish
• Read him alongside his contemporary Kawabata Yasunari
• Look up what the New Sensationalist movement actually was
• Add one work of modern Japanese literature to your holiday reading

Remembering One Writer at Year's End

The end of the year is one of the easier times to find hours for reading. December 30 is a day to pick up a writer once called the god of the novel, whose name is heard far less often now.