Who was this person?
A Taishō-era novelist and master of the short story. Born in Tokyo, he won recognition when Natsume Sōseki praised The Nose, published in 1916 while he was a student at Tokyo Imperial University. He is known for Rashōmon, drawn from classics such as the Konjaku Monogatari, and children’s stories like The Spider’s Thread and Tu Zichun. He took his own life in 1927 at 35, and his friend Kikuchi Kan later created the Akutagawa Prize.
| Name | Akutagawa Ryūnosuke (芥川龍之介) |
|---|---|
| Born–died | 1892 – 1927 |
| Period | Meiji–Shōwa |
| Birthplace | Irifune-chō, Kyōbashi, Tokyo (now Chūō, Tokyo) |
| Also known as | Chōkōdō Shujin, Gaki |
| Main achievements |
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Born in Tokyo; when his mother fell ill he was raised by her family, the Akutagawa.
He entered the English department of Tokyo Imperial University.
He published the story Rashōmon, based on an old tale.
His story The Nose was highly praised by Natsume Sōseki, establishing him as a writer.
He published The Spider's Thread, written for children, Hell Screen and other works.
He joined the Osaka Mainichi newspaper and devoted himself to writing.
He travelled in China on assignment for the newspaper.
He published In a Grove.
He wrote Kappa and other works, but, suffering mentally and leaving words about a "vague unease", he took his own life.
A. A Taishō-era novelist and master of the short story. Born in Tokyo, he won recognition when Natsume Sōseki praised The Nose, published in 1916 while he was a student at Tokyo Imperial University. He is known for Rashōmon, drawn from classics such as the Konjaku Monogatari, and children’s stories like The Spider’s Thread and Tu Zichun. He took his own life in 1927 at 35, and his friend Kikuchi Kan later created the Akutagawa Prize.
A. Period: Meiji–Shōwa. Born in 1892, died in 1927.
A. Akutagawa Ryūnosuke was born in Irifune-chō, Kyōbashi, Tokyo (now Chūō, Tokyo).
A. A literary prize created in 1935 by his friend Kikuchi Kan of the publisher Bungeishunjū in Akutagawa’s memory. It is mainly awarded to literary fiction by new writers and is announced twice a year, alongside the Naoki Prize.
See also: Wikipedia (ja) / Wikipedia (en) / Wikipedia (fr) / Wikipedia (zh) / Wikidata
Follow this life (autoplay)Natsume SōsekiSuzuki MiekichiSaitō MokichiHagiwara SakutarōKikuchi Kan
Kikuchi KanKagawa ToyohikoKishida RyūseiKanakuri ShisōIchikawa FusaeItō NoeMiyazawa KenjiKaneko Misuzu
People of the Taishō period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.