EIJI YOSHIKAWA (1892 - 1962)

Eiji Yoshikawa (吉川 英治 Yoshikawa Eiji?, August 11, 1892 – September 7, 1962) was a Japanese historical novelist, probably one of the best and most famous authors in the genre. Among his most well-known novels, most are revisions of past works. He was mainly influenced by classics such as The Tale of the Heike, Tale of Genji, Outlaws of the Marsh, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, many of which he retold later in his life. For instance, the original manuscript of Taiko is about 15 volumes, so Yoshikawa took up the job to retell it in close and accessible language. His other books also serve similar purposes and, although most of his novels aren't original, he created a huge amount of work and renewed interest in the past. He was awarded the Cultural Order of Merit in 1960 (the highest award for a man of letters), the Order of the Sacred Treasure and the Mainichi Art Award just before his death of cancer in 1962. He is cited as one of the best historical novelists in Japan and even the world in general.

He was born Hidetsugu Yoshikawa (吉川英次 Yoshikawa Hidetsugu?) in Kanagawa Prefecture, in what is now a part of Yokohama. Because of his father's failed business, he had to drop out of primary school to work when he was 11 years old. When he was 18, after a near-fatal accident working at the Yokohama docks, he moved to Tokyo and became an apprentice in a gold lacquer workshop. Around this time he became interested in comic haiku. He joined a poetry society and started writing comic haiku under the pseudonym "Kijiro."

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