Jun'ichirō Tanizaki was a Japanese author who is considered to be one of the most prominent figures in modern Japanese literature. The tone and subject matter of his work ranges from shocking depictions of sexuality and destructive erotic obsessions to subtle portrayals of the dynamics of family life within the context of the rapid changes in 20th-century Japanese society. Frequently, his stories are narrated in the context of a search for cultural identity in which constructions of the West and Japanese tradition are juxtaposed.
Tanizaki in 1951
Tanizaki (left) as a student of the First Higher School, and its Head Master Nitobe Inazō (right), in 1908.
Tanizaki in 1913, shortly after his literary debut.
Tanizaki with his daughter Ayuko, 1938.
Japanese literature throughout most of its history has been influenced by cultural contact with neighboring Asian literatures, most notably China and its literature. Early texts were often written in pure Classical Chinese or lit. 'Chinese writing' , a Chinese-Japanese creole language. Indian literature also had an influence through the spread of Buddhism in Japan.
Murasaki Shikibu, the author of The Tale of Genji
Matsuo Bashō, a haikai poet
Image: Mori Ogai in the atelier of Sculptor Takeishi Kozaburo in 1916
Image: Soseki