Tatsuo Hori facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tatsuo Hori
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Tatsuo Hori in 1935
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| Born | 28 December 1904 Tokyo, Japan |
| Died | 28 May 1953 (aged 48) Oiwake, Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan |
| Occupation | Writer, translator |
| Alma mater | Tokyo Imperial University |
| Genre | Poetry, short stories, novels |
| Literary movement | Modernism, Proletarian Literature Movement |
| Spouse | Ayako Yano (1934–1935) Tae Kato (1938–1953) |
Tatsuo Hori (born December 28, 1904 – died May 28, 1953) was a Japanese writer. He wrote poems, short stories, and novels. He also translated books from other languages.
Early Life and Studies
Tatsuo Hori was born in Tokyo, Japan. He studied Japanese literature at the Tokyo Imperial University. His teachers included famous writers like Murō Saisei and Ryūnosuke Akutagawa.
Hori read many books by Japanese writers. He also enjoyed books by writers from other countries, like Rainer Maria Rilke and Ivan Turgenev. He was also interested in the ideas of thinkers like Arthur Schopenhauer and Friedrich Nietzsche.
While he was still a student, Hori translated works by French poets. He also wrote his own pieces for a literary magazine called Roba. This magazine was run by a critic named Tsurujirō Kubokawa. Hori looked up to Akutagawa as his mentor. His early works also showed influences from writers like Raymond Radiguet and Marcel Proust. Later, his writing style moved towards modernism, which is a way of writing that explores new ideas and forms.
Writing Career
In 1930, Hori became well-known for his short story Sei kazoku, which means "The Holy Family." He wrote this story after his mentor, Akutagawa, passed away. The story even included a character named Kuki, who was a tribute to his deceased mentor.
Hori then wrote several short novels (novelettes) and poems. His works often explored the theme of death. He frequently visited Karuizawa, Nagano, a beautiful mountain town. There, he met Ayako Yano, who would become his fiancée. He wrote about this time in his novel Beautiful Village.
Both Hori and Ayako became ill with tuberculosis, a serious lung disease. They moved to a special hospital called a sanatorium in Nagano Prefecture. Hori used this place as the setting for his most famous novel, The Wind Has Risen. This book tells a fictional story about his fiancée's final months before she passed away in December 1935.
In 1938, Hori married Tae Kato. Towards the end of World War II, he moved to Oiwake, Karuizawa, for safety. He stayed there until he passed away in 1953. Because of his declining health, he wrote less in his final years.
Tatsuo Hori is buried at Tama Reien cemetery in Tokyo. To honor him, the Hori Tatsuo Memorial Museum of Literature was opened in Karuizawa. His wife, Tae, was the honorary director of the museum and wrote many essays about her husband.
Main Works
- 1930: Sei kazoku (聖家族)
- 1933–34: Beautiful Village (美しい村, Utsukushii mura)
- 1936–38: The Wind Has Risen (風立ちぬ, Kaze tachinu)
- 1941: Naoko (菜穂子, Naoko)
