Programme

A multifaceted figure in Japanese literature, known for his provocative themes and striking prose. Shortly after graduating from the University of Tokyo, he wrote his autobiographical novel, Confessions of a Mask, which shocked the literary world. Embracing both masculine strength and feminine sensuality, his novels are marked by duality, scrutinising the theme of beauty and mortalily against violence and destruction. He had intricate works that delve into human agonies, as in The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, and poetic works that portray innocent love, as in The Sound of Waves. A right-wing thinker who exalted the Samurai Spirit yet denouncing materialism, Mishima attempted a coup in 1970, which ended up in his own ritual suicide.