Programme

A prominent figure in Japanese literature, known for his erotic, provocative stories that often explored themes of aestheticism and obsession. His early work, The Tattooer, characterised by the pursuit of feminine sensual beauty and demonism, set the stage for his distinctive style. Relocating to Kyoto after the Great Kanto Earthquake, he became enamoured with the region’s culture, which influenced his later works. Notable pieces from the 1930s include Manji and In Praise of Shadows. Among his later works, The Makioka Sisters, serialised during World War II, was hailed as a masterpiece epitomising an entire society sliding into the abyss of modernity.