Ryūnosuke Akutagawa

Biography

Born in Tokyo's Kyōbashi district in 1892. After his birth mother fell into mental illness, he was adopted by his maternal uncle, Akutagawa Dōshō. While studying English literature at Tokyo Imperial University, he published "Rashōmon" (1915) and "The Nose" (Hana, 1916), the latter earning praise from Natsume Sōseki, launching his literary career. As a central figure of the Shinshichō ("New Currents of Thought") school and Neo-Realism, he produced numerous short stories including "Yam Gruel" (Imogayu), "Hell Screen" (Jigokuhen), "In a Grove" (Yabu no Naka, source of Kurosawa's film "Rashomon"), "The Tangerines" (Mikan), "Spinning Gears" (Haguruma), and "The Life of a Stupid Man" (Aru Ahō no Isshō). His work characteristically reworked classical tales from the Konjaku Monogatari. He committed suicide by overdose in 1927 at age 35, citing "vague anxiety" in his suicide note. In 1935, his friend Kikuchi Kan established the Akutagawa Prize in his honor, which became Japan's most prestigious literary award for emerging writers.

Literary Schools / Movements

Publication Venues (23 venues)Click to filter works by venue

• Akai Tori
• Bungei Shunjū
• bunsho_club
• Bunshō Sekai
• Chūōkōron
• fujin_gaho
• fujin_koron
• gendai
• Hototogisu
• Jiji Shimpō
• josei
• josei_kaizo
• Kaizō
• mainichi
• Mita Bungaku
• ningen
• Other publication venues
• Shinchō
• Shinshichō
• Shin-shōsetsu
• sunday_mainichi
• Standalone publication
• Yomiuri Shimbun

Selected Works (357 works recorded in Aozora Bunko)

• 水の三日 (Mizu no San Nichi) (1910)
• 大川の水 (Ōkawa no Mizu) (1914)
• 老年 (Rōnen) (1914)
• 青年と死 (Seinen to Shi) (1914)
• ひょっとこ (Hyottoko) (1915)
• 松江印象記 (Matsue Inshō Ki) (1915)
• 羅生門 (Rashōmon) (1915)
• 鼻 (The Nose) (1916)
• 校正後に (Kōsei Go Ni) (1916)
• 孤独地獄 (Kodoku Jigoku) (1916)
• 父 (Chichi) (1916)
• 虱 (Shirami) (1916)
• 仙人 (Sennin) (1916)
• 野呂松人形 (Noro Matsu Ningyō) (1916)
• 猿 (Saru) (1916)
• 芋粥 (Yam Gruel) (1916)
• 出帆 (Shuppan) (1916)
• 手巾 (Shukin) (1916)
• 煙管 (Kiseru) (1916)
• 煙草と悪魔 (Tabako to Akuma) (1916)
• Mensura Zoili (Mensura Zoili) (1917)
• 尾形了斎覚え書 (Ogata Ryō Toki Oboe Sho) (1917)
• 運 (Un) (1917)
• 道祖問答 (Dōso Mondō) (1917)
• 忠義 (Chūgi) (1917)
• 葬儀記 (Sōgi Ki) (1917)
• 貉 (Mujina) (1917)
• 偸盗 (Chūtō) (1917)
• 羅生門の後に (Rashōmon no Nochi Ni) (1917)
• さまよえる猶太人 (Samayoeru Nao Futoshi Jin) (1917)

Showing top 30 of 357 works. Read in Japanese for full list.

References

• Wikipedia (English) — Source for biographical summary (CC BY-SA)
• Aozora Bunko — Source for the complete works list (CC BY 4.0)
• Japanese version of this page — Full bibliography and bibliophile information