Yukio Mishima: Literary Genius or Fascist?
A legacy left behind
The controversial and complex character, Yukio Mishima, was one of Japan’s most influential and famous authors. Today, he is overshadowed by the likes of Haruki Murakami and even his own contemporary, Osamu Dazai. But what caused his legacy to not reach the heights it deserved and why was he so controversial?
Childhood struggles
Kimitake Hiraoka (Yukio Mishima) was born in Tokyo on January 14th, 1925. His family consisted of his father, a government official and his mother, a schoolteacher. Alongside two siblings and his grandparents, who all lived together in a large, rented house. From a very early age, Mishima was taken by his grandmother and raised separately from his family which greatly impacted his development. His only interactions were with his female relatives which created what his father deemed as too soft of an upbringing.
We also get a look at Mishima’s struggles with homosexuality during this time in his famous semi-autobiographical novel, The Confession of a Mask. He feels he’s too weak and doesn’t fit into the heavily masculine Japanese society where the men were sent to the army and expected to be physically strong. Mishima’s protagonist also has an isolated upbringing, away from the expected experiences for boys. This was clearly…
