Jirō Osaragi
| Jirō Osaragi | |
|---|---|
Osaragi Jirō in 1925
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| Born |
4 October 1897 Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan |
| Died | 30 April 1973 (aged 75) Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Resting place | Jufuku-ji, Kamakura, Japan |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Genre | popular historical fiction novels |
| Notable works | Kurama Tengu |
| Notable awards | Japan Art Academy Prize (1950) Asahi Prize(1952) Order of Culture (1964) |
Jirō Osaragi (大佛 次郎 Osaragi Jirō?, 4 October 1897 – 30 April 1973) was the pen-name of a popular Japanese writer in Shōwa period Japan, known primarily for his historical fiction novels, which appeared serialized in newspapers and magazines. His real name was Haruhiko Nojiri (野尻 清彦 Nojiri Haruhiko?).
Osaragi Jirō was born in Yokohama. His father was a temple carpenter originally from Kii Province, who had rebuilt the main halls and main gates of a number of noted Buddhist temples. His older brother Hōei Nojiri, was a noted scholar of English literature and an astronomer.
He graduated with honors from Shirogane Jinjo Elementary School, and later wrote in his memoirs that he first became interested in becoming a writer in the sixth grade, where the daughter of Kosugi Tengai was a classmate. He then attended the Furitsu Daiichi Junior High School. While still in high school, he published his first work, Ichiko Romance, which described life in the school dormitory. He also became interested in the theatre.
Osaragi attended Tokyo Imperial University’s Department of Political Science, where he developed a strong sense of resistance to authoritarianism. After graduation, he obtained a posting as a teacher at the Kamakura Higher Girls' School (present-day Kamakura Jogakuin High School), located in Kamakura, Kanagawa prefecture. Because of his language skills, he was recruited by the Foreign Ministry in 1922, and worked for about a year in the Treaties Bureau. However after the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923, he decided to devote himself full time to writing.
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