Motojirō Kajii
| Motojirō Kajii 梶井 基次郎 |
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_Japanese_short-story_writer.jpg)
Motojirō at garden of his brother's house in Kawabe District, Hyōgo (January 1931)
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| Born |
February 17, 1901 Nishi-ku, Osaka, Japan |
| Died | March 24, 1932 (aged 31) Oji-cho, Sumiyoshi-ku (now:Abeno-ku), Osaka |
| Resting place | Minami-ku (now:Chūō-ku), Osaka |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | Japanese |
| Nationality |
 Japan
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| Ethnicity | Japanese |
| Alma mater | University of Tokyo (withdrew) |
| Period | 1925 – 1932 |
| Genre | Short story, Prose poetry |
| Literary movement | (I-Novel) |
| Notable works |
Lemon (1925), In a Castle Town (1925), Winter Days (1927), Flies of Winter (1928), Beneath the Cherry Trees (1928), The Scroll of Darkness (1930), The Easygoing Patient (1932) |
| Spouse | none |
| Children | none |
Motojirō Kajii (梶井 基次郎 Kajii Motojirō?, also Motojirou Kajii, February 17, 1901 – March 24, 1932) was a Japanese author in the early Shōwa period known for his poetic short stories. Kajii left behind masterpieces such as Remon (?, "Lemon"), "Shiro no aru machi nite" (?, "In a Castle Town"). Fuyu no hi (?, "Winter Days") and Sakura no ki no shita ni wa (?, "Beneath the Cherry Trees"). His poetic works were praised by fellow writers including Yasunari Kawabata and Yukio Mishima. Today his works are admired for their finely tuned self-observation and descriptive power.
Despite the limited body of work he created during his short lifetime, Kajii has managed to leave a lasting footprint on Japanese culture. "Lemon" is a staple of literature textbooks. According to a report in major daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun, many high school students have emulated the protagonist's defiant act of leaving a lemon in the book section of Maruzen, a department store chain. The opening line of "Under the Cherry Trees" (Dead bodies are buried under the cherry trees!) is popularly quoted in reference to hanami, the Japanese custom of cherry blossom viewing.
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Wikipedia