Yasunari Kawabata
(1899–1972)

As a boy, Yasunari Kawabata envisioned himself as an artist, which undoubtedly contributed to the vivid imagery that pervades his narrative work. Kawabata's troubled past was marked by the deaths of his father, mother, and grandfather, all of whom passed away by the time he was sixteen. Although written eleven years earlier, his Diary of a Sixteen-Year-Old was published in 1925. This diary is one of the many works that reflect the melancholy of his experiences.

Kawabata secured work on the literary magazine Bungei Shunju after his first published story "A View of the Yasukuni Festival" drew vast praise from critics and other writers. He was introduced to novelist Riichi Yokomitsu, and the two became devoted friends, influencing one another's writing in addition to producing some of Japan's greatest literature.

In 1933, Kawabata's social involvement in the literary world became more pronounced. An appointed member to the Literary Discussion Group, he published articles calling for free speech and an uprising against restrictive social principles. Kawabata's critically acclaimed novel Snow Country symbolized his own fight. For this work and others, he received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968. As the first Japanese writer to win this award, Kawabata has proven his immense contribution to world literature.

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