A BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Junichiro Tanizaki was born in Tokyo in 1886. Upon his graduation from the Secondary School in 1905, he entered the First Higher Preparatory School where he took a course in law. “Swayed by the desire, unforsakable and strong, to take up literary pursuit,” to quote his own words, he changed for the course in English Literature two years later, giving up what little ambition he may have had in legal line. Next year, he advanced to the literary course in the Imperial University, Tokyo. In 1909, he was one of those youthful aspirants to venture upon the publication of a monthly magazine, “Shin Shichyo” (New Thought Current.) His interest and activity in the literary work had grown so intensive, by this time, that he was willing to give up his collegiate career. His trips to China, first in 1918 and second in 1926, were productive of travel sketches marked by keen power of observation and broad sympathy.
When the Taisho Eiga Kaisha (Taisho Moving Picture Company) was founded in 1920, Tanizaki engaged himself as advisor to the Scenario Department, which duty, however, he held only for a year. Brief as his connection was with the motion picture industry, he was responsible for some productions worked by a distinct literary quality.
Since then he has been devoting himself to his literary work, steadily contributing to monthly publications serials, short stories, plays and essays.
Junichiro Tanizaki Is the author ofThe Tattoo Artist and Kirin, 1909;The Youth, 1910;Atumono, 1912;O-Tsuya Koroshi1915;O-Sai To Minokichi, 1915;Sorrows of a Pagan, 1916;Sickbed Images, 1916;Fears of a Certain Boy, 1919:A Shark Man, 1920;A Story of A and B, 1921;Honmoku Nights, 1922;Between God and Man, 1923;The Heart of a Dolt, 1924;All For The Love, 1921;Light, Shade and Love, 1924;Shanghai Sketches, 1926; and others.