臺灣文學虛擬博物館

Tradition vs. Modern｜Predicament vs. Outlet｜【Box】 All about Haruo Sato 1

 

 

Tradition vs. Modern

By 1920, the Empire of Japan had gone from the Meji Restoration to the Taisho era, where culture and entertainment were celebrated. In the literary world; famous writers such as Natsume Sōseki, Ogai Mori, Kafū Nagai, Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, and Jun'ichirō Tanizaki had already provided readers with topical, story-rich modern novels.

Haruo Sato (1892-1964) was a poet, novelist, and literary critic, whose active years spanned from the pre-war period to the post-war period. Sato was born in the currently-known Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture, a harbor area between the towering Yamagata mountains and the vast Pacific Ocean. Legend has it that Xu Fu, sent by Qin Shi Huang (the first emperor of a unified China) to search for the elixir of life, landed on Shingu. Before the war broke out, a large amount of wood was imported and exported between Shingu and Taiwan.

Meanwhile, the people of Shingu were proud of their anti-authoritarianism and pursuit of freedom and autonomy. Sato's family had long practiced Chinese medicine before his father changed to western medicine, and the clash and combination of Chinese poetry and western knowledge and art were embodied in Sato's varied lifestyle and literary style.

 

Overlooking Shingu from Kumano River Around 1910, Shingu became prosperous due to the timber rafting and trade along the Kumano River. The raftsmen's lodges spread across the river flat.

 

Sato's childhood home After the War, In 1894, Sato's father opened Kumano Hospital here. After the war, it was renovated into a branch campus of Kindai University. When Sato was young, he often rode his bicycle on the road ramp next to the door. The western-style house on the left-hand side was where he met his first love. (Provided by Sato Haruo Memorial Museum)

 

First Love- Toshiko Oomae (1891-1922), Toshiko frequently visited Kumano Hospital to take care of her hospitalized brother. Sato wrote many Tanka pieces for her. Later on, she married a soldier who was Sato's friend, but they passed away successively at a young age. (Provided by Sato Haruo Memorial Museum)

 

Shingu Middle School－Fifth Grade 1909, Photo taken when Sato went on a field trip to Onigajo, Kumano. Sato can be seen in the top row, while Kiichi Azuma is in the bottom row (4th from the right, raising hand). Sato at that time was a rebellious young man who loved literature but dropped out of school for riticizing school education. (Provided by Tetsuichiro Higashi)

 

Studying at Keio University February 1911, Photo taken one month after Sato heard about the execution of Seinosuke Ōishi, a friend of his father, due to the "High Treason Incident". The photo shows Kafū Nagai (1st row, 5th from the right) and Haruo Sato (3rd row, 4th from the right). On the left side of Sato is Horiguchi Daigaku, his lifelong friend. (Provided by Sato Haruo Memorial Museum)

 

Self Portrait (without glasses) Haruo Sato 1915 (Oil Painting, Canvas),  This portrait was selected by Nika Art Exhibition. The multitalented Sato made up his mind to become a painter during this period. This portrait was later used in the title page of Die for Love: A Poetry Collection (Shinchosha, July 1921). (From the collection of Le Vent Museum of Contemporary Art)

 

Self Portrait Haruo Sato 1942 (Oil Painting, Canvas).  Sato claimed that his style was heavily influenced by Post-Impressionism. (From the collection of Sato Haruo Memorial Museum)

 

Sato Haruo Memorial Museum (Originally Sato's Home). Completed in March 1927, the museum used to be located in Koishikawa, Tokyo. It was built with an eye-catching octagon tower. It was later moved to Shingu. In November 1989, it was open to the public as Sato Haruo Memorial Museum.

 

Couplet  "Rain dew outside the curtain / Irises and orchids in front of the staircase. A couplet hung in Sato's home in Koishikawa. Sato was happy to guide and support younger writers. Many young writers and artists came to study under him, who later were called "a master with 3000 Disciples". (From the collection of Sato Haruo Memorial Museum)

 

Plaque "See the mountain effortlessly".The words were inscribed by Nakamura Fusetsu and borrowed from Tao Yuanming's Homecoming. The plaque used to be hung in Sato's living room. (Kept by Sato Haruo Memorial Museum)

 

Pince-nez glasses. Ever since Sato bought his first pince-nez glasses on his 19th birthday on April 9, 1911, pince-nez glasses had become his trademark. (From the collection of Sato Haruo Memorial Museum)

 

Pocket Watch. Sato loved small objects, such as fountain pens, pocket watches, and lighters. His pocket watch and pince-nez glasses both represented his trendy (western) taste. (From the collection of Sato Haruo Memorial Museum)

 

Fountain Pen, Sato originally used thick dip pens. Since 1923, he began using fountain pens. In his later years, he gradually changed to fineliner pens. (From the collection of Sato Haruo Memorial Museum)

 

Wooden Seal  "Three people stretching across the Sun with two people interlocked" 1926. The side inscription reads "March, Year Bing Yin / Made in Kosei Residence－The main inscription breaks down the characters constituting Haruo's name (春夫), a brilliant idea from his father Toyotarou. (Kept by Jissen Women's University)

 

Wooden Seal "Writing Poems in Bed" Year Unknown. Sato liked to write in a narrow space, and mostly wrote in bed. (Kept by Jissen Women's University)

 

Stone Seal "Indulge in Romance Rather Than Heroic Aspirations" Fu Baoshi, 1935. The side inscription reads "Calligraphy by Sato / Inscribed by Baoshi." The words of the main inscription are from Zhong Rong's Shipin (literary critique of poetry). The seal was a commissioned production during Sato's publication of Poems from the Heart (June 1935, Noda Publishing House). (Kept by Jissen Women's University)

 

 

Predicament vs. Outlet

Haruo Sato began writing at a young age. Instead of satisfying his father's expectation that he would study in the best school, he enrolled in Keio University to become a disciple of Kafū Nagai, whom he had long admired. However, shortly afterwards, he left the standard educational institute to study on his own. He eventually met Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, whose revisions and recommendations allowed him to publish "Li Bai", "Melancholy in the Country", and other works from 1918. His emergence as a romantic writer captured much attention in the literary scene.

"Li Bai" features Li Bai, a poet from China's Tang dynasty, while "Melancholy in the Country" depicts the boredom of newlywed life in suburban Tokyo. Symbols are ubiquitous in the historical imagination and poetic mindset of Sato's works. After less than two years, Sato found out his second wife was in a flirtatious relationship with his brother Akio. At the same time, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki had an affair with his own sister-in-law. Gradually feeling sympathetic for Chiyo, Tanizaki's wife who was kept in the dark, Sato was unable to confess his feelings. Trapped in the contradictory choice between his sibling and marriage, Sato suffered from a bottleneck in his life and writing career.

In the spring of 1920, he went back to his hometown Shingu and had a chance to overcome his predicament, a trip to Taiwan.

Haruo Sato successively published several works on Taiwan. Representative works such as Die for Love: A Poetry Collection (1921) and "Song of Saury" (1921) enhanced his reputation in the literary world and eventually made him a member of the selection committee of Akutagawa Prize. Osamu Dazai once wrote to him in hopes of gaining his recognition and winning Akutagawa Prize.

 

"Roses" Haruo Sato Year Unknown (Hard-pen Calligraphy), A self-proclaimed anthophile, Sato dedicated himself to painting flowers all his life. Among all flowers, he especially liked roses, which represented noble art in his works. (From the collection of Sato Haruo Memorial Museum)

 

"Roses" Haruo Sato Year Unknown (Hard-pen Calligraphy). A self-proclaimed anthophile, Sato dedicated himself to painting flowers all his life. Among all flowers, he especially liked roses, which represented noble art in his works. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

Melancholy in the Country Haruo Sato, June 1919, Shinchosha. Sato's debut work upon entering the literary scene. It is based on his experience of retreating to the outskirts of Kanagawa with actress Sachiko Endo in 1916. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

Melancholy in the City Haruo Sato, January 1923, Shinchosha.A sequel to Melancholy in the Country. It describes, after returning to Tokyo from the country, Sato’s artistic journey with an uncertain future while relying on his wife’s income from acting. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

Sketches Haruo Sato, Around 1921 Newly Discovered Sketches. Whenever Sato encountered writer's block, he would sketch on the blank spots of the manuscript. This habit also occurred during his composition of Melancholy in the Country. (Kept by Jissen Women's University)

 

Chiyo Kobayashi in Her Youth (1896-1982). Born in Maebashi, Gunma. Chiyo Kobayashi was neglected after marrying Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. After Sato returned from his trip in Taiwan, he and Chiyo once planned to get married, but it did not work out. This is a photo given to Sato by Chiyo. (Provided by Nagao Takeda)

 

Letters from Jun'ichirō Tanizaki to Haruo Sato, June 6, 1921, On Display for First Time. (From the collection of  Jissen Women's University)

 

After Sato returned to Japan from Taiwan, he stayed at Tanizaki's home in Odawara. Tanizaki at one time agreed to let Sato have Chiyo, but regretted it later. The two quarreled several times, and finally their friendship ended in 1921. This is one of the most important letters relating to the historically known "Odawara Incident." Part of the letter is translated below. Judging from Tanizaki's highly emotional tone, it is evident that there was a severe conflict between the two.

"…I would like to talk to you in person. Even if I can't let it go after talking to you, it is better than pretending nothing has happened and we will be able to find ways to get along with each other. If we really can't do it, we should end our friendship. I am very upset by how you are forcing yourself to maintain our friendship now. For me, if it's time to break up, then so be it. Our relation can be slowly dealt with later. If now is the time for us to end our friendship, then it's exactly what we should do instead of pretending nothing has happened. Even if our friendship no longer exists, I will continue to think about us, and there will probably be one day that we make peace with each other again."

 

Joint Letter by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, Chiyo, and Haruo Sato, August 1930. Ten years after the Odawara Incident, Chiyo Tanizaki married Haruo Sato. This joint letter announcing both a divorce and a marriage astounded the public. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

Haruo Sato & Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, August 7, 1930.  After Sato remarried, Tanizaki visited Sato's hometown. This is a photo taken at Katsuura Akashima Onsen. (Provided by Sato Haruo Memorial Museum)

 

Haruo Sato's new family, 1932. From the right: Haruo Sato, Masaya (son of Sato and Chiyo), Chiyo, Ayuko (daughter of Tanizaki and Chiyo). Photo taken at Sato's own residence in Koishikawa. (Provided by Sato Haruo Memorial Museum)

 

A Blind Man's Tale Gift to Sato Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, February 1932, Chuokoron-Shinsha. After Tanizaki's remarriage with journalist Sueko Furukawa, he still maintained a relationship with the Sato couple and gave them this work as a gift. However, the book title was designed based on the handwriting of Matsuko Morita, a married women Tanizaki was besotted with. (From the collection of Sato Haruo Memorial Museum)

 

Osamu Dazai (1909-1948). Osamu Dazai refused to shave his head when taking the physical examination for mandatory military service. Shortly afterwards, he attached the two photos to the letter he wrote to Sato on July 27, 1936. In the letter, he facetiously wrote “care not for the face but for the hair," and "men in my family have all gone entirely bald at the age of 30. (Kept by Jissen Women's University)

 

Letter from Osamu Dazai to Haruo Sato, February 5, 1936. Osamu Dazai was one of the "disciples" who followed Sato. Eager to win the Akutagawa Prize, Dazai pleaded for recognition in a letter to Sato, who was acting as a member of the review committee; yet Dazai was sent to the hospital by Sato out of concern for Dazai's wellbeing. (Kept by Jissen Women's University)

 

Declining Years Gift to Sato, Osamu Dazai, June 1936, Sunagoya Publishing House. On June 22, 1936, Dazai visited Sato's home with his first creative anthology. Sato also gave a speech at the Ueno book launch event on July 11th. (From the collection of Sato Haruo Memorial Museum)

 

Sketchbook (with the charcoal pencil) Used by Haruo Sato Around 1945. After the beginning of the summer of 1945, Sato began using this sketchbook at the evacuation shelter in Saku, Nagano during the war. The sketch contains a Tanka about his emotional turmoil when hearing the Jewel Voice Broadcast given by the Emperor of Japan. (Kept by Jissen Women's University)

 

Die for Love: A Poetry Collection Haruo Sato July 1921, Shinchosha. The first poetry collection designed personally by Sato, Die for Love: A Poetry Collection contains Sato's admiration for Chiyo Tanizaki. The book became extremely popular during the lyrical Taisho period. The book was designed with necktie patterns, making it charming and widely acclaimed. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

My 1922 Haruo Sato, February 1923, Shinchosha. Designed by Ryūsei Kishida, the book illustrates Sato's loneliness after the Odawara Incident and features Sato's most famous lyrical poem, "Song of Saury." (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

Hosta Flowers Haruo Sato, August 1923, Shinchosha. An Introduction to Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio and Jingu Qiguan. While the tradition of kunyomi reading of Chinese words was highly important in Japan, Sato creatively used modern Japanese to translate classic Chinese literature. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

Shiajin Book Haruo Sato, September 1929, Musashino Publishing House. Designed by Ryūichi Oana, the book contains the Japanese translations of Chinese women’s poems and reinvents "Han Poetry." (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

Witch Haruo Sato Illustration by Sumio Kawakami, October 1931, Jishijouinsha. Decorated by Aki Shunosuke. Proficient at creating an elegant writing style with archaic words, Sato mimicked his best friend, Horiguchi Daigaku, and challenged him to write free verse modern poems. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

Fou Haruo Sato, Prints by Yasunori Taninaka, April 1936, Hangasou. This limited edition contains many prints by the talented Yasunori Taninaka. Among all the beautifully designed books of Sato, this one is especially unique. (From the collection of  Jissen Women's University)

 

Murder Suspect in Vienna Haruo Sato, September 1933, Oyama Publishing House. The story was provided by Sato's younger brother, Akio. Following the publication of "Fingerprint" (Supplement Issue, Chūōkōron, July 1918), Sato had started to gain fame within the literary scene with his detective novels. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)