Ogawa, Kunio

Born in the city of Fujieda, Shizuoka Prefecture. During the war years, along with other schoolchildren and students, he participated in forced labor in the port, an experience later rethought in his artistic work. In 1946 he entered the Faculty of Philology of the University of Shizuoka (according to the pre-reform education system - a school of advanced level). In those same years he was baptized in the Catholic rite. The name received at baptism is Augustine.

In 1950 he entered the University of Tokyo (Faculty of Philology, Department of Japanese Literature). How the writer made his debut in 1953 with the story "East Coast" (東海 の ほ と り), published in the journal "Contemporary Literature" (近代 文学). In October of that year he left for France , where he studied at his own expense at the University of Paris for the next three years. In the year of his stay in Europe he traveled a lot, moving from country to country on his Vespa scooter , having thus traveled to Spain, North Africa, Italy, Greece and several other countries. In 1956, having returned to Japan, not recovering at the university, he began the life of a free artist.

In the year of his return, the Bronze Age d векjinshi (з 時代) created. In 1957 he published at his own expense the novel "Apollo Island" (ア ポ ロ ン の 島), written in an autobiographical manner based on his wanderings in Europe. However, it was not possible to sell at least one copy of the book. It was purchased only 8 years after its publication: it was done by the writer Toshio Shimao , who saw the literary talent in Ogawa and contributed to its recognition. Through the efforts of Simao, Apollo Island was published in a business magazine. The publication attracted attention and made us talk about the writer as a representative of the “ generation of introverts ”, a group of new writers that Yoshikichi Furui , Senji Kuroi , Meisei Goto and several other talented authors had already joined.

Widespread recognition and all kinds of regalia came to Ogawa in the 1980s - 1990s with the publication of the story "Senior Citizen" (逸民, 1986 , Kawabata Prize ), "Harbor of Sorrows" (悲 し み の 港, 1994 , Ito Prize ), "Hashish Merchants "(ハ シ ッ シ ・ ギ ャ ン グ, 1998 , Yomiuri Prize ). Since 2005, he was a member of the Japanese Academy of Arts. In 2006 he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun. In the last years of his life he devoted a lot of time and effort to teaching. He died in the Shizuoka Municipal Hospital from pneumonia at the age of 80.

Being close to the aesthetics of the circle of writers of the “generation of introverts”, Ogawa still retained his individual traits. The main sources of specific themes and images of his works were landscapes and people of his native Shizuoka, Mediterranean paintings, biblical motifs. A thorough influence on Ogawa was also provided by a thorough knowledge of the tradition of the No theater, as well as Faulkner's work. The style of the works is distinguished by transparency and simplicity, capacious images and a conviction in the possibility of full expression with avaricious means. Like many introverted writers gravitated to a small form.

• The Ogawa Kunio World site (Japanese) Bio and bibliography, as well as the full text of one collection of essays
• Obituary on the website of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper (Japanese)
• The article “Ogawa Kunio and William Faulkner” (Japanese)