OE KENZABURO

   Oe Kenzaburo is the second Japanese to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. His works reflect the angst of his time, addressing the issues of nuclear weapons, social nonconformism, and existentialism. Among his most well-known novels are Kojinteki na taiken (1964; tr. A Personal Matter, 1968), Man’en gannen no futtoboru (1967; tr. The Silent Cry, 1974), and Pinchi ranna chosho (1976; tr. The Pinch Runner Memorandum, 1993), all strongly influenced by Western literary theory. These works contain several recurring themes, including the American Occupation of Japan as well as physical disability, reflecting his own experiences with his brain-damaged eldest son, Hikari. He was awarded the Akutagawa Ryunosuke Prize in 1958, the Tanizaki Jun’ichiro Prize in 1967, and the Nobel Prize in 1994. He was also awarded the Order of Cultural Merit in 1994, but refused it.

   See also POSTWAR LITERATURE; SUICIDE; UTOPIAN LITERATURE;.