In Praise of Shadows

Jun’ichirō Tanizaki (1886-1965) was a major figure within the Japanese literary scene during the 20th century. The author of over 20 novels between 1910 and 1963, his works address a large range of issues that span from frank presentations of sex and the erotic to more straightforward family dramas. One of his greatest fascinations, which is evident across his works, is his interest in contrasting traditional and modern values and Eastern and Western perspectives.

After a childhood in Tokyo, he lived in several other cities, including a brief stint among Western expatriates in Yokohama. His career reached its peak, though, when he moved to Kyoto, where he spent most of his later years. This is also where he regained his great interest in traditional Japanese aesthetics and cultural forms in the face of increasing Western modernization. He was buried in Kyoto after a fatal heart attack.

One of his most famous works is The Makioka Sisters, which depicts a wealthy family who struggles to find a suitor for the third of its four daughters. This novel reflects a shift in the status quo for the upper-middle class in Japan and the effects of World War II. Tanizaki’s preference for the traditional values and aesthetics of the Kansai region—which includes Kyoto—over an increasingly urbanized and Westernized Tokyo is evident in this novel, as the characters often long for an idealized past.