Jun’ichirō Tanizaki
Jun'ichirō Tanizaki (1886–1965) is one of the “Big Three” writers of the 20th century in Japan (the other two are Yasunari Kawabata and Yukio Mishima) and one of the few most famous Japanese authors in the world. His work is marked by a synthesis of opposing traditions — Japanese and Western — that is unattainable for his contemporaries. The writer skilfully weaves autobiographical elements with reflections on the fate of Japanese culture and its future. Tanizaki’s most famous works include the epic novel The Makioka Sisters, the novels Naomi, Diary of a Mad Old Man, The Key, and the historical works Captain Shigemoto’s Mother, The Reed Cutter, and A Portrait of Shunkin.