The tragic life of Japanese writer Osamu Dazai

Osamu Dazai (1909-1948) was one of the most influential and popular writers in modern Japanese literature. He was born in Kanagi, in Aomori Prefecture, Japan and his real name was Shūji Tsushima.

Dazai became a prolific and gifted writer at a young age, his works often dealing with themes such as loneliness, suicide, and despair, reflecting on his own personal struggle with depression and addiction.

He is considered a key figure in the literature of the 20th century in Japan since in his style he had a great ability to express the deepest thoughts and emotions of the human psyche through his prose and his literary style was innovative and experimental for his time. . He was one of the first Japanese writers who dared to write about controversial and taboo topics in Japanese society, such as depression, suicide, sexuality, and alienation.

Among his most notable works are “The Sunset” (“Shayo”), ” Unworthy of Being Human ” (“Ningen Shikkaku”), “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” (“Fukuzawa Yukichi”), and “The Return” (“Kaerazaru hibi”)

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Dazai had a turbulent life and suffered from a severe addiction to alcohol and barbiturates. In 1948, at the age of 39, Dazai and his lover, Tomie Yamazaki, drowned in the Tamagawa River, in an apparent double suicide.

Despite his short life, Dazai left a lasting literary legacy that has been influential to many later Japanese writers. His work has been translated into several languages, giving him wide exposure around the world.

Such has been his importance in Japanese literature that Osamu Dazai ‘s inclusion in Bungo Stray Dogs is taken as a tribute to his lasting impact on Japan and is also a way to introduce a new generation of anime fans to his literary work.