Self Portraits : Tales form the Life of Japan's Great Decadent Romantic by Osamu Dazai (Kodansha)

Osamu Dazai is the pen name of Shuji Tsushima, one of the most popular 20th century writers in Japan, although he is not as well known outside of his native land. He has quite a cult following and is still admired today. He was born in the small town of Kanagi in Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost Prefecture on Honshu Island, the largest of Japan’s four main islands. 

Osamu Dazai is the eighth surviving son of Gen’emon Tsushima and his wife Tane. His family was one of the wealthiest landowners in his hometown. He was highly influenced by Ryunosuke Akutagawa and was taken under the wings of Masuji Ibuse, author of “Black Rain”. 

Self Portraits is a collection of short stories based on various episodes in his life and is presented in chronological order. Ralph F. McCarthy who translated the stories from the Japanese also gives a bit of background information on the time and places of each incident. McCarthy says a more suitable term for these stories would be to call them “autobiographical fiction”.

In My Elder Brothers, Dazai relates how his father died when he was fourteen and how Bunji, the eldest of his three older brothers became the head of the household. Dazai says, “My elder brothers were all so kind to me and so grown up and sophisticated I scarcely felt the loss of my father.” “The eldest was like a father to me, and the second eldest like a long-suffering uncle, and I let myself be totally pampered by them.”

The basis for Female is about the first of Dazai’s suicide attempts. In the story, Dazai is talking to a friend about writing a story for a magazine. It is a story within a story. As the two near the climax of the story, the friend asks, “What happened?” “‘Let’s die’, I said. She, too…”. The friend interrupts, “Stop right there. You’re not just making this up.” At the end of the story, Dazai admits to his readers, “He was right. The following afternoon the woman and I attempted suicide.”. Unfortunately, the woman dies but Dazai survives.

Thinking of Zenzo has Dazai going to a gathering of Aomori natives in Tokyo, sponsored by the Tokyo branch of an Aomori newspaper. At the event, he plans to give a speech but takes a seat at the back and proceeds to drink continuously, gets very drunk and makes a fool of himself.

Canis familiaris was written while writing and living in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, he is accosted by a stray dog who follows him home. Dazai has a fear of dogs but for some reason, takes the dog in. It becomes part of the family and becomes a farce as he tries to get rid of it.

Dazai may have been disturbed and he certainly did have a bad case of low self-esteem, but these stories based on his life will certainly bring a smile to your face. Tragic as his life may or may not have been (depending on how much of his stories you believe to be true), his legacy lives on. As more of his works become available in English, it is my hope that more people will come to know his genius. ~Ernie Hoyt