Born in Tokyo in 1925, Yukio Mishima was one of Japan’s most enigmatic and influential literary figures. His prolific output – novels, short stories, plays and essays rich in thematic depth and stylistic brilliance – has left an indomitable mark on world literature, with fans ranging from Angela Carter to David Bowie.
However, Mishima is often remembered more for the extreme evolution of his politics and dramatic circumstances of his death than for his writing. In 1970, after leading his right-wing militia group the Shield Society into a failed attempt at a coup d’état, he died by seppuku , a form of ritual suicide associated with Japan’s samurai class. This highly publicised and shocking event undeniably complicates his legacy and substantial literary achievements, which earned him multiple nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature during the 1960s.
Whether you're familiar with his work or a curious newcomer, Mishima’s books promise a literary journey unlike any other. To mark the 100th anniversary of his birth, we’ve selected seven titles that serve as brilliant introductions to his work, including a new selection of his best short stories from his final decade, translated into English for the first time.
An excellent entry point to Mishima’s writing, this selection of newly translated short stories traces the author’s career throughout the 1960s. Here, a writer is gripped by visions of nuclear apocalypse, beatniks dance to modern jazz in an abandoned church, and a crazed fan breaks into Mishima’s home and demands he ‘tell the truth’. From gruesome crime to stark autobiography, ghost stories to tales of young love, this collection is the perfect introduction and guide to the breadth of Mishima’s writing. (Translated by Jeffrey Angles, Tomoko Aoyama, Sam Bett, Stephen Dodd, Paul McCarthy, John Nathan, Hannah Osborne, Oliver White and Juliet Winters Carpenter)
This gripping, deeply unsettling tale of youth and distorted masculinity is one of Mishima’s most famous works and a masterful portrayal of the complexities of human nature. A band of teenage boys reject the adult world as illusory, hypocritical, and sentimental, and train themselves in a brutal callousness they call ‘objectivity’. When a local sailor begins an affair with one of the boys’ mothers, they revere him as a hero. He soon, however, loses their respect, leading to a horrifying act of retribution. (Translated by John Nathan)
One of Mishima’s earliest works, this semi-autobiographical novel offers fascinating insight into the author’s psyche and early life. At the brink of the Second World War, a teenager struggling to fit into an intolerant society is consumed by his intense longing for a male classmate. Each night, he is seized by violent fantasies of his love being tortured; by day, he tries to stifle his desires, entering into an affair with a friend’s sister instead. This book is essential to understanding Mishima’s later works and his conception of beauty and death, shame and desire. (Translated by Meredith Weatherby)
One of Mishima’s most acclaimed novels, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion is a fictionalised account of a true story that shocked 1950s Japan. Mizoguchi is lonely, poor and obsessed with a famous Buddhist temple in Kyoto, which he heard tales of as a young boy. He becomes an acolyte at this temple, but as his mental health declines, the beauty of his surroundings begins to feel like his deadliest enemy. A tale of sacrifice and unattainable ideals, this powerful novel combines Mishima’s preoccupations with violence, desire, religion and history to dazzling effect. (Translated by Ivan Morris)
The shortest book on this list at under 100 pages, Star nevertheless packs a punch. Film star Rikio is the centre of attention, with fans who would kill for a moment alone with him. Yet his anxieties threaten to consume him, and his desperation soon gives way to chaos. A quick yet engrossing read, this exquisite novella offers a striking psychological portrait of celebrity, fear and existential doubt, and serves as an excellent introduction to the key themes of Mishima’s work. (Translated by Sam Bett)
The year is 1912. Amid ancient aristocracy and fading splendour, outsider Kiyoaki is grappling with a changing world – and his feelings for the vivacious Satoko. But it is only on learning that she is engaged to a royal prince that Kiyoaki realises the true depth of his passion. This is the first novel in Mishima’s Sea of Fertility tetralogy: four novels regarded by many as his masterpieces, and some of the most outstanding works of 20th-Century literature. (Translated by Michael Gallagher)
The Osugi family have come to a strange realisation. They are aliens, and each of them comes from a different home planet: the father is from Mars, mother from Jupiter, son from Mercury and daughter from Venus. Together, they spend their days watching for UFOs, regarding their human neighbours with a curious benevolence, and attempting to save humankind from all-out nuclear war. Darkly funny and deeply insightful, Beautiful Star is Mishima’s science-fiction masterpiece, and a perfect example of his literary talent transcending genres. (Translated by Stephen Dodd)
Discover both the writing and fascinating life of Yukio Mishima in this collection of BBC Radio readings, dramatisations and documentaries. Five of his compelling stories – The Damask Drum , The Peacocks , The Swaddling Clothes , The Pearl and Thermos Flasks – explore love, desire, identity, family and mortality, brought to life by a full cast and readers including Nigel Stock, John Moffatt and Elizabeth Bell. Two illuminating documentary programmes offer further insight into Mishima’s extraordinary life, dramatic death and enduring legacy as one of 20th-century Japan’s most influential literary voices.
