An attempt at the classics: deciphering Osamu Dazai’s sinister diction

Osamu Dazai (1909-48) is one of Japan’s literary legends: a tormented and embittered man who drowned himself in the Tamagawa Canal, yet lived on in his books to inspire generations with his earthy, all-too-honest style and courage. -confusing conspiracies. He is known as a prime example of the nihilism and confusion that gripped Japan during its rollercoaster transformation from a fledgling superpower to a fascist dystopia and a defeated post-war democracy.

He is also a good example of the 私小説 (shishōsetsu, I-novel) genre, a type of confessional literature that emerged in the 20th century in which events in the story correspond to the author’s life. Dazai did not shy away from revealing his own deepest and darkest secrets in his writing, one of the main reasons why his work has endured and captivated so many readers. But he was also a spectacular writer in terms of craft. His masterpieces “斜陽” (ShayoThe Setting Sun) and “人間失格” (Ningen ShikkakuNo Longer Human) are some of the most famous works of Japanese literature, both in and out of English translation.

In our latest edition of this series, which takes a deep dive into notable works of Japanese literature, we explored the refined literary techniques of Yukio Mishima. Interestingly, Dazai’s prose is in many ways simpler than Mishima’s. This ‘simplicity’ makes it an ideal reading exercise for intermediate and advanced Japanese students. However, he still uses complex vocabulary in long, convoluted sentences – so let’s try to dive deep into the first few paragraphs of “人間失格” and see what gems we can discover.