Kunio Kishida

Kunio Kishida (岸田國士) (1890-11-02-1954-03-05, b. Yotsuya, Tokyo, Japan) was one of the most prominent Japanese dramatist and writer of the early 20th century and is regarded as one of the founders of modern Japanese drama. [cite news| last =Kalb| first =Jonathan| coauthors =| title =Western Drama With a Japanese Accent| work =| pages =| language =| publisher =The New York Times| date =2005-05-17| url =http://theater2.nytimes.com/2005/05/17/theater/reviews/17japa.html| accessdate =2007-11-08 ]

He served in the army but, with aspirations of studying literature, entered the Tokyo Imperial University to study French literature and modern drama. In 1920, he went to Paris and studied the history of French drama. After returning to Japan, he wrote dramas and novels and, in 1937, founded the Literature Theatre Company (Bungaku-za), which produced many famous actors and actresses, including his daughter, Kyoko Kishida.

His name is prefixed to the most famous prize for drama in Japan, the annual Kunio Kishida Award (Kishida Kunio Gikyoku-shô).

Major works

Drama

*"Old Toys" (1924)
*"Autumn in Tirol" (1924)
*"Paper Balloon" (1926)
*"The Shower" (1926)
*"Diary of Falling Leaves" (1927)
*"Two Daughters of Mr. Sawa" (1935)
*"A Warm Current" (1943)
*"Hayamizu Girls School" (1948)

Novel

*Rakuyou nikki

Further reading

*cite book| last =Rimer| first =J. Thomas| authorlink =| coauthors =| title =Toward a modern Japanese theatre: Kishida Kunio | publisher =Princeton University Press| date =1974| location =Princeton, N.J.| pages =| url =| doi =| id = | isbn =9780691062495

References

*cite book| last =Hata| first =Ikuhiko| authorlink =Ikuhiko Hata| coauthors =| title =Japan Modern Person's History Cyclopedia 日本近現代人物履歴事典 | publisher =University of Tokyo Press 東京大学出版会| date =2002| location =Toyko| pages =| url =| doi =| id = | isbn =9784130301206