Mishima

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This is the genius writer Yukio Mishima, born Kimitake Hiaroka.  I have admired him since my teens. In 1970, he kidnapped the top general in Japan and then he killed himself in a spectacular seppuku performance piece.  He was a world famous writer, but the only movie filmed for an English speaking audience from his books was "The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea", which I did not like.  The movie bio "Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters" is much closer to his writing.  He was outrageous to Japan at large and loved by the media.  The movie Mishima has never been released in Japan, because his wife does not think he was gay, a classic case of outright denial.  She must not have read his books or noticed how he looked and acted.
 A theatrical release was planned for Japan in 1985, but a bomb threat at a festival screening of the film there made distributors drop their plans. The film has been shown on Japanese television (albeit with the gay bar scene removed).


He was one of the most talented humans to walk this earth.


A sickly child, he started body building fairly late.  The three pictures above were taken by the great photographer Eikoh Hosoe.  They are part of a series entitled "Killed by Roses".


Because of the difficulties of Japanese writing, publishing firms would keep readers on hand that could translate the handwriting of their star authors.  This was never needed for Mishima.  No matter what, he would be at work by midnight and write for hours.  He liked western art and culture yet felt that Japan needed to return to her roots.  How he squared that with WWII is part of the many contradictions of this fascinating person.


The Japanese Elvis Presley.


Here he excepts an invitation to speak to a hostile student crowd and wins them over.  At one of these meetings a student asked him when he was going to kill himself.


Mishima claimed that a picture of St. Sebastien led to his first erotic experience.


Are you not bushi?  He addresses the troops before his suicide. 



Ken Ogata turned in an outstanding performance as Yukio Mishima. 
 
 Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters.

Music by Philip Glass, Narrated by Roy Scheider.  d). Paul Schrader, 1985. 
 

 Kyoko's House segment - 
 
 

Kinkaku-ji.  The Golden Temple, Kyoto.  Burned to the ground by a young acolyte in 1950.
Mishima's book takes off from there.  Below is the link to the movie adaption.

https://youtu.be/QS25_IF1l4o


Afraid To Die, 1960.

https://youtu.be/MxCvr6U2jjE
 
Mishima was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature 3 times in his short life.  His movie acting was regarded as outrageous attention seeking, like he needed attention.  It was his death that was the ultimate in publicity stunts.


New York, 1964.

Abayo, Sensei.
 
 

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