Kenzaburō Ōe, considered the last of Japan’s significant post-World War II authors, passed away in early March. When he received the Nobel Prize in 1994, he expressed his desire as a novelist to help both writers and readers heal from their personal suffering and the wounds of their times.
Throughout his career, he tackled taboo topics in Japan, such as disability, inspired by his life with his son Hikari, who was born with a brain hernia, autism, and epilepsy. Ōe also wrote about the dangers posed by nuclear weapons, the aftermath of Hiroshima, and the folklore and communities of Shikoku, his rural hometown. His stories delved deep into human nature, showcasing its many facets, even the harshest ones, with a unique creativity. John Nathan, his English translator, noted that Ōe had a distinct style, a language that captured his vibrant imagination.
Here are five books that offer a glimpse into Ōe’s rich body of work. Possibly his most well-known novel follows “Bird,” the narrator, as he grapples with a personal crisis after his son’s birth with a brain hernia that requires urgent surgery. The story brutally yet honestly explores a father’s anguish, torn between allowing his child to die or choosing a life of responsibility, thus giving up a dream of adventure.
With this and subsequent stories, Ōe departs from the traditional Japanese confessional I-novel style. Drawing from his personal experience of his son’s birth, Ōe separates himself from Bird, weaving a tale about a man’s struggle with fate and the personal demons it brings forth.
In a collection of essays, Ōe shares his experiences visiting Hiroshima starting in the summer of 1963, when he was tasked to document a rally against nuclear weapons. Staying true to his commitment to human rights, he paints a sobering picture of how political interests manipulate the trauma of victims, turning tragedy into a political tool.
Ōe’s accounts are based on interviews with both survivors and the medical staff who cared for them, highlighting the devastating impact of the Hiroshima bombing, effects that lingered for generations. He poses a critical question: “Did the Japanese really learn anything from their defeat in 1945?” Hiroshima Notes is a passionate plea for humanity to learn from past mistakes and respect human life, especially honoring the silence of victims. His staunch opposition to nuclear arms never wavered throughout his life.
In another novel that Ōe considered his finest, two brothers return to their family village in Shikoku intending to sell their ancestral home. Their return unearths hidden emotions and violent histories that parallel current unrest, linking them to uprisings that their ancestors experienced.
Ōe skillfully oscillates between different eras: the 1868 peasant riots of the Meiji Restoration, the post-1945 era after Japan’s surrender, and the contemporary setting akin to the 1960s student protests. Shikoku’s rural backdrop blends reality with local myths, offering profound insights on history, community, and memory.
Another novel, inspired by the death of Ōe’s brother-in-law, the famous director Jūzō Itami, who reportedly died by suicide, is semi-autobiographical. In this narrative, Kogito Chōkō, Ōe’s fictional alter ego, listens to cassette tapes recorded by his brother-in-law prior to his death. These tapes lead to deep discussions about art, life, and friendship, prompting Kogito to ponder the reasons behind the suicide.
The Changeling explores the impact of death on the living, offering a poignant exploration of grief and the journey to healing. It also contains what might be the most heartfelt tribute to education ever penned.
In his later years, Kogito Chōkō returns to Shikoku at seventy to finally write a novel about the mystery surrounding his father’s death at the end of the war. Delving into fragmented memories of a man linked with ultra-nationalist movements, the novel critically examines the kaleidoscope of memory. Personal and local tales blend with folklore, seemingly conflicting yet essential to understanding the complexities of human life.
Drawing from T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land,” Ōe’s novel deals with living through traumatic events like loss and rape, alongside an aging father’s (Kogito/Ōe) concerns about his disabled son’s future after his death. Among the novels listed, this one features the strongest female characters. Kogito’s wife, sister, and a young actress named Unaiko represent different eras and professions, sparking thoughtful discussions about the role of women in modern Japan.