Riichi Yokomitsu

About the Author

Riichi Yokomitsu (1898-1947) was a pioneering Japanese novelist and a central figure in the modernist Shinkankaku-ha (New Sensation) school of literature, renowned for his innovative experiments with language, perception, and urban modernity. Born in Hokkaido, he moved to Tokyo to pursue writing, where his works captured the sensory overload of interwar Japan and its encounters with the West. Yokomitsu's prose often delved into the psychological depths of characters navigating cultural clashes and technological change, blending vivid imagery with philosophical introspection. His seminal novel Shanghai, set against the bustling cosmopolitan backdrop of 1920s China, exemplifies his fascination with exile, identity, and the chaos of colonial cities. Despite his early death, Yokomitsu's influence endures in Japanese literature, inspiring generations to explore the fragmented nature of modern experience.