Ryunosuke Akutagawa
Ryunosuke Akutagawa (芥川龍之介 Akutagawa Ryunosuke, 1 March 1892 – 24 July 1927)
Smoke 180 cigarettes a day!?
Wrote many stories in his brief life of 35 years and regarded as the "Father of the Japanese short story".
His longstanding agony, "whether we can love others beyond our personal egoism", made him seek solace in Christianity at one time, or believe in art for art's sake at other times, to be disappointed.
After his death, Japan's premier literary award "the Akutagawa Prize" was established.
Notable works:
Rashomon
Kappa
The Spider's Thread
Christ in Nanking
Next author (Naoya Shiga)