Kurata Hyakuzo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**Kurata Hyakuzo**
Kurata Hyakuzo
Born:	23 February 1891 Kyoto Japan
Died:	12 February 1943 Kamakura, Kanagawa Japan
Occupation:	Writer
Genres:	essays, stage plays

This is a Japanese name; the family name is Kurata.

Hyakuzo Kurata (倉田百三, Kurata Hyakuzo^?); (23 February 1891 - 12 February 1943) was an essayist and playwright on religious subjects in Taisho and early Showa period Japan.

Kurata was born in what is now rural Shōbara city, Hiroshima prefecture. He graduated from the No.1 High School in Tokyo and made his home in a cottage on the banks of Ueno Pond. Sickly all of his life, he traveled extensively around the Inland Sea region of Japan.

Influenced by the writings of Nishida Kitaro, he became interested in religion and philosophy. In 1917, he wrote Shukke to sono deshi ("The Priest and his Apprentice") a stage play about the 13th century Buddhist priest Shinran, which quickly became a best-seller. He also wrote Ai to ninshiki to no shuppatsu (The Beginning of Love and Understanding, 1921), a collection of essays on diverse subjects ranging from love and sex to religion that became a classic with young people in pre-war Japan.

His grave is located at Tama Cemetery, outside of Tokyo.