| Kurata Hyakuzō | |
|---|---|
Kurata Hyakuzō |
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| Born | 23 February 1891 Shōbara, Hiroshima Japan |
| Died | 12 February 1943 (aged 51) Kamakura, Kanagawa Japan |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Genres | essays, stage plays |
Hyakuzō Kurata (倉田 百三 Kurata Hyakuzō, 23 February 1891 - 12 February 1943) was a Japanese essayist and playwright on religious subjects that was active during the Taishō and early Shōwa periods of Japan.
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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 Kitarō, 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 in Tama Cemetery, at Fuchū, Tokyo.