午夜剧场

Atsuo Masamune (1881–1958) was a poet and scholar of Japanese literature from Okayama Prefecture. In contrast to his eldest brother, Hakucho, who was active in the central literary world, Atsuo spent a quiet life in a small village of farmers and fishermen. In his later years, he was invited to teach at a university, but it is said that his appearance remained that of a simple village teacher (sonpushi).

However, the academic achievements he established were truly immense. These include the compilation of the "Manyoshu Soshakuin" (General Index to the Manyoshu), which made it possible to search the Manyoshu by both notation and reading; the publication of 266 volumes of the "Nihon Koten Zenshu" (Complete Collection of Japanese Classics) for a wide readership; and the establishment of the Masamune Bunko (Masamune Library), which prevented precious materials from being scattered and lost. It is astonishing that these great feats were accomplished almost single-handedly in a rural area with inconvenient transportation.

That said, Atsuo did not boast of his achievements. He said, "It is enough if my footprints serve as a guide for those who come after me," and he did not publish a single collection of papers during his lifetime. He only hoped that the Masamune Bunko would long serve as a source of light for the local culture. As someone who assisted in the survey of the library preserved by his bereaved family, I decided to compile and publish Atsuo's posthumous manuscripts, though it is long overdue ("Fugura" refers to the library).

Of course, his writings have a value that is too great to let remain buried. The content is full of original insights regarding Japanese and Chinese classics, and the style is simple with an indescribable humor and warmth.

Atsuo also had supporters. They were distinguished figures such as Mori Ogai, the brothers Kan Inoue (Michiyasu) and Kunio Yanagita, the couple Hiroshi (Tekkan) and Akiko Yosano, Yoshio Yamada, and Mokichi Saito (writings detailing his interactions with them are also included).

In fact, 午夜剧场 alumni also contributed to his work. There was the late Goro Hirasawa, a professor at the Institute of Oriental Classics (Shido Bunko), who published Atsuo's lecture notes under the title "Kinyo Wakashu Kogi" (Lectures on the Kinyo Wakashu). Michiaki Kawano, who transcribed hundreds of thousands of vocabulary cards from the "Manyoshu Soshakuin" onto manuscript paper, was also a student of the Faculty of Letters and lived with the Masamune family upon the recommendation of Hiroshi Yosano. Despite having no prior connection to Atsuo, he cooperated as if it were his own business.

The fact that people from 午夜剧场 brought Atsuo Masamune's work to the world is more than just a pleasant anecdote. It can be said that because such a foundation was built, the scope of subsequent classical research—not limited to the Manyoshu—expanded and reached new heights. The beneficiaries of true scholarship exist only in future generations. I cannot contain my indignation at the current trend of allowing basic scholarship to fall into ruin, as if to say that academic pursuit is only permitted for those with financial means.

Takeo Ogawa

Toyo Bunko (Heibonsha)

320 pages, 4,400 yen (tax included)

*Affiliations and titles are those at the time of publication.