We discuss the early life of the man born as Kimitake Hiraoka to best understand his complex psyche. Originally destined for a career in the civil service, Kimitake adopts the pen name of "Yukio Mishima" and sets out on his path to become one of modern Japan's most acclaimed authors.

Email me: [email protected]

Podcast Website

Follow me on Twitter

Facebook Page

Buy Some Used Books

Bibliography

Inose, Naoki, and Hiroaki Sato. PERSONA: a Biography of Yukio Mishima. Stone Bridge Press, 2020.

Nathan, John. Mishima: a Biography. Little, Brown, and Company, 1974.

Stokes, Henry Scott. The Life and Death of Yukio Mishima. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1995.

Mishima, Yukio. Confessions of a Mask. New Directions, 1958.

Cover Image: Mishima, photographed in 1956.

Opening Theme: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, "From the New World", Op. 95, B. 178 by Antonín Dvořák

Closing Theme: "1957- Award Montage" by Philip Glass, performed by the Kronos Quartet.