Kita Morio

Kita Morio is a famous writer of polite literature. His father is Saito Mokichi, a famous poet as well as a medical doctor. In 1945, he entered Matsumoto High School, and he met Tsuji Kunio, who was also to be a writer. As he made friends with Tsuji, he became interested in literature, and he was devoted to Thomas Mann. He also wanted to be a writer, and in 1950, when he was at the faculty of medicine in Tohoku University, his short story appeared in a privately pnblished magazine, "Bungei Shuto". he became an assistant in Keioh University Hospital after he graduated from university, and in 1954 he published his first and important novel, "Yurei", at his own expence, but this book not sell well then.

In 1958, he went on a voyage to Europe for five months, as a doctor in a ship of the Fisheries Agency, and "Doktor.Manbo Koukaiki", which he he wrote about this voyage, was published in 1960. This humorous essay became a best seller. About this work, Mr.hirano described that "Kita Morio is a strange freshman. And in the same year, he also won the Akutagawa Award for his novel, Yoru to Kiri no Sumide". By those works, he became a famous writer, and also "Yurei" was republished.

Other his important works are "Nireke no Hitobito" and "Kagayakeru Aoki Sora no Shitade", for which he won the Mainichi Syuppan Bunka Award and the Japan Literature Award. Not only polite literature, he also wrote fairy tales, "Sabishii Ohsama", "Funanori Kupukupu no Boken", and poems, "Jakkou", and as essayist, he continues to write many "Manbo" series since "Doktor.Manbo Kokaiki".

References: Gendai Nihonjinmeiroku, 1994

Reported by: Kenji Tsuchida
Data verified by: Makoto Yoneda
Date of Report: November 1996
Updated by: Miyuki TakenoMay 1998

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