Childhood Years: A Memoir

Tanizaki's memoirs are more for the Japanese. They discuss profusely Kabuki theatre performances or great Kabuki interpreters, as well as Japanese eating habits or geographical changes in old Tokyo. But on the other hand, they show how a writer finds inspiration and characters for his books in his daily life encounters. His memoirs are also a tribute to his mother ('so strong is the influence of one's mother in early childhood') or some of his school teachers, who left deep and enduring marks on young Tanizaki. They also give indirectly a more global portrait of Japan in the late 19th and the beginning 20th century: poverty (people give away their children), geishas and pederasty. This book shows also the sometimes unsurmountable translation difficulties. After giving a book excerpt Tanizaki remarks: 'In such passages the most important is the combination of Japanese and Sino-Japanese sounds...' A book for the Tanizaki aficionados.