Kobo Abe

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Kobo Abe

Role / Field:

Pioneering Japanese writer known for surreal, Kafkaesque explorations of modern existence.

Born:

1924-03-07

Died:

1993-01-22

Century / Era:

1924s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Kimifusa Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kimifusa; March 7, 1924 – January 22, 1993), known by his pen name Kōbō Abe (安部 公房, Abe Kōbō), was a Japanese writer, playwright and director. His 1962 novel The Woman in the Dunes was made into an award-winning film by Hiroshi Teshigahara in 1964. Abe has often been compared to Franz Kafka for his modernist sensibilities and his surreal, often nightmarish explorations of individuals in contemporary society. He died aged 68 of heart failure in Tokyo after a brief illness. Abe was born on March 7, 1924 in Kita, Tokyo, Japan and grew up in Mukden (now Shenyang) in Manchuria.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Abe's family was in Tokyo at the time due to his father's year of medical research in Tokyo. His mother had been raised in Hokkaido, while he experienced childhood in Manchuria. This triplicate assignment of origin was influential to Abe, who told Nancy Shields in a 1978 interview, "I am essentially a man without a hometown. This may be what lies behind the 'hometown phobia' that runs in the depth of my feelings. All things that are valued for their stability offend me." As a child, Abe was interested in insect-collecting, mathematics, and reading.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

His favorite authors were Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Martin Heidegger, Karl Jaspers, Franz Kafka, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Edgar Allan Poe. Abe returned to Tokyo briefly in April 1940 to study at Seijo High School, but a lung condition forced his return to Mukden, where he read Jaspers, Heidegger, Dostoyevsky, and Edmund Husserl. Abe began to study medicine at Tokyo Imperial University in 1943, partially out of respect for his father, but also because "[t]hose students who specialized in medicine were exempted from becoming soldiers. My friends who chose the humanities were killed in the war." He returned to Manchuria around the end of World War II. Specifically, Abe left the Tokyo University Medical School in October 1944, returning to his father's clinic in Mukden.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1924 (1924-03-07): Birth of Kobo Abe — Pioneering Japanese writer known for surreal, Kafkaesque explorations of modern existence.
2. 1940: 1940 Milestone — Abe returned to Tokyo briefly in April 1940 to study at Seijo High School, but a lung condition forced his return to Mukden, where he read Jaspers, Heidegger, Dostoyevsky, and Edmund Husserl.
3. 1943: 1943 Milestone — Abe began to study medicine at Tokyo Imperial University in 1943, partially out of respect for his father, but also because "[t]hose students who specialized in medicine were exempted from becoming soldiers.
4. 1944: 1944 Milestone — Specifically, Abe left the Tokyo University Medical School in October 1944, returning to his father's clinic in Mukden.
5. 1962: 1962 Milestone — His 1962 novel The Woman in the Dunes was made into an award-winning film by Hiroshi Teshigahara in 1964.
6. 1978: 1978 Milestone — This triplicate assignment of origin was influential to Abe, who told Nancy Shields in a 1978 interview, "I am essentially a man without a hometown.
7. 1993 (1993-01-22): Passing & Historical Legacy — Kobo Abe passed away on 1993-01-22, leaving an enduring historical legacy.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Kobo Abe

True or False: “Kobo Abe’s early interest in medicine was primarily motivated by a desire to avoid military service during wartime.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): He stated that choosing medicine exempted students from becoming soldiers, unlike his friends who chose the humanities.

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• 1924 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1924
• March 7 (03-07) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on March 7
• 1993 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1993
• January 22 (01-22) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on January 22

Frequently Asked Questions about Kobo Abe