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Dazai Osamu, novelist
A novelist known for confessional, self-destructive fiction, above all 人間失格 (No Longer Human) and 斜陽 (The Setting Sun). His troubled life — repeated suicide attempts and eventual death by drowning at 38 — colors how his books are read, and his work remains a favorite among alienated young readers.
Usually called 太宰 (the family name) in casual reference.
Common expressions
Cultural note
His novel 人間失格 (No Longer Human) — a confession of shame and alienation — remains one of the best-selling classics of modern Japanese literature, especially among teenagers and young adults who identify with its narrator. He drowned himself in the 玉川上水 canal in Tokyo at 38, after several earlier suicide attempts.