Yokota Fumiko, 青い鳥 (Aoi tori / Blue bird), Manshū eiga (Manchuria film)(1939).
See Kimberley Kono, “Mediating Modern Love in Manchuria”
Fumiko Yokota was born in Iidamachi of the Shimoina District (present-day Chikumachi in Iida, Nagano) in 1909. She began her writing career during her time at Iida Girl’s High School. As a student, she produced multiple self-published magazines, including 泉 (Spring). In 1928, she joined the Proletarian Author’s Union (プロレタリア作家同盟). After graduating, Yokota published eleven volumes of 女人文藝 (Women’s Literature) over the course of 3 years. In 1931, she published 一年間の手紙 (Letters from One Year) as a collection of her important works.
In 1932, Yokota moved to Tokyo. There, she interacted with other Romantic Japanese writers and joined the Romantic School (浪漫派) herself. During this time, she wrote “Writings of the Bright Daylight” (白日の書)1, which was nominated for the Akutagawa Prize. Overall, her works demonstrated a common theme of resistance against authority, society, and the modern household.
In 1938, Yokota moved to Manchuria to continue her writing career. She married Tsuyashi Sakai, a poet and author. After the Sino-Japanese War, however, Yokota returned to her hometown without her husband. In 1923, she launched a new magazine, The Ina Pen (伊那ペン). She also raised three children, one of them being the poet Nobuo Sakai (坂井信夫), while working as a journalist for the Shinshuu Daily News (信州日報). She also spent time back in Tokyo, editing magazines for the Electricity Association.
Fumiko Yokota passed away on May 5, 1985, at the age of 75.
1白日 also means innocent.
For further information see:
https://www.iida.nanshin-lib.jp/portal/0000000385.html
https://prizesworld.com/akutagawa/kogun/kogun3YF.htm
https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%A8%AA%E7%94%B0%E6%96%87%E5%AD%90-1119287
https://www.sohu.com/a/122563145_503415
Bibliography
Examples of Writing
Image Gallery
