Osamu Dazai

Shūji Tsushima (津島 修治, Tsushima Shūji; 19 June 1909 – 13 June 1948), known by his pen name Osamu Dazai (太宰 治, Dazai Osamu), was a Japanese novelist and author. A number of his most popular works, such as The Setting Sun (斜陽, Shayō) and No Longer Human (人間失格, Ningen Shikkaku), are considered modern classics.

His influences include Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, Murasaki Shikibu and Fyodor Dostoevsky. His last book, No Longer Human, is his most popular work outside of Japan.

Another pseudonym he used was Shunpei Kuroki (黒木 舜平), for the book Illusion of the Cliffs (断崖の錯覚, Dangai no Sakkaku).

Books and short stories in order of publication (In English and Japanese):

ア、秋 [A, Aki]	A. Autumn	1939
愛と美について [Ai to bi ni tsuite]	About Love and Beauty	1939
老ハイデルベルヒ [Alt-Heidelberg]	Alt-Heidelberg	1940
雨の玉川心中 [Ame no Tamagawa shinjū]	Rain at Tamagawa – Double Suicide
兄たち [Anitachi]	My Older Brothers	1940	McCarthy; O’Brien
青森 [Aomori]	Aomori	1941
或る忠告 [Aru chūkoku]	Advice	1942
朝 [Asa]	Morning	1947	Brudnoy and Yumi
あさましきもの [Asamashiki mono]	Something Regrettable	1937
新しい形の個人主義 [Atarashii katachi no kojin shugi]	A New Form of Individualism	1980
「晩年」と「女生徒」 [“Bannen” to “Joseito”]	“The Last Years” and “Schoolgirl”	1948
「晩年」に就いて [“Bannen” ni tsuite]	About “The Final Years“	1936
美男子と煙草 [Bidanshi to tabako]	Handsome Devils and Cigarettes	1948	McCarthy
美少女 [Bishōjo]	A Little Beauty	1939	McCarthy
眉山 [Bizan]	Bizan	1948
チャンス [Chansu]	Chance	1946
父 [Chichi]	The Father	1947	Brudnoy and Yumi
小さいアルバム [Chiisai arubamu]	The Little Album	1942
畜犬談 —伊馬鵜平君に与える— [Chikukendan – Ima Uhei-kun ni ataeru -]	Canis familiaris	1939	McCarthy
竹青 [Chikusei]	Blue Bamboo	1945	McCarthy
地球図 [Chikyūzu]	Chikyūzu (or World’s Map)	1935
千代女 [Chiyojo]	Chiyojo	1941	Dunlop
地図 [Chizu]	The Map	1925
大恩は語らず [Daion wa katarazu]	A Great Favour is Not Expressed	1954
断崖の錯覚 [Dangai no sakkaku]	Illusion of the Cliffs	1934
檀君の近業について [Dan-kun no kingyō ni tsuite]	About the Latest Works by Dan-kun	1937
男女同権 [Danjo dōken]	Gender Equality	1946
誰 [Dare]	Who	1941
誰も知らぬ [Dare mo shiranu]	Nobody Knows	1940
ダス・ゲマイネ [Dasu Gemaine]	Das Gemeine	1935	O’Brien
デカダン抗議 [Dekadan kōgi]	Decadent Protest	1939
貪婪禍 [Donranka]	The Scourge of Greed	1940
道化の華 [Dōke no hana]	The Flowers of Buffoonery	1935
炎天汗談 [Enten kandan]	Bottomless Hell	1942
フォスフォレッスセンス [Fosuforessensu]	The Pitiable Mosquitoes	1947
富嶽百景 [Fugaku hyakkei]	One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji	1939	McCarthy
富士に就いて [Fuji ni tsuite]	About Mount Fuji	1938
服装に就いて [Fukusō ni tsuite]	About Clothing	1941	O’Brien
不審庵 [Fushin’an]	Doubtful Retreat	1943
冬の花火 [Fuyu no hanabi]	Winter Fireworks	1946
玩具 [Gangu]	Toys	1935	O’Brien
芸術ぎらい [Geijutsu girai]	Dislike of Art	1944
義務 [Gimu]	Duty	1940
五所川原 [Goshogawara]	Goshogawara	1941
グッド・バイ [Guddo Bai]	Goodbye	1948	Marshall
逆行 [Gyakkō]	Losing Ground	1935
魚服記 [Gyofukuki]	Metamorphosis	1933	O’Brien
魚服記に就て [Gyofukuki ni tsuite]	About the Story of Fish and Clothing	1933
葉 [Ha]	Leaves	1934	Gangloff
母 [Haha]	Mother	1947	Brudnoy and Yumi
八十八夜 [Hachijūhachiya]	The 88th Day	1939
恥 [Haji]	Shame	1942	Dunlop
薄明 [Hakumei]	Early Light	1946	McCarthy
花火 [Hanabi]	Fireworks	1929
花吹雪 [Hanafubuki]	Falling Blossoms	1944
犯人 [Hannin]	The Criminal	1948
春 [Haru]	Spring	1980
春の枯葉 [Haru no kareha]	Dry Leaves in Spring	1946
春の盗賊 [Haru no tōzoku]	A Burglar in Spring	1940
春夫と旅行できなかつた話 [Haruo to ryokō dekinakatsuta hanashi]	The Story of How I Couldn’t Travel with Haruo
走ラヌ名馬 [Hashiranu meiba]	The Unrunning Thoroughbred	1980
走れメロス [Hashire Merosu]	Run, Melos!	1940	McCarthy; O’Brien
葉桜と魔笛 [Hazakura to mateki]	Cherry Blossoms and the Magic Flute	1939
碧眼托鉢 [Hekigan takuhatsu]	The Blue-eyed Pilgrim	1936
返事 [Henji]	Reply	1980
皮膚と心 [Hifu to kokoro]	Skin and Heart	1939
火の鳥 [Hi no tori]	The Phoenix	1939
一つの約束 [Hitotsu no yakusoku]	One Promise	1944
一問一答 [Ichimon ittō]	Questions and Answers	1942
陰火 [Inka]	Inka (Will-o’-the-Wisp)	1936
田舎者 [Inakamono]	The Country Bumpkin	1980
一歩前進二歩退却 [Ippo zenshin nippo taikyaku]	One Step Forward, Two Steps Back	1938
弱者の糧 [Jakusha no kate]	Food for the Weak	1980
人物に就いて [Jinbutsu ni tsuite]	About Characters	1936
自作を語る [Jisaku wo kataru]	Talking About My Work	1980
自信の無さ [Jishin no nasa]	Lack of Confidence	1940
女類 [Jorui]	Women	1948
女生徒 [Joseito]	Schoolgirl	1939	Powell
十五年間 [Jūgonenkan]	For Fifteen Years	1946
十二月八日 [Jūnigatsu yōka]	December 8th	1942
純真 [Junshin]	Innocence	1980
貨幣 [Kahei]	Currency	1946	O’Brien
佳日 [Kajitsu]	Happy Day	1944
駈込み訴え [Kakekomi uttae]	Heed My Plea	1940	O’Brien
かくめい [Kakumei]	Revolution	1948
鴎 [Kamome]	Seagull	1940
【関連作品】([Kanren sakuhin])	Related Works
彼は昔の彼ならず [Kare wa mukashi no kare narazu]	He Is Not the Man He Used to Be	1934
花燭 [Kashoku]	Wedding Torches	1939
かすかな声 [Kasukana koe]	A Faint Voice	1940
家庭の幸福 [Katei no kōfuku]	Domestic Happiness	1939
川端康成へ [Kawabata Yasunari e]	To Yasunari Kawabata	1935
革財布 [kawa saifu]	Leather Wallet
風の便り [Kaze no tayori]	News on the Wind	1941
喝采 [Kessai]	Applause	1936
帰去来 [Kikyorai]	Going Home	1943	Lyons
金錢の話 [Kinsen no hanashi]	A Story About Money	1943
禁酒の心 [Kinshu no kokoro]	The Heart of a Teetotaller	1943
きりぎりす [Kirigirisu]	Cricket	1940
校長三代 [Kōchō sandai]	Three Generations of Principals	1939
乞食学生 [kojiki gakusei]	The Beggar Student	1940	Sam Bett
心の王者 [Kokoro no ōja]	The King of the Heart	1940
故郷 [Kokyō]	Homecoming	1943	O’Brien
このごろ [Kono goro]	Lately	1940
困惑の弁 [Konwaku no ben]	A Plea of Confusion
古典風 [Kotenfū]	In Classical Style	1940
古典竜頭蛇尾 [Koten ryūtō dabi]	Classical Dragon Head and Snake Tail	1936
九月十月十一月 [Kugatsu jūgatsu jūichigatsu]	September, October, November	1938
國技館 (くにわざかん) [Kuni-waza-kann]	National Sumo Arena	1940
苦悩の年鑑 [Kunō no nenkan]	Almanac of Pain	1946	Lyons
黒石の人たち [Kuroishi no hitotachi]	The People of Kuroishi
狂言の神 [Kyōgen no kami]	The God of Farce	1936
虚構の春 [Kyokō no haru]	False Spring	1936
饗応夫人 [Kyōō fujin]	The Hospitable Lady	1948
郷愁 [Kyōshū]	Nostalgia
満願 [Mangan]	Complete Satisfaction	1938	Brudnoy and Kazuko; McCarthy
待つ [Matsu]	Waiting	1942	Brudnoy and Kazuko; Turvill; O’Brien
女神 [Megami]	The Goddess	1947
めくら草紙 [Mekura zōshi]	The Blind Scroll	1936
メリイクリスマス [Merii Kurisumasu]	Merry Christmas	1947	McCarthy
雌に就いて [Mesu ni tsuite]	Female	1947	McCarthy
未帰還の友に [Mikikan no tomo ni]	To an Unreturned Friend	1944
みみずく通信 [Mimizuku tsūshin]	The Owl Newspaper	1941
男女川と羽左衛門 [Minanogawa to Uzaemon]	The River and Uzaemon	1935
盲人独笑 [Mōjin Dokushō]	The Blind Man’s Laughter
文盲自嘲 [Monmō jichō]	The Illiterate’s Laughter
悶悶日記 [Monmon nikki]	Tormented Diary
もの思う葦 [Monoomouashi]	A Thinking Reed
無題 [Mudai]	Untitled
無趣味 [Mushumi]	Lack of Interest
二十世紀旗手 [Nijūseiki kishu]	A Standard-bearer of the Twentieth Century	1937
「人間キリスト記」その他 [“Ningen kirisuto ki” sonota]	“Reports on Christ” and Others	1940
人間失格 [Ningen Shikkaku]	No Longer Human	1948	Keene; Gibeau; Carpenter
庭 [Niwa]	The Garden	1946	McCarthy
如是我聞 [Nyoze Gamon]	Thus Have I Heard	1948
女人訓戒 [Nyonin kunkai]	Advice for Women
女人創造 [Nyonin sōzō]	Woman’s Creation
織田君の死 [Oda kun no shi]	The Death of Oda-kun
緒方氏を殺した者 [Ogata shi wo koroshita mono]	The Murderer of Mr. Ogata	1937
黄金風景 [Ōgon fūkei]	Golden Landscape	1941	Dunlop; McCarthy
思ひ出 [Omohide]	Memories	1933	Dunlop; Lyons; O’Brien
同じ星 [Onaji hoshi]	The Same Star
女の決闘 [Onna no ketto]	Women’s Duel	1940
おさん [Osan]	Osan	1947	O’Brien
おしゃれ童子 [Oshare doji]	The Stylish Child	1939
黄村先生言行録 [Ōson sensei genkōroku]	Mr. Oson’s Records	1943
桜桃 [Ōtō]	Cherries	1948	McCarthy
お伽草紙 [Otogizōshi]	Fairy Tales	1945	O’Brien[27]
音に就いて [oto ni tsuite]	About Sound	1942
親という二字 [Oya to iu niji]	The Word “Parents”
パウロの混乱 [Pauro no konran]	Paul’s Confusion
パンドラの匣 [Pandora no hako]	Pandora’s Box	1945
懶惰の歌留多 [Randanokaruta]	The Lazy Game of Cards	1939
ラロシフコー [Raroshifukō]	La Rochefoucauld	1935
令嬢アユ [Reijō Ayu]	Miss Ayu	1934
列車 [Ressha]	The Train	1933	McCarthy
リイズ [Riizu]	Liz	1940
六月十九日 [Rokugatsu jūkunichi]	June 19th	1946
ロマネスク [Romanesuku]	Romanesque	1934
ろまん燈籠 [Romantōrō]	The Romantic Lantern	1947
律子と貞子 [Ritsuko to Sadako]	Ritsuko and Sadako	1942
佐渡 [Sado]	Sado	1941
砂子屋 [Sagoya]	The Sandman	1941
最後の太閤 [saigo no taikō]	The Last Taikō	1945
酒ぎらい [sake girai]	The Teetotaler	1935
酒の追憶 [sake no tsuioku]	Memories of Alcohol	1940
作家の手帖 [Sakka no techō]	The Writer’s Notebook	1946
作家の像 [sakka no zō]	The Writer’s Portrait	1943
三月三十日 [sangatsu san jū nichi]	March 30th	1943
散華 [Sange]	Fallen Flowers	1945	Swann
猿ヶ島 [Sarugashima]	The Monkey Island	1935	O’Brien
猿面冠者 [Sarumen kanja]	The Monkey-faced Man	1942
正義と微笑 [Seigi to bisho]	Righteousness and Smiles	1942
清貧譚 [seihin tan]	The Story of Poverty	1936
政治家と家庭 [Seijika to katei]	The Politician and the Family	1943
世界的 [Sekai-teki]	Worldly	1935
惜別 [Sekibetsu]	Regretful Parting	1945
赤心 [Sekishin]	Sincerity	1941
先生三人 [Sensei sannin]	Three Teachers	1939
斜陽 [Shayō]	The Setting Sun	1947	Keene
思案の敗北 [Shian no haiboku]	The Defeat of Deliberation	1936
新ハムレット [Shinhamuretto]	New Hamlet	1941
新樹の言葉 [Shinjunokotoba]	Words of the New Trees	1943
新郎 [Shinro]	The Groom	1943
新釈諸国噺 [Shinshakushokokubanashi]	New Interpretation of Country Stories	1945	O’Brien[28]
親友交歓 [Shin’yūkōkan]	The Courtesy Call	1943
失敗園 [Shippaien]	The Garden of Failure	1942
知らない人 [Shiranai hito]	Unknown Person	1943
【シリーズ好評既刊】([Shirīzu kōhyō kikan])	Successful Series	1941
私信 [Shishin]	Private Letter	1940
市井喧争 [Shisei kenso]	People’s Disputes	1942
正直ノオト [Shōjiki nōto]	Honest Notes	1938
諸君の位置 [Shokun no ichi]	Your Positions	1940
食通 [Shokutsu]	Gourmet	1942
小志 [Shōshi]	Small Ambitions	1939
小照 [Shōshō]	Little Light	1942
小説の面白さ [Shōsetsunoomoshirosa]	The Fun of the Novel	1940
秋風記 [Shūfūki]	Autumn Wind Story	1942
春昼 [Shunchū]	Spring Day	1940
創作余談 [sōsaku yodan]	Creation Side Notes	1936
創生記 [sōseiki]	Creation Story	1946
水仙 [Suisen]	Daffodils / Narcissus	1942	McCarthy
雀 [Suzume]	Sparrows	1946
雀こ [Suzume ko]	Little Sparrow	1946
多頭蛇哲学 [Ta atama hebi tetsugaku]	Philosophy of the Multi-headed Snake	1934
田中君に就いて [Tanaka-kun ni tsuite]	About Mr. Tanaka	1937
たずねびと [Tazune bito]	Seeker	1946
天狗 [Tengu]	Tengu	1943
鉄面皮 [Tetsumenpi]	Thick-skinned	1936
答案落第 [tōan rakudai]	Examination Failure	1937
トカトントン [Tokatonton]	The Sound of Hammering	1947	O’Brien
東京だより [Tōkyōda yori]	News from Tokyo	1941
東京八景 [Tōkyō Hakkei]	Eight Views of Tokyo	1941	Lyons; McCarthy; O’Brien
燈籠 [Tōrō]	Lantern	1937
當選の日 [Tōsen no hi]	Election Day	1935
徒党について [Totōnitsuite]	About Factions	1944
津軽 [Tsugaru]	Tsugaru	1944	Marshall; Westerhoven
津輕地方とチエホフ [Tsugaru chihō to chiehofu]	Tsugaru Region and Chekhov	1938
姥捨 [Ubasute]	Putting Granny Out to Die	1938	O’Brien
右大臣実朝 [Udaijinsanetomo]	Sanetomo, Minister of the Right	1943
鬱屈禍 [ukkutsuka]	The Hidden Curse	1940
海 [Umi]	The Sea	1941
嘘 [Uso]	Lie	1941
やんぬる哉 [Yan’nurukana]	Unbearable	1937
ヴィヨンの妻 [Viyon no tsuma]	Villon’s Wife	1947	McCarthy
容貌 [Yobo]	Appearance	1936
横綱 [Yokozuna]	Grand Champion	1940
雪の夜の話 [Yuki no yo no hanashi]	Story of a Snowy Night	1936	Swann
わが愛好する言葉 [Waga aikō suru kotoba]	Words I Love	1936
わが半生を語る [Wagahanseiwokataru]	My Half-Life	1937
渡り鳥 [Wataridori]	Migratory Birds	1936
私の著作集 [Watashinochosakushū]	My Collected Works	1944
座興に非ず [zakyō ni hizu]	Not Just for Fun	1936
俗天使 [Zoku tenshi]	The Common Angel	1947
善蔵を思う [Zenzō wo omou]	Thinking of Zenzō	1946