隆吉 北原 (1885 - 1942)

Born 25 Jan 1885 in 日本熊本県玉名郡

Descendants

Died 2 Nov 1942 at age 57 in 日本東京府

Biography

白秋 北原 is Notable.

Kitahara Ryūkichi was born in the Tamana District of Kumamoto Prefecture on 25 January 1885. His father was Kitahara Chōtarō, and his mother was Shike. His family, of which he was the eldest son, was renowned for brewing sake. He attended Waseda University's English language department, but dropped out. He did show interest in the poetry of Shimazaki Tōson.

After moving to Tokyo, Ryūkichi submitted poetry to various literary magazines under the name of Hakushū. Besides writing poetry, he also wrote children's nursery rhymes, including "Amefuri".

Hakushū was married three times throughout his life. His first marriage to Matsushita Toshiko, which lasted from the spring of 1913 to 1914, ended in a divorce. His second marriage was to Eguchi Ayako; they married in 1918 and divorced in 1920. His third marriage to Satō Kikuko began in 1921, and they had three children, including a son, Ryūtarō, and a daughter, Kōko.

In his later years, Hakushū became devoted to Japan, and he wrote poems praising the Emperor, Hirohito, as well as his country. He partially lost eyesight in 1937, but his wife Kikuko supported him. He died in Tokyo on 2 November 1942 from complications of diabetes and kidney disease.

Sources

See also:

• Wikipedia: Hakushū Kitahara
• Wikidata: Item Q1066026, en:Wikipedia