I translated an essay I found on archive.org about the origin of his pen name
Translator notes are at the end. I just thought this was interesting and wanted to challenge myself. I'm still learning so I'm sorry for any errors! If you prefer a google doc, I have it here.
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Osamu Dazai is widely known as a member of the Buraiha, and as the author of “No Longer Human.” It is also common knowledge that the name “Osamu Dazai” was the pen name of Shūji Tsushima. I believe his pen name may have some sort of meaning, so I figured I’d try to investigate the source for this alias.
Before starting my research, I came up with a hypothesis. I believe the source of Osamu Dazai’s pen name may have something to do with the word 堕罪, read as “dazai.” I will examine this at length further on along with various other theories.
The following are current theories for the origin of the alias “Osamu Dazai":
- From poetry in the Manyōshū(Japan’s oldest collection of poems) by Kakinomoto no Hitomaro*,and the “治” kanji (the kanji in Dazai’s name read as“osamu”)*in Shūji Tsushima’s name (津島修治)
- From the scholar of French literature Semon Dazai¹
- From Dazaifu Tenman-gū, a Shinto shrine
- From Dazai’s (Tsushima’s) classmate from his high school days in Hirosaki
- From the French word “dadaisme” (the nihilist art movement)
- From a dialect of Dazai’s birthplace of Aomori
- From the German word “Dasein” (meaning “existence”)
- From the word “decadentism,” a literary and artistic movement about decadence
And so on, they are quite diverse.
From here, let’s take a look at theories 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6, which I was able to gather information for.
Ⅰ
Firstly, regarding theory 1, it is accompanied by a very interesting account.
>To be honest, there’s not really one particular source for it. When I write novels, I get scolded at home, so I couldn’t publish in magazines under my real name Shūji Tsushima*. A friend came up with one for me. He flipped through the Manyōshū and at first suggested “Shūji Kakimoto,” derived from Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, but “Shūji Kakimoto” wasn’t really it for me. Soon enough, he found someone called Ōtomo something-or-other², governor of Dazaifu, who wrote poems about sake. Since I love sake, this one was good, so I got “Dazai” from there. As for Shūji (修治), since both characters mean “osameru,” to rule, I didn’t need both. Thus, Osamu Dazai (太宰治) was decided.
(Interview from February 9, 1948 with Chieko Seki (“A Visit With Dazai-Sensei”)(Ⅰ)
This was the answer to actress Chieko Seki’s question of “Sensei, please tell us the source of your pen name,” directly from Osamu Dazai himself. While theory 1 also relates to theory 3, this information is literally a firsthand account directly from the man himself. However, if we inspect this theory more closely, contradictions appear. In this talk, according to the “friend” who “came up with” the alias, Shinya Tsukui, this never happened, he didn’t “flip through the Manyōshū” or anything. (Letter addressed to Yamanouchi, September 15, 1967). Because of this, the validity of theory 1 is highly questionable.
Ⅱ
Next we will look at theory 2, that his alias is from the french scholar Semon Dazai, and theory 4. The reason is, these two theories come from the same source material. Both of these also connect to theory 3.
>One time, Dazai sent a letter from Tokyo addressed to Takeuchi (a journalist for “Tō-Ō Nippō,” a newspaper in Aomori), asking to borrow money. To a rural newspaper journalist like Takeuchi, someone like Dazai was rather well off. He could not understand why he had to rely on someone else’s dime. When he wrote him back a rejection letter telling him to pull himself together, Dazai immediately wrote back that he was really in trouble, and pleaded that if he just had 5 yen he’d be saved.
>In return, Takeuchi responded: “In that case, I have an opportunity for you. The ‘Tō-Ō Nippō’ is currently accepting submissions for a story competition with a prize, you should give it a try. Since I’m the judge, I can guarantee your win.” What was sent in then was the short story “Train” included in “The Final Years.” It was then that Takeuchi saw “Osamu Dazai” signed for the first time.
>At the time, Semon Dazai was a professor in the French literature department at Kyoto University, and had been publishing various writings in magazines and such. Since our Dazai was studying in the French literature department at the University of Tokyo, Takeuchi was convinced that was probably the source of his pen name.
>So, next time they met, Takeuchi asked:
“You got your ‘Osamu Dazai’ from Semon Dazai, didn’t you?”
“No,” came the reply,
“Mine’s from Tenjin-sama of Dazaifu.”³
He’d taken a liking to that pen name, remarking that
“It looks surprisingly good in print...”
He’s used that pen name ever since.
This is Shunkichi Takeuchi’s recollection as presented in Hisahide Sugimori’s book titled “Kunō no Kishu Dazai Osamu” (苦悩の旗手太宰治) (Ⅱ). Then, when Shōshi Yamanouchi, the source of this citation, inquired Takeuchi about the validity of his recollection, he received the following reply(Ⅲ).
>What is in Hisahide Sugimori’s work regarding Dazai’s alias is pretty much accurate. There is nothing in particular that could be pointed out as a fabrication. However, his motive for adopting “Dazai” as the surname for his alias remains unclear. He personally denied copying or naming himself after Semon Dazai. Though he did say that “Dazai” is derived from “Dazaifu,” it’s uncertain whether or not it means that that’s where he got it from. Since Osamu Dazai had been gaining a bit of literary recognition at the time, I think that he felt somewhat hesitant to submit a work to a competition held by his hometown’s newspaper, so he used a name nobody would recognize for “Train.” However, that became his literary fame for the rest of his life.
Based on these two sources, Yamanouchi concluded that Ōtomo no Tabito is not the source because “Dazai” was actually sourced from Tenjin-sama, which is the deified name of Sugawara no Michizane.
Ⅲ
Next, for theory 4, this section is a continuation of the excerpt from “Kunō no Kishu Dazai Osamu,” quoted above.
>However, there is a theory worth listening to about the alias “Dazai,” put forward by Ryōichi Yūki of Nanyō, Yamagata Prefecture. According to him, there was a classmate from Dazai’s (Shūji Tsushima’s) high school days in Hirosaki named Tomojirō Dazai. He believes that Dazai must have borrowed his name from this classmate. Before entering Hirosaki highschool, the other Dazai had spent some time at various other schools, making him about 10 years older than his classmates. Because of this, he was held in awe by everyone. It is said that Dazai (Shūji Tsushima), along with other classmates, would always bow with excessive politeness whenever they crossed paths.
I was unable to find any information regarding whether or not this is true.
Next is about theory 6. The material relating to this theory is the following conversation in which Gōsei Abe presented it to Shōichi Kimura in a dialogue titled “Osamu Dazai and His Death” (太宰治とその死).
(“Monthly report to ‘The Complete Works Of Osamu Dazai’ (太宰治全集大 巻月報)” Chikuma Shobō; published December 2, 1967)
>Abe: Around the area where Dazai was born, it appears that the name Osamu Dazai was synonymous with “lack of honor and respect to one’s family.” The pen name “Dazai” carries the meaning of “exilement [to an island].” Like “there is no excuse so I’ll banish myself to a remote island.”
Kimura: Well, are you sure there is a solid basis for that?
Abe: He told me so himself.
Kimura: Concerning his pen name, there are theories that it connects to “Dadaisme” and the German word “Dasein” and such.
Abe: It’s not that. It’s more to do with his sense of honour typical to the Tōhoku region and his decadent nature.
Kimura: So basically, it means “banishment to Dazaifu”?
Abe: Accordingly, the “Osamu” means “to manage somehow.”
Kimura: “Osamu.” That is interesting. It’s a theory you can put absolute faith in.
Abe: Accordingly, when I asked if he intended to become a leader, he said “Nah, I wouldn’t go that far.”
Ⅳ
From these various theories, and a paper by Kōichirō Nagashino that delves into the meaning of the word “Umebachi”⁴ at the beginning of “Train”, Yamanouchi arrives at a conclusion about the alias Osamu Dazai that has to do with the supporting materials of theories 2 and 6, putting emphasis on the word “exilement”.
Ⅴ
From here, I will elaborate on my personal opinion that I briefly introduced at the beginning. I wrote about how the word “dazai” may be relevant, so to begin with, I will introduce what kind of meaning the word “dazai” has. The Kōjien 4th Edition, the standard Japanese dictionary, says: ““堕罪” (だ‐ざい) (da-zai) To fall/sink into sin. To become a criminal.” From here, let’s take a look at 治, “osamu.” Also in the Kōjien 4th Edition, it says: “治める (osameru) to bring chaos into a steady state. To restore order. To operate management. To control. To soothe the suffering of illness. To calm disordered feelings. To endure. To remain calm. To be composed.” I will also write the meaning of one homophone, 修める ("osameru").“修める” (osameru), to put things into an orderly state. To rectify disorder. To mend.” Based on this, I reasoned as follows: Dazai’s pen name means “to sink into sin,” and it also implies “to mend one’s sins.” As mentioned before, the word “修める” ("osameru") means to “rectify disorder, to mend,” so from there I interpreted the meaning to be “to repair one’s sins.” Concerning this thought, there are two points that should be fully considered, I focused my thoughts on this next. The first is the point of what kind of act does “sinking into sin” specifically mean, and the other point of how the sin is repaired.
First, as for what kind of act the sin the word “dazai” refers to, upon close examination reasoned from the section in bold*, it can be concluded that writing novels itself is considered a “sin.” In addition, it is possible to view Osamu Dazai’s way of life back then (before adopting the name “Dazai”) (Ⅳ) as “sinful.” Born to a good family, he devoted himself to literature and submitted to a dozen or so magazines, swallowed copious amounts of Calmotin, was an active participant in the socialist movement, and engaged in other such debauchery. It’s easy to view such a lack of respect to his roots as a sin. Then, after Osamu Dazai became a novelist, it can be interpreted that he was determined to write about “sin,” which became a recurring theme in his work. Furthermore, it is possible to think of this as the “Original Sin,” the sin described in the Bible, said to be innate to all humans. Taking all of this into consideration, I can’t narrow it down to one particular “sin.” If we consider this question in isolation, all of them seem plausible, it could be said that any of them work. Having said that, the question becomes a matter of which one is the real meaning, which I’ll bring up later. However, considering the following section, I will interpret the aforementioned Original Sin as just “sin.”
The next section is about “repair.” The reason why I believe Osamu Dazai was “repairing” his “sin” is that, before his suicide by drowning in Tamagawa Aqueduct, he attempted suicide three times. I reasoned that these acts were done in order to atone for (repair) a sin. My reasoning becomes clear if one considers the meaning of “sin” in the word “dazai” (meaning “sinking into sin”) to be the Original Sin, the sin that one is born with and carries even without having done anything wrong. With that irreparable sin weighing on his conscience, Dazai sought solace within socialist activities and the teachings of Christianity. Disillusioned by their realities, perhaps he thought he must take things into his own hands in order to save himself. That, at the same time, would have repaired the sin. Then, the next question is, why did he try to repair it in the first place? If it was a sin impossible to atone for, then I think he could have just left it as is. However, it could be that the reason he didn’t leave it as is and tried to repair it was not due to a fondness towards human relationships, but rather a fixation with them instead. Even though interpersonal relationships were unbearably unpleasant, he could not completely discard them. I think that Dazai’s desire to connect with others was also directed just as strongly to the question of “sin.” This is remarkably evident in his masterpiece, “No Longer Human.”
Ⅵ
The above is my own personal opinion. So, which of the aforementioned theories is the truth? Regarding this question, I think you’ll understand if you look at the theories, two of which were directly stated by Dazai himself. That’s the first problem. Then there’s the fact that there are lies mixed in with what Dazai himself said (like opening the Manyōshū...), not to mention the fact that he has passed away. Even during his lifetime, no one could agree on an accurate theory. Consequently, due to the likelihood of Dazai himself lying, the credibility of various theories is dubious. It should be taken into consideration that everything, including my opinion, lies within the realm of speculation.
Notes
（Ⅰ）Chieko Seki “A Visit With Dazai-Sensei” (“Daiei Fan” Volume 2 Issue 4, Published May 1,1948)
（Ⅱ）Hisahide Sugimori “Kunō no Kishu Dazai Osamu” (Bungei Shunjū, Published June 25, 1967), Kawade Shobō Shinsha ¥380
（Ⅲ）(July 17, 1967, Addressed to Yamanouchi [sic])
（Ⅳ）“Train”(Ressha),February 19, 1933 from “Tō-Ō Nippō”’s Sunday Edition story competition. Until then, in addition to his real name, he had used pen names such as ‘Shūji Tsushima’*(辻島衆ニ), ‘Ginkichi Kosuga’(小菅銀吉), and ‘Kumata Ōtō’(大藤熊太)”.
Works Cited
杉森 久英 苦悩の旗手 太宰治 文芸春秋
Hisahide Sugimori “Kunō no Kishu Dazai Osamu” Bungei Shunjū
奥野 健男編 太宰治研究 Ⅰその文学筑摩書房
Takeo Okuno (ed.) “Dazai Osamu Kenkyū Ⅰ Sono Bungaku” Chikuma Shobō
井伏 鱒二 太宰治 筑摩書房
Masuji Ibuse “Dazai Osamu” Chikuma Shobō
野原 一夫 太宰治と聖書 新潮社
Kazuo Nohara “Dazai Osamu to Seisho” Shinchosha
渡部 芳紀 太宰治心の王者 洋々社
Yoshinori Watabe “Dazai Osamu Kokoro no Ōsha” Yoyosha
赤木 孝之 太宰治 彷徨の文学 洋々社
Takayuki Akagi “Dazai Osamu Hōkō no Bungaku” Yoyosha
佐川 章 作家のペンネーム辞典 創拓社
Akira Sagawa “Sakka no Pen Nēmu Jiten” Sōtakusha
神谷忠孝 安藤宏 編 太宰治全作品研究辞典 勉誠社
Tadataka Kamiya & Hiroshi Andō (ed.) “Dazai Osamu Zensakuhin Kenkyū Jiten” Benseisha
日本文学研究資料刊行会編 太宰治 Ⅱ 有精堂
Nihon Bungaku Kenkyū Shiryō Kankō Kai (ed.) “Dazai Osamu Ⅱ” Yūseidō
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Translator Notes:
Names here are written as they appear on the english Wikipedia, meaning firstname lastname order except for certain titles.
¹Semon Dazai (太宰施門) can be read as Shimon Dazai or Yoshikado Dazai.
²He is referring to Ōtomo no Tabito.
³Tenjin-sama was formerly a real Heian period historical figure, originally known as Sugawara no Michizane. He was later deified as Tenjin-sama in his burial place of Dazaifu Tenman-gū (shrine) as a deity of learning culture, and arts.
⁴The Umebachi (Plum Bowl) Crest is associated with Sugawara no Michizane³and Tenman-gū. In the Self Portraits english translation it's written as "Umehachi."
