Author Profile Born in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture. His family ran a kimono shop. After graduating from the Chinese Language Department of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (now Tokyo University of Foreign Studies), he entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Asian Affairs Bureau. In July 1930, he retired from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and decided to make a living as a writer. In 1936, he won the 3rd Akutagawa Prize for "Jōgai" (Outside the Castle Walls). Until then, he was virtually unknown in the literary world, but this led to a stable life. He served in Burma during the Pacific War. After the war, he continued his prolific writing career and won the 3rd Taiko Hirabayashi Literary Award in 1975 for "The Biography of Yu Dafu." People and Works Most of his works focused on China, and "Jōgai" is one of them. As interest in China increased during the Sino-Japanese War, he became known as a China expert. There are also works like "Kōyō Zōshi" (Kōyō's Notebook), which contain many writings expressing his feelings for his hometown (Takada). "The Truth's Whereabouts" is based on the Matsukawa Incident. He also played a role in introducing Lu Xun to Japan and wrote "The Biography of Lu Xun." He was friends with Osamu Dazai, and with Oda's help, Dazai obtained "The Biography of Lu Xun," "The Complete Works of Lu Xun," and "The East Asian Cultural Sphere," which he used as material for writing "Farewell" (Asahi Shimbun, September 1945). Books (Partial List) "Jōgai" (Takemura Shobo, 1936) "Chinese People, Culture, and Scenery" (Takemura Shobo, 1937) "Hangzhou City Picture Book" (Hangasho, 1938) "Mud River" (Sunakoya Shobo, 1940) "The Biography of Lu Xun" (Chikuma Shobo, 1941) "Yangtze River Literary Fudoki" (Ryuginsha, 1941) *Co-authored with Taijun Takeda "People of the Forbidden City" (Bokusui Shobo, 1941) "Burma Battlefield" (Bunrindo Sogyobo, 1943) "The Biography of Lu Xun" (Kengensha, 1953, Yamato Shobo, 1966) "Nostalgia" (Gakushu Kenkyusha, 1964) "Wandering Chinese Writers" (Gendaishobo, 1965) "Biography of Chinese Generals" (Jinbutsu Orai-sha, 1965) "Takuboku Ishikawa" (Tsuru Shobo, 1967) "The Boxer Rebellion" (Shinchosha, 1969) "The Novelist Joji Tsubota" (Toto Shobo, 1970) "Kōyō Zōshi" (Sa-Sa-Ra Shobo, 1973) "The Biography of Yu Dafu: His Poetry, Love, and Japan" (Chuo Koronsha, 1975) "Memories of Literary Men" (Fuyuki-sha, 1978) This is a copy of Takeo Oda's "Biography of Youth: Takuboku Ishikawa" published by Tsuru Shobo in September 1967, first edition, with a slipcase. The slipcase has some yellowing, but the main body has little yellowing, and there are no stains, writing, or bookplates. Please consider purchasing, understanding that it is a 57-year-old used book.