2012day.year
Takaaki Yoshimoto
(1924 - 2012)
Japanese poet, philosopher, and critic
Japanese poet
philosopher
and critic
Japanese poet, critic, and philosopher influential in postwar intellectual movements.
Born in Kobe in 1924, Yoshimoto began writing poetry during his student years and published his first collection in 1947. He became a leading voice in postwar literary criticism, founding influential magazines such as Hyōron and Gendai-shichō. Yoshimoto’s philosophical essays explored existentialism and modern society, impacting Japanese New Left thinkers. He also taught at several universities and mentored younger writers and activists. His work bridged literature and political thought, leaving a lasting mark on Japanese culture. Yoshimoto passed away in 2012, remembered as a towering intellectual of his generation.
Takaaki Yoshimoto