Tachihara Masaaki's life and work represent a process of resolution of dichotomies, which gives the Western reader a unique perspective on Japanese society and culture in the twentieth century. The dichotomies include problems of identity between being Japanese and being Korean, between Christianity and Zen Buddhism, the choice between a modern lifestyle and a traditional one, and, in a literary sense, a choice between popular literature and so-called pure literature of the Japanese literary establishment. Tachihara's life and writing embody all these disparate elements as well as the need to resolve the conflicts they engender. In this respect Tachihara's life was not an easy one.

Tachihara was born on 6 January 1926 in Korea, which was a Japanese colony at the time of his birth. His father was a priest at the ancient Zen temple Hteiji, and his mother was the daughter of a wealthy sake merchant in the city...