Victory or Defeat (Sho Hai)

The Kairyudo (Tokyo), 1934. First Edition in English. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. Translated from the Japanese by Kiichi Nishi. Playwright and novelist Kikuchi (1888-1948) began his career in the shadow of Akutagawa and other literary friends, and went on to found the publishing company Bungeishunju, the monthly magazine of the same name, the Japan Writer's Association and both the Akutagawa and Naoki Prize for popular literature. He was also the head of Daiei Motion Picture Company, which produced such masterpieces such as Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon and Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu (currently Kadokawa Pictures). Kikuchi was a major literary figure and interpreter of Western drama in his day, but his support for the Imperial Japanese war effort led to his marginalization in the postwar period. A well preserved copy of the only edition of the one novel of Kikuchi's translated into English. Boards & spine still clean & bright, with dust staining to the top edge and some offsetting from the dustjacket to the endpapers. Previous owner's name & chop on the front endpaper, otherwise clean & tight. Light soiling to the yellow dustjacket, particularly to the spine, with some edgewear, otherwise in very good condition. In stock, ready to ship now from Evanston, IL!