Kanzō Uchiyama

Kanzō Uchiyama (内山 完造, Uchiyama Kanzō, January 11, 1885 – September 21, 1959) was a Japanese Christian, and proprietor of the Uchiyama Bookstore, whose frequent visitors were both Chinese and Japanese intellectuals before World War II.

Kanzō Uchiyama
Kanzō Uchiyama, 1953
Born	January 11, 1885.
Died	September 21, 1959 (aged 74)
Nationality	Japanese
Occupation	Proprietor of the Uchiyama Bookstore
Known for	Frequent visitors from both Chinese and Japanese intellectuals before World War II

Early life

Kanzo Uchiyama was born in 1885, in the village of Yoshii in Shitsuki District, Okayama. At the age of 12, he was sent out for his apprenticeship to Osaka. He worked for 10 years for a merchant family in Kyoto.[1] At the age of 27, Uchiyama became a Christian.[2]

Shanghai and the Uchiyama Bookstore

At age 28, Kanzo moved to Shanghai, along with his wife Miki, as the overseas representative of Daigaku Megusuri Santendo (a pharmaceutical company).[1] He established his bookstore in 1917 on North Sichuan Road. He changed the location of the bookstore to the International Settlement in Hongkou.[3]

His store was frequented by Chinese and Japanese intellectuals, such as Lu Xun, Guo Moruo, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, Sato Haruo and Hayashi Fumiko.[1] Tian Han,[4] and Chen Duxiu.[5]

By 1932, Uchiyama had become the sole publisher of Lu Xun's works.[6]

Later years

His wife, Miki, died in 1945.[7] The bookstore was closed down the same year.[8] Uchiyama returned to Japan in 1945.[9] After the war, he became the first head of the Japan-China Friendship Association.[1]

Kanzo is buried in the Wanguo Cemetery.[10]

See also

• Chinese-Japanese relations

References

1. "Historical Figures - Ibara city office". City.ibara.okayama.jp. Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
2. Paul Scott. Uchiyama Kanzo: A Case Study in Sino-Japanese Interaction (PDF). Kansai University of Foreign Studies. p. 51.
3. "Japanese Visions of Lu Xun in the Light of the Magic Lantern Incident". JapanFocus. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
4. Paul Scott. Uchiyama Kanzo: A Case Study in Sino-Japanese Interaction (PDF). Kansai University of Foreign Studies. pp. 53–54.
5. Beyond Brushtalk: Sino-Japanese Literary Exchange in the Interwar Period By Christopher T. Keaveney Page 41
6. "A writer's shadow / Article-that's Shanghai-Urbanatomy Media". Old.thatsmags.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
7. http://mesharpe.metapress.com/app/home/contribution.asp?referrer=parent&backto=issue,4,6;journal,62,159;linkingpublicationresults,1:110905,1
8. "Lu Xun". Bekkoame.ne.jp. 1936-10-18. Retrieved 2014-02-08.
9. Beyond Brushtalk: Sino-Japanese Literary Exchange in the Interwar Period By Christopher T. Keaveney Page 36
10. "Red Tour Around China". English.cri.cn. Retrieved 2014-02-05.

Further reading

• Beyond Brushtalk: Sino-Japanese Literary Exchange in the Interwar Period By Christopher T. Keaveney Page 41-43