Yukio Mishima

[Batavia]

Some of you may heard of japanese writer Yukio Mishima.

Yukio Mishima[a] (三島 由紀夫, Mishima Yukio, 14 January 1925 – 25 November 1970), born Kimitake Hiraoka (平岡 公威, Hiraoka Kimitake), was a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor, model, Shintoist, nationalist, and founder of the Tatenokai (楯の会, "Shield Society"), an unarmed civilian militia. Mishima is considered one of the most important Japanese authors of the 20th century. He was considered for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968, but the award went to his countryman and benefactor Yasunari Kawabata.[6] His works include the novels Confessions of a Mask (仮面の告白, Kamen no kokuhaku) and The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (金閣寺, Kinkaku-ji), and the autobiographical essay Sun and Steel (太陽と鉄, Taiyō to tetsu). Mishima's work is characterized by "its luxurious vocabulary and decadent metaphors, its fusion of traditional Japanese and modern Western literary styles, and its obsessive assertions of the unity of beauty, eroticism and death".

I highly reccomend books like Confession of a mask, the golden Pavillion or life for sale.
He said: Live with purpose - die with purpose

On 25 November 1970, Mishima and four members of his militia entered a military base in central Tokyo, took its commandant hostage, and tried to inspire the Japan Self-Defense Forces to rise up and overthrow Japan's 1947 Constitution, which he called "a constitution of defeat". After his speech and screaming of "Long live the Emperor!", he committed seppuku.
"Death can sometimes make you win."

[Batavia]

I highly recommend his most famous book Confessions of a mask.

The protagonist is referred to in the story as Kochan, which is the diminutive of the author's real name: Kimitake. Being raised during Japan's era of right-wing militarism and Imperialism, he struggles from a very early age to fit into society. Like Mishima, Kochan was born with a less-than-ideal body in terms of physical fitness and robustness, and throughout the first half of the book (which generally details Kochan's childhood) struggles intensely to fit into Japanese society. A weak homosexual, Kochan is kept away from boys his own age as he is raised, and is thus not exposed to the norm. His isolation likely led to his future fascinations and fantasies of death, violence, and same-sex intercourse. In this way of thinking, some have posited that Mishima is similar.
Kochan is gay, but he wants to hide it. So he puts on a "mask".

Many will be able to understand that, even if they are not gay, because everyone of us uses masks from time to time.

[Batavia]

Another good book is Life for Sale. It came out in 1968.
The main character is Hanio Yamada, a 27-year-old copywriter for Tokyo Ad who, after a suicide attempt, quits his job and advertises his own life for sale in a Tokyo newspaper. Yamada's life is shaken up when he agrees to the increasingly bizarre requests of those who respond to his offer. The story is a little bit strange, but its a good book (but not as good as Confessions of a mask for example).

[Batavia]

Here´s a good documentary about Mishima.

[Batavia]

The Temple Of The Golden Pavilion is also a good book from Mishima.

Because of the boyhood trauma of seeing his mother make love to another man in the presence of his dying father, Mizoguchi becomes a hopeless stutterer. Taunted by his schoolmates, he feels utterly alone untill he becomes an acolyte at a famous temple in Kyoto, where he develops an all-consuming obsession with the temple's beauty. This powerful story of dedication and sacrifice brings together Mishima's preoccupations with violence, desire, religion and national history to dazzling effect.
It has 256 pages and is one of Mishimas best but also most demanding piece of art.

9/10

[Batavia]

Without a doubt one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.