Horiguchi Daigaku

Daigaku Horiguchi (堀口 大学) was a poet and translator of French literature in Taishō and Showa period Japan.

Early life
Horiguchi was born in the Hongo district of Tokyo. His father, Horiguchi Kumaichi was an ex-samurai from Echigo and a career diplomat with the Foreign Ministry. Horiguchi Daigaku attended the Literature Department of Keio University, but never graduated (which is rather ironic, since his given name of "Daigaku" is written with the same kanji as "university".

Even prior to entering the university, he was a member of the Shinshisha (The New Poetry Society) and contributing tanka poetry to Subaru (The Pleiades) and other literary magazines. Under the encouragement of Yosano Tekkan and his wife Yosano Akiko he also began to write other types of verse.

In 1911, he left school to accompany his father on overseas postings to Mexico, Belgium, Spain and Brazil. During his 14 years overseas, he became fluent in French and interested in French literature, particularly the novels and poetry of the Symbolist movement. Due to his weak health (he suffered from tuberculosis), Horiguchi abandoned his father's hope that he become a diplomat, and devoted his time to writing verse and translation of French works instead.

Literary career
In 1919, Horiguchi published his first anthology of verse, Gekko to Pierrot (Moonlight and Pierrot), and a book of waka verse, Pan no fue (Pan pipes). On returning to Japan in 1925, he brought out a collection of poems Gekka no ichigun, which introduced the Japanese literary world to the works of Jean Cocteau, Raymond Radiguet, Paul Verlaine, and Guillaume Apollinaire. This work greatly influenced modern Japanese poetry in the late 1920s and 1930s. In addition, his translation of Paul Morand's Ouvert la nuit (Yo hiraku; Night opens) had a strong impact on the Shinkankaku school.

In the following years he created his own poetry magazines, Pantheon and Orpheon.

During his career, Horiguchi published more than 20 books of poetry. His elegant verses combined the flexibility of the Japanese style with hints of the resonance of the French language. In 1979 he was awarded the Order of Culture by the Japanese government.

His grave is at the Kamakura Reien Cemetery.