Kurata Hyakuzo was an essayist and playwright who dealt with the topic of religion. Though raised in Tokyo, he spent most of his adult life in the Inland Sea region. His major literary works include the best-selling Shukke to sono deshi (1917; tr. The Priest and the Disciples, 1955), which was a play based on the story of the Japanese Buddhist priest Shinran (1173–1263). His other most popular work was a collection of essays titled Ai to ninshiki to no shuppatsu (The Beginning of Love and Understanding, 1921) that touched on topics of love, sex, and religion.
See also MODERN THEATER.
Historical dictionary of modern Japanese literature and theater. J. Scott Miller. 2009.