Yukio Mishima
1925–1970 · Japanese (Tokyo) · 20th Century
Known for: Japan's most famous novelist who died by ritual seppuku after a failed coup — the beautiful contradiction incarnate
Mishima wrote novels (The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, The Sea of Fertility tetralogy), plays, and essays that explored beauty, decay, and the tension between Western modernity and Japanese tradition. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize three times.
In 1970, he attempted a coup d'état, occupying a military base and calling for restoration of the Emperor's power. When the soldiers laughed at him, he committed seppuku (ritual disembowelment). He was 45.
Browse all 1,000 figures by category
Enable JavaScript to view the full "if they lived today" Q&A and personality profile.