Ken'ichi Yoshida

Ken'ichi Yoshida (吉田 健一, Yoshida Ken'ichi) was born on April 1, 1912, in Tokyo, Japan. He was the eldest son of Shigeru Yoshida, who later served as Prime Minister of Japan, and Yukiko, daughter of Count Makino Nobuaki. At the time of Ken'ichi's birth, his father was serving as a Japanese diplomat stationed in Rome. Shortly after his birth, his mother left Tokyo to join her husband abroad. During the initial years of his life, Yoshida was raised at the Makino household.

From the age of six, Yoshida resided with his parents, following his father's posting to Qingdao, China. Throughout his childhood and adolescence, he lived in several locations, including Paris, London, and Tianjin. In Tianjin, he studied at a school for British children before returning to Tokyo, where he completed his secondary education.

In October 1930, Yoshida enrolled at King's College, Cambridge. His interests included the literary works of William Shakespeare, Charles Baudelaire, and Jules Laforgue. He studied under Goldsworthy Dickinson but did not complete his degree, dropping out in February 1931 and returning to Tokyo based on Dickinson’s advice that he should live in Japan to dedicate himself to literature.

Following his return to Japan, Yoshida studied French at the Athénée Français located in Kanda, Tokyo. His literary career began with the publication of a translation of Edgar Allan Poe's "Memorandum" (Oboegaki) in 1935. Subsequently, he translated various works of French literature into Japanese. His initial foray into literary criticism was marked by an article on Laforgue's works, published in the journal Bungakukai in January 1939.

In 1939, Yoshida co-founded the literary magazine Hihyō (Critiques) with Nakamura Mitsuo and Yamamoto Kenkichi. The magazine focused on critiques of contemporary French and British authors. During World War II, he was conscripted into the Imperial Japanese Navy in May 1945 and assigned to the naval infantry brigade at Yokosuka Naval District; however, he was not sent to combat.

After the war, in April 1949, Yoshida became a part-time lecturer at the Kōkagakuin. From April 1963 to March 1969, he served as a professor of literature at Chuo University. His post-war writings included translations of Charles Baudelaire and English literature, ranging from Shakespeare to fiction such as D.H. Lawrence’s "Lady Chatterley's Lover." He also authored various short stories and novels, and produced lighter works, including "Saishō Onzōshi Hinkyusu" ("Prime Minister's Eldest Son Suffers Dire Poverty"). This work was titled against his wishes by the publisher; he later published a private edition titled "Detarameron" ("Hogwash").

Yoshida contributed a column to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, where he introduced English slang expressions to the Japanese readership, such as "One for the road" and "Hair of the dog." Known for his eccentricity, he was often at odds with his father. On occasions, after disagreements that resulted in the withdrawal of his financial support, he would position himself outside the International Press Club in Tokyo with an upturned hat and a sign reading “Prime Minister’s son – penniless,” seeking to induce embarrassment to his father.

Between 1946 and 1953, Yoshida resided in Kamakura, Kanagawa, where he maintained correspondence with notable local literati such as Ishikawa Jun, Ōoka Shōhei, Kobayashi Hideo, Mishima Yukio, and Nakamura Mitsuo. His literary contributions were recognized with the Yomiuri Prize in 1957 and 1971, and the Noma Literary Prize in 1970.

Ken'ichi Yoshida died in his Tokyo residence on August 3, 1977, shortly after returning from a trip to Europe. He was 65 years old at the time of his death. His grave is located in the Kuboyama Reien cemetery in Yokohama.