Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human

Praise for Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human:“The novel has a timeless quality: The struggle of the individual to fit into a normalizing society remains just as relevant today as it was at the time of writing.” —Japan Times”[No Longer Human] is remarkable…What makes it so in part is its utterly beguiling frankness, a frankness that somehow avoids bitterness and self-pity while not lacking in rancor or humor.” —Peter Selgin, award-winning author and illustrator, for Craft Literary magazine“Dazai’s brand of egoistic pessimism dovetails organically with the emo chic of this cultural moment…and with the inner lives of teenagers of all eras.” — Andrew Martin, The New York Times

Osamu Dazai (1909–1948) was the pen name of Shuji Tsushima, the tenth of eleven children born to a wealthy landowner and politician in the far north of Japan. Dazai studied French literature at the University of Tokyo, but never received a degree. He first attracted attention in 1933 when magazines began to publish his work. Between 1930 and 1937, he made three suicide attempts, a subject he deals with in many of his short stories. Despite his troubled life and rebellious spirit, Dazai wrote in simple and colloquial style, conveying his personal torments through literature. Dazai’s life ended early in a double suicide with a married lover.

Manga adaptation by Chika Ito. Chika Ito was born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, and has created many manga in her home country, including Manga Carmilla Girls Only and Keita’s Oboko Diary. This is her first publication in English.

Translation by Makiko Itoh. Itoh is the author of the Just Bento cookbook series and has translated many Japanese works into English including Zen Wisdom for the Anxious, and Modern Japanese Ikebana. She writes regular columns on food for The Japan Times.