When and where was Yukio Mishima born?
Yukio Mishima was born on the 14th of January 1925 in Nagazumi-cho, Yotsuya-ku of Tokyo City. His birth name was Kimitake Hiraoka.
Questions about Yukio Mishima
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How did Yukio Mishima get his pen name?
His teacher Fumio Shimizu and board member Hasuda Zenmei coined the name Yukio Mishima to protect him from his father Azusa. They derived the surname from Mishima Station and the given name from the snow they saw on Mount Fuji.
What physical training did Yukio Mishima pursue later in life?
Mishima took up weight training in 1955 and maintained a regimen of three sessions per week for fifteen years. He achieved a 5th Dan rank in kendo and a 2nd Dan in battōjutsu.
Why did Yukio Mishima commit seppuku on the 25th of November 1970?
He committed ritual suicide after a failed coup d'état at a military base in central Tokyo where he had taken Lieutenant General Masakatsu Morita hostage. The attempt aimed to restore direct rule to the emperor but ended when he retreated into the office to die.
Where is Yukio Mishima buried and what memorial events occur annually?
Yukio Mishima was buried at Tama Cemetery on what would have been his 46th birthday with an inscription reading Grave of Hiraoka family. An annual memorial service called Mishima Day occurs every year on the 25th of November by former members of the Tatenokai.