Ryūnosuke Akutagawa proved to be one of Japan's most important intellectuals over his short career during the Taishō period (1912–1926). Akutagawa is regarded as the "father of the Japanese short story," and the Akutagawa Prize—Japan's premier literary award—is named after him. At thirty-five, he committed suicide through an overdose of barbital.
Akutagawa's first name, Ryūnosuke ("Son of Dragon"), was a tribute to the fact that he was born in the Year of the Dragon, in the Month of the Dragon, on the Day of the Dragon, and at the Hour of the Dragon. Ryūnosuke was an introverted child, spending most of his time reading classical Chinese literature and works by influential Japanese...
