Eiji Yoshikawa – Japanese 20th-century novelist, author of Musashi and Taiko, a master of historical adventure fiction. Born in 1892 near Yokohama into a poor family, he worked from youth while writing in his spare time. His novels vividly retold the samurai era, blending martial arts and philosophy, bringing history alive for ordinary readers.
🥋 His masterpiece Musashi (1935–1939) is based on the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. 📚 Became Japan’s most popular prewar novelist, selling millions of copies. 📰 Began as a journalist, publishing serialised novels in newspapers. 🔥 Lost his home and manuscripts in 1945 air raids but rebuilt his career. 🏯 Popularised the jidai-geki style – historical drama focusing on character depth. 🌍 Musashi became an international bestseller, translated worldwide. 🎥 Many of his works were adapted into films and TV dramas. ✒️ Had astonishing discipline, producing chapters daily for serialisation. 😅 Funny note: friends joked he could write even in a noisy teahouse, oblivious to the crowd.