Quotations from literary masters: messages from authors who weave captivating works.

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.

The literary masters who have created countless works that captivate readers’ hearts.

Adept at wielding words, they left behind many memorable sayings beyond their writings.

In this article, we introduce famous quotes spoken by these literary giants.

We’ve selected words from a variety of authors—those whose works have had a profound impact on people, those whose writings appear in school textbooks, and even those depicted as characters in manga.

Please enjoy this world of words spun by great writers—a realm distinct from their works themselves.

Quotes from literary masters. Messages from authors who weave captivating works (21–30)

One must live. To live, one must fight. One must make a name for oneself. One must earn money. One must stake one’s life on the decisive contest.Roka Tokutomi

Tokutomi Roka was a writer who was active mainly during the Meiji era, leaving behind a wide range of works not only in fiction but also in essays and translations.

These words, by a great literary figure who recorded even his ideas and way of life in writing, express his view of what it means to live.

He says that living is not merely the passage of time; rather, it is the very act of striving earnestly—pressing forward to attain wealth or fame—that constitutes a vibrant life.

These words may prompt us to reflect on whether we are facing our own lives seriously and whether we are truly living in the deepest sense, offering a chance to reconsider the path we have taken and the direction we will go.

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kappamaki

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Perfect love is another name for “selflessness.”Kyoka Izumi

Kyoka Izumi, known not only for his novels but also for his plays and haiku, is celebrated for representative works such as The Surgery Room and The Holy Man of Mount Koya.

These words, by Izumi—who is also regarded as a pioneer of fantasy literature—express his view of what perfect love is.

When love grows to its fullest, one stops thinking of oneself; he suggests that this is the same as the Buddhist state of enlightenment known as selflessness (muga).

As long as one is still thinking about oneself, love is not yet complete—and the process of bringing it closer to completion seems, in itself, to be a step toward enlightenment.

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Life has a way of opening and closing paths at unexpected times.Saneatsu Mushanokōji

Along with Naoya Shiga and others, Saneatsu Mushanokōji launched the magazine Shirakaba and wrote not only novels but also biographies and essays on art.

Leaving behind many works with the theme of love for humanity, he was a writer who continually gazed at the happiness hidden in everyday life.

These words teach us to accept that life is unpredictable and to adapt flexibly to change.

Even amid difficulties, one can find hope and sense an attitude of living everyday life positively.

The message that embracing life’s uncertainties can open the way to the future offers deep resonance and courage to contemporary readers as well.

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Artists are not born every day, so we must not treat them carelessly.Masuji Ibuse

Masuji Ibuse, known for works such as “The Salamander” and “Black Rain,” is a writer who represents postwar Japanese literature.

He conveys the importance of recognizing the rarity of artists, respecting them, and supporting their creative endeavors.

Precisely because these are the words of someone who left many distinctive works probing the essence of humanity, they carry great persuasive power.

By depicting the tragedies of war and the inner conflicts of people in depth, he left a strong impression on readers.

This message is a memorable saying that calls on us to reexamine the value of creation and to cherish artists in order to enrich society through art.

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mutō

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God gave humans loneliness, and at the same time, He also gave them a nature that cannot remain lonely.Haruo Sato

Haruo Satō, a poet and novelist who left behind numerous works such as the novel “Melancholy of the Countryside” and the poem “Song of the Pacific Saury,” spoke about humanity and loneliness in words that are profoundly insightful and seem to probe the essence of being human.

In life, there is no such thing as never feeling lonely.

Even so, we cannot live entirely on our own.

Perhaps his words are telling us that life is about carrying our loneliness while supporting one another and, at times, loving one another as we go on living.

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SAKI

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