The Grave of Kobo Abe




The Grave of Kobo Abe

I have visited the grave of Kobo Abe today, Oct 13, 2012.

I have uploaded the photos as below. I am pleased if you may take a look at them.

His grave is at Kamikawa Reien or Kamikawa Cemetry which is located in the northern suburb of Hachiohji City, Tokyo.

You take a bus with 八23 or 秋03 bound for Kamikawa Reien at bus stop number 7 just in front of Hachiohji Statation of JR or Japan Railway. It takes about 45 minutes to reach the cemetery which is just in front of a last bus stop of the bus. You take then a small bus which runs around within the cemetery regularly and get off at bus stop number 13. It takes then only 20 seconds by foot to come to his grave at address of number 140 in number 8 place of number 2 section.

The photos are in following order. I have also uploaded the photo of Jun Ishikawa, a mentor or teacher whom Kobo Abe respected. (I have also visited the grave of Mitsuharu Kaneko, a famous poet, who sleeps also in the same cemetery. Please refer to his grave at http://shibunraku.blogspot.jp/2012/10/blog-post_13.html

1. Gate of Kamikawa Reien

2. View over number 8 place of number 2 Section

3. Overview of Kobe Abe’s grave

4. Closeup of his grave from front position

5. Side view of his grave

6. Grave stone close up

7. Direction board for his grave

8. Overview looking at his grave’s section 8, looking down from the grave of Jun Ishikawa on the hill

9. Jun Ishikawa’s grave, only inscribed with Ishikawa, his family name.

10. A part of the cemetery map which I have got at administration office. His name is listed up with other famous writers.

It took me 30 minutes to reach his grave since I did not simply find it at all. I have thought, “Hum, I could not find his grave as I had anticipated” since I have had this kind of experience of looking for something in vain despite of my intensive efforts. I have thought that I look like myself and that it is acceptable to me, turning and walking toward the grave of Jun Ishikwa, his mentor. Then, unexpectedly, I saw the direction board standing where I was walking by.

Without my having a mind to pray at and for Jun Ishikawa’s grave, I could not have found Kobo's grave. I should thank Jun Ishikawa for his guide.

So, yes, I have certainly found the grave of Kobo Abe.

It is a small green stone, the name of which kind I can not say, 40cm in hight, 30cm in width, with a lot of lines of white color crossing like kneaded into the stone. It is a small stone with no name and no inscription.

It is exactly Kobo Abe, his taste. I have thought how much deeply his family has understood his literature.

What I have felt at this stone at sight is the spirit of wabi-sabi, which is a traditional spirit and aesthetic sense of Japanese people and folk.

Despite of Kobo Abe's reputation being not Japanese like but being multi-national, I am sure that his literature does really exist in the tradition and history of Japanese literature which leads to the wabi-sabi. (refer to Wikipedia on this word: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi)

It is because he lived utterly his anonymous life since when he was in his teens, being familiar with the essence of what the language is. Remember that all of his heroes are anonymous and inept or foolish.

That is, saying this in one word in Japanese, it is Fuhkyoh, i.e. directly translated into English, wind and insanity.

If you think in this way, you can see how Kobo Abe is positioned in the orthodoxy of Japanese literature, though he maybe does not like this positioning and the word, orthodoxy.

(In this sense, one of his ancestors is Yoshida Kenko or Kenko Yoshida in English order, who lived in 13th century. And also, Zen-buddist, Ikkyuh, who lived in 14-15the century. Further, Matsuo Basho, a famous poet, a Haiku-master in 17th century.)

Their world was born by keeping the spirit of living their life anonymously through and through.

It seems that if one decides to choose the life of anonymity , our Japanese mind carries one to wabi-sabi world or fukyoh, wind and insanity.

Professor Donald Keene says that Kobo Abe is quite a Japanese writer. It has a firm relationship with this deeply.

Yes, on the other hand, when we read his works that were written in his 18, 19 and 20 years old, we are aware that he thought very logically and uniquely about the essence of all the things existing before him and was thinking as one person independent, which thoroughness to perform certainly led to the fruits of all his novels and dramas in later years.

It is Kobo Abe who wove the words systematically by keeping himself to himself, self-referencing as a simple being as only a man.

If you would like to visit his grave, I will guide you there since I am living in Hachiohji City where his graveyard is located. Please do not hesitate to contact me.

Following are photos I took.

［Eiya Iwata］

                                   1. Gate of Kamikawa Reien or Kamikawa Gravejard

2. View over number 8 place of number 2 Section

                                      3. Overview of Kobe Abe’s grave

                                      4. Closeup of his grave from front position

                                      5. Side view of his grave

                                      6. Grave stone close up

                                       7. Direction board for his grave

8. Overview looking at his grave’s section 8, looking down from the grave of Jun Ishikawa on the hill

                9. Jun Ishikawa’s grave, only inscribed with Ishikawa, his family name.

10. A part of the cemetery map which I have got at administration office. His name is listed up with other famous writers.

(*) Monthly Mole Gazette for Kobo Abe's Readers, 1st issue: http://upub.jp/books/7937
(*) Monthly Mole Gazette for Kobo Abe's Readers, 2nd issue: http://upub.jp/books/8138