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Dazai Osamu's Real Name: Shūji Tsushima
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Dazai Osamu (太宰治) 本名: Shūji Tsushima (津島修治)
Answer: Dazai Osamu's real name is Shūji Tsushima (津島修治). He wrote No Longer Human and The Setting Sun.
Shūji Tsushima was born on June 19, 1909, in Kanagi, Aomori Prefecture, into a wealthy landowning family. He began publishing in the early 1930s and adopted the pen name 太宰治, partly to separate his writing from his prominent family. The exact reason for choosing "Dazai" has several explanations, and none is confirmed.
His novels, including The Setting Sun (Shayō, 1947) and No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku, 1948), deal with alienation and despair in postwar Japan. No Longer Human is one of the best-selling novels in Japan. He is also a character in the anime Bungo Stray Dogs.
He died in June 1948 in Tokyo with his lover Tomie Yamazaki. His birthplace in Kanagi is now the Shayōkan memorial museum.
FAQ
Is Dazai Osamu a pen name? Yes. His real name was Shūji Tsushima.
What is Dazai Osamu's most famous book? No Longer Human (人間失格).