Yamada Bimyō

, born , was a Japanese novelist.

Jim Reichert, author of Yamada Bimyō: Historical Fiction and Modern Love, wrote that Bimyō was "one of the most influential literary reformers of the 1880s" who had "an instrumental role" in producing rekishi shōsetsu, the modern form of a Japanese historical novel. According to Reichert, during the 1880s the public perceived Bimyō "to be at the forefront of the literary reform movement, offering a fresh and exciting strategy for reforming Japanese literature."

History Bimyō was a part of the "Ken'yūsha" ("Friends of the Inkstone") Meiji literary group formed in February 1885, along with Ozaki Kōyō, Ishibashi Shian, and Maruoka Kyūka.

Bimyō married the writer Tazawa Inabune (Tazawa Kin) after she traveled to Tokyo to meet him. At the time, Bimyō's financial situation was deteriorating, and Inabune's family was wealthy. Yukiko Tanaka, author of Women Writers of Meiji and Taisho Japan: Their Lives, Works and Critical Reception, 1868-1926, stated that the marriage would not have occurred if his financial troubles did not exist.

During the marriage Bimyō had affairs with other women. The marriage attracted scrutiny from the press, and after three months Bimyō and Inabune divorced, and Inabune was forced to return home. Bimyō's ex-wife died in 1896, and many newspapers erroneously reported that she had committed suicide. Melek Ortabasi, author of "Tazawa Inabune (1874-1896)", wrote that Inabune's death ended Bimyō's career "in large part" because Bimyō received criticism for how he had treated Inabune.

Bimyō died at age 42. At the time of his death he was in a poor economic situation. Kochō ("Butterfly", 1889) "Outline of genbun-itchi theory" ("Genbun-itchi ron gairyaku", 1889) The author compared and contrasted genbun-itchi and futsūbun, or the standard written language. Josō no tantei (女装の探偵, 1902) Chi no namida (地の涙, 1903) Shōsetsu hane neke tori (小説・羽ぬけ鳥, 1903) Sabigatana (さびがたな, 1903) "Bakin no bunsho ryakuhyo" (Brief comments on Bakin's writing)

Collections Natsukodachi - "Musashino" is within this collection