An interview with the Museum of Modern Japanese Literature revealed that a letter sent by the writer Riichi Yokomitsu to his best friend Yasunari Kawabata about half a year before his death was left behind.
The existing letter from Yokomitsu to Kawabata seems to be the last letter, and it is noted as a material that shows the interaction between the two who continued until his death.
This letter was written by Yokomitsu, who was in bed at the time, in April 1947, and was confirmed during the investigation conducted by the Museum of Modern Japanese Literature for the exhibition to be held from next month.
At the beginning of the three sheets, Yokomitsu said, "It was the year I couldn't write the most to the person who had to write the most letters." I apologize for the inconvenience.
He also wrote, "It's only been fun since the flowers started to bloom," and he is asking Kawabata to fix it because he will be writing tanka for the first time.
The two met after being introduced by Kan Kikuchi in their early twenties, and have deepened their friendship throughout their lives. When Yokomitsu died more than half a year after this letter, Kawabata said, "You are always my one and only friend. Not only was it, but he was also my two benefactors with Mr. Kikuchi. "
This letter is considered to be the last existing letter from Yokomitsu to Kawabata.
Kunihiko Nakajima, President of The Museum of Modern Japanese Literature, said, "We are expressing our thoughts while respecting each other and caring for each other. It is a letter that expresses our thoughts from Yokomitsu to Kawabata."
This letter will be published from the 2nd of next month.