Ken Hirano | |
|---|---|
| 平野 謙 | |
| Born | October 30, 1910 |
| Died | April 3, 1978 (aged 67) |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Alma mater | Tokyo Imperial University |
| Occupation | Literary critic |
| Known for | The "politics and literature debate" (1946-1947); the "Parutai debate" (1960); the "pure literature debate" (1961-1962) |
| Notable work | Shōwa bungaku shi ("A History of Shōwa Literature," 1959) |
Ken Hirano (平野 謙, Hirano Ken, October 30, 1910 – April 3, 1978) was the pen name of a prominent Japanese literary critic and longtime professor of literature at Meiji University.[1] His real name was Akira Hirano (平野 朗, Hirano Akira).[1]
Hirano was one of the seven founders of the journal Kindai Bungaku ("Modern Literature"),[2] and played a starring role in the "politics and literature debates" of the 1940s and 1950s, as well as the "pure literature debate" of the early 1960s. In 1977, he was awarded the prestigious Imperial Prize from the Japan Art Academy.[1]