Episode 78: the Life and Suicide of Mishima Yukio, part one -- Gay for Death

Mishima Yukio was a celebrated and prolific 20th century actor, director, model, poet, playright, and especially author. To this day he is considered one of the most important Japanese writers of the era, though many of his works remain untranslated in English. He was even three times in contention for the Nobel Prize in Literature. But what he is perhaps best known for is dying by his own hand after an attempted coup against the democratically elected government of Japan. How did Mishima go from famous author to failed cult leader? Listen to find out.