His lyrical paintings of beautiful women are known as ""Yumeji style."" Many romances, such as Tamaki, Hikono, and Oyō, colored his life. It has been glorified and taken up by the media, including movies, novels, and TV. However, the essence of his work lies in his sadness as an artist who was sick with acute sensitivity and his deep insight into human existence. In this sense, he is a curious figure who leaves room for illumination of details behind his popularity as the ""Utamaro of the Taisho era"" and in his later years.



［Author Biography］

Shiro Kusaka



1930 Born in Kyoto, registered family name: Hiroaki Ukai

1948 Graduated with a degree in French Language and Literature from the former Daisan High School

1953 Graduates from the Department of German Literature, Faculty of Letters, as the first student of the newly-established University of Tokyo



Career

Broadcasting: JOKR (radio) to program production at TBS Television - 1979

Stage: Creative work at DANCE THEATER CUBIC, script & direction - 1991

Teaching Part-time lecturer at Shukutoku Junior College / Japan Women's College of Physical Education - 1997

Criticism and screening of creative works, especially contemporary dance - 2013

For the above dance-related work, he used the pen name Shiro Kusaka.



[Major Works]



●Works by Hiroaki Ukai

""Dialogue with the Sun and Sand: The Silk Road in West Asia"" (1983) (in Japanese)

""The University of Tokyo, 75 Years of Student Theatre: From Okada Yoshiko to Noda Hideki"" (1997 Shimizu Shoin)

""Sasuga buyo, saredo buyo"" (2005, Bungeisha)

""Nana and Jean""：Memories of Youth sprouting in the Showa 20s"" (upper and lower volumes) (2016, Seiransha)



●Works by Shiro Kusaka

""The Voyage of Modern Dance"" (1976, Mokujisha)

""The Pale Women of Takehisa Yumeji"" (1994, Modern Bungeisha)

""Gendai Buyo ga Miete Kuru"" (1997, husekisha)

Series ""Through the Window of Dance"" (2003-2012, 3 volumes, Araki Shuppan)

Translated book ""Rudolf Laban"" (2007 Taishukan Shoten) Others



●Video production (6 volumes, 1 hour each, script, direction, and explanatory pamphlet)

Volume 1: People of the Pioneer Era - Volume 6: The Development of the Postwar Generation (1988-2005 Presented by CDAJ)