Junichiro Tanizaki (1886–1965) was a major Japanese author whose work spans novels and essays. His fiction often examines erotic desire, aesthetics, and the tension between tradition and modernity.

Born 1886 in Tokyo; died 1965. Major works include The Key (La Chiave), Naomi (L'amore di uno Sciocco), The Makioka Sisters, and the essay In Praise of Shadows.

Two DeBaser reviews (by Darius) highlight Tanizaki's recurrent themes: erotic-fetishistic atmospheres and dominant, enigmatic female figures. They contrast works centered on sexual transgression (La Chiave) with psychologically driven narratives (L'amore di uno Sciocco). Both reviews read Tanizaki as exploring the clash between feudal traditions and modern impulses.

For:Readers of literary fiction, students and scholars of Japanese literature, fans of psychological and erotic novels.

 This, broadly speaking, is the setting of "The Key," a provocative novel-diary written in an era not exactly open to cultured and intellectual libertinism (see the works of Pasolini et similia), yet could no longer contain the erotic and impulsive ferment driven by Western-feminist emancipation.

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 The literary universe of Tanizaki is certainly characterized by an erotic-fetishistic aura quite pervasive, yet what best describes this author is the particular role of female subjects.

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