“When we see the beauty of the snow, when we see the beauty of the full moon, when we see the beauty of the cherries in bloom, when in short we brush against and are awakened by the beauty of the four seasons, it is then that we think most of those close to us, and want them to share the pleasure. The excitement of beauty calls forth strong fellow feelings, yearnings for companionship, and the word ‘comrade’ can be taken to mean ‘human being’.”

Yasunari Kawabata was awarded the 1968 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his narrative mastery, which with great sensibility expresses the essence of the Japanese mind".

Who will be the 2024 literature laureate(s)? Find out on 10 October.

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Picture: Yasunari Kawabata at work in his house in Kamakura, Japan, 1940s.

Rose Brocaded Satin Dinner Dress

c. 1892