A Manifesto on Discipline, Beauty and Death
Sun and Steel is a striking essay that reveals the intellectual and physical transformation behind Mishima’s fictional world. It reads as a manifesto on discipline, beauty, and death.
If the seriousness and elegance of the body ultimately contain the element of death, then the path toward it must secretly pass through pain, suffering, and the persistent awareness that proves one’s existence.
Serving as a window into the imagination behind Mishima’s literary works, Sun and Steel is a non-fiction narrative about how the author trained and developed himself both intellectually and physically—areas he felt lacking in since his youth. In this essay, Mishima examines topics such as the perception of male beauty, death in pursuit of an ideal, and the discipline achieved through constant training. The work concludes with a striking section describing his ascent into the sky aboard an F-104 fighter jet, alongside a poem written in the voice of Icarus, the mythical figure known for his fall from the heavens.
“To interpret him with words or muscles not his own is like building a porcelain pagoda out of nails.”
— The New York Times
A Ruthless Game of Desire, Revenge and Destruction
“Everyone is the same. All people are alike,” the old writer raises his voice. “But believing otherwise is a privilege reserved for the young.”
Forbidden Colors tells the story of a dangerous alliance between an aging and wealthy writer who harbors deep resentment toward women and life, and a strikingly beautiful young man who lacks the ability to love. As their relationship evolves into something far beyond friendship, it turns into a cruel game that will not only shake their own lives but also disrupt the order of those around them.
Through this powerful narrative, Mishima examines sexuality, power, and freedom within the rigid social conventions of Japanese society at the time. Written when the author was only 26, Forbidden Colors stands as one of his most daring novels, revealing how beauty can function as a weapon while desire can lead both to salvation and destruction.
