Kobayashi Hideo, author and scholar, was one of the foremost Japanese literary critics of the 20th century. Kobayashi initially studied French literature at Tokyo Imperial University. Many of his works were published in the journal Bungakkai (Literary World). As a critic he praised Kikuchi Kan and Shiga Naoya and greatly criticized Akutagawa Ryunosuke, as well as the genre of the I-Novel. He was a strongly outspoken proponent of the war in China. After the war, he continued as a bestselling author, made radio broadcasts, and took part in roundtable discussions with scientists and other artists. He was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit in 1967.
Historical dictionary of modern Japanese literature and theater. J. Scott Miller. 2009.