| image = Takiji Kobayashi photograph, sitting.JPGjpg

| caption = Takiji Kobayashi

{{nihongo|'''Takiji Kobayashi'''|小林 多喜二|Kobayashi Takiji|October 13, 1903 – February 20, 1933}} was a Japanese authorwriter of [[proletarian literature]].

Kobayashi was born in [[Odate, Akita]], Japan. At the age of four, his family moved to [[Otaru, Hokkaido]]. The family was not wealthy, but Kobayashi's uncle paid his schooling expenses and he was able to attend Hokkaido Otaru Commercial High School and Otaru Commercial School of Higher Learning, which is the current [[Otaru University of Commerce]]. While studying, he became interested in writing, and submitted essays to [[literary magazine]]s, served in the editorial committee for his school's alumni association magazine, and also had his own writing published. One of his teachers at school was economist, critic, and poet [[{{ill|Nobuyuki Okuma]]|jp|大熊信行|vertical-align=sup}}. Around this time, due to financial hardship and the current economic recession of the time, he joined the [[labour movement]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Ness| first = Immanuel| coauthors = | year = 2009 | title = Historical The International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest| publisher = Blackwell |isbn=9781405184649}}</ref>

In the spring of 1930, Kobayashi moved to Tokyo and became the secretary general of the Proletarian Writer's Guild of Japan. On May 23 he was arrested on suspicion of giving financial support to the [[Japanese Communist Party]], and was temporarily released on June 7. After returning to Tokyo on June 24, he was again arrested and in July, due to ''Kanikōsen'' he was further indicted on charges of [[Lèse majesté]]. In August, he was prosecuted under the [[Peace Preservation Law|Public Order and Police Law of 1900]] and was imprisoned in Toyotama Penitentiary. On January 22, 1931, he was released on bail. He then secluded himself at the Nanasawa Hot Spring in [[Kanagawa Prefecture]]. In October 1931, Kobayashi officially became a member of the outlawed Japan Communist Party.<ref name= Janus>{{cite book | last = Mitchell| first = Robert H| coauthors = | year = 1992| title = Janus-Faced Justice: Political Criminals in Imperial Japan| publisher = University of Hawaii Press| isbn=082481410X | page=83}}</ref>

On February 20, 1933, Kobayashi went to a meeting spot in [[Akasaka, Tokyo|Akasaka]] to meet with a fellow Communist Party member, who turned out to be a ''Tokkō'' spy who had infiltrated the party. The ''Tokkō'' were lying in wait for him, and although he tried to escape, he was captured and arrested.<ref name= Janus/> Kobayashi was taken to Tsukiji Police Station, where he was tortured.<ref name= Minato/> Police authorities announced the following day that Kobayashi had died of a [[heart attack]].<ref>{{cite news |title=The Japan Press 2003 Feb 9 issue |url=http://www.japan-press.co.jp/2003/2321/feb9.html |date=2003 |accessdate=30 January 2019 |work=The Japan Press}}</ref> No hospital would perform an [[autopsy]] for fear of the ''Tokkō''.　<ref>Police officials announced on the 21st that Kobayashi had died of a "heart attack," but Takiji's body, which was returned to his bereaved family the next day, was abnormally swollen due to torture, and his lower body was swollen and black due to internal bleeding. However, every hospital refused to perform autopsy for fear of the Tokkō police. - ''Takiji Kobayashi's torture death, lawyer's statement record that the bereaved family tries to sue'' Naonori Nakamura September 23, 2019 (『小林多喜二の拷問死、遺族が告訴試みる弁護士供述記録』中村尚徳 2019年9月23日) https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASM9L6FHCM9LPIHB02P.html </ref>

In 2008, ''Kanikōsen'' became a surprise bestseller thanks to an advertising campaign linking the novel to the working poor.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/2008/08/12/us-japan-novel-idUST31778020080812?feedType=RSS&sp=true Japan economy angst boosts sales of Marxist novel], Reuters, Aug. 11, 2008</ref><ref>{{cite book |oclc=1874054 |last=Kobayashi |first=T. |year=1933 |title=The cannery boat |location=New York |publisher=International publishers }}</ref>

Kobayashi's principal works have been translated into numerous languages, including Russian, Chinese, English, Korean, Spanish, Basque, Italian, Portuguese, German, French, Polish, and Norwegian.

In 2013, ''The Crab Cannery Ship and Other Novels of Struggle'' was published by the [[University of Hawaii Press]]. In addition to a new translation of the title text (''Kanikōsen''), the book includes ''Yasuko'' and ''Life of a Party Member'' (''Tōseikatsusha''). The introduction is by [[Yōichi Komori]], professor of Japanese literature at [[Tokyo University]]. The translator wasis Željko Cipriš.

''The Crab Cannery Ship'' ('Le bateau-usine')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.editions-allia.com/fr/auteur/392/takiji-kobayashi|title=Editions Allia - Auteur - Takiji Kobayashi|website=www.editions-allia.com|accessdate=30 January 2019|language=fr}}</ref> and ''The Absentee Landlord'' (''Le propriétaire absent'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.editionsamsterdam.fr/takiji-kobayashi/|title=Takiji Kobayashi|website=www.editionsamsterdam.fr|date=15 July 2017 |accessdate=30 January 2019|language=fr}}</ref> were published in French in 2010 and 2017 respectively.

The Otaru Takiji-sai Jikko Iinkai is a coterie of Takiji Kobayashi's admirers. They organized an 80th anniversary commemorating Kobayashi's death in [[Hokkaido]]. Amongst those who attended the 80th anniversary was [[Norma Field]]. Katsuo Terai serves as chairman of the Takiji-sai.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/10/18/our-lives/norma-field-champion-of-japans-leftist-literature-retires-but-not-from-anti-nuclear-activism/#.VTq12JOYFht|title=Norma Field, champion of Japan’sJapan's leftist literature, retires — but not from anti-nuclear activism|work=[[The Japan Times ]]|date=Oct 18, 2013|accessdate=}}</ref> The larger Takiji Sai tend to be in locales that were important to Takiji's life like Otaru, Akita, and the Greater Tokyo Suginami-Nakano-Shibuya Memorials. Takiji Sai are evening events, and feature a musical program as well as talks on Takiji's life and works.<ref name="japanfocus.org">{{cite web|url=http://japanfocus.org/-Heather-Bowen_Struyk/3180/article.html|title=Why a Boom in Proletarian Literature in Japan? The Kobayashi Takiji Memorial and The Factory Ship |publisher=The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus|date=June 29, 2009|accessdate=}}</ref>

''Suite Slaughter'' (''Kumikyoku Gyakusatsu'') is a musical written by [[Inoue Hisashi]], and depicts Kobayashi from the time he was picked up for questioning in Osaka in May 1930 till his death three years later. The play opened on 3 October 2009 at the Galaxy Theater (''Ginga Gekijō'') at Tennozu Isle in Tokyo. After “Suite Slaughter” closes at the Galaxy Theater on Oct. 25, it plans to travel to the [[Hyogo Performing Arts Center]] in [[Nishinomiya]], and the Kawanishicho Friendly Plaza in Yamagata.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://japanfocus.org/-Roger-Pulvers/3237/article.html|title= Suite Slaughter: Inoue Hisashi’sHisashi's play on the life and death of Kobayashi Takiji by Roger Pulvers|publisher= The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus|date= October 19, 2009}}</ref> According to ''[[The Japan Times]]'', “Suite Slaughter” premiered successfully in its premiere onin October 2009 and picked up several prestigious awards.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2012/12/27/stage/social-awareness-takes-center-stage/#.VTrIaJOYFhu|title=Social awareness takes center stage by Nobuko Tanaka |work=The Japan Times|date= Dec 27, 2012}}</ref>

InOn October 9, 1965, the Takiji Kobayashi Literary Monument was unveiled. The unveiling was held at the Asahi observatory overlooking Otaru City. The monument was built by Japanese sculptor Hongo Shin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hongoshin-smos.jp/sculpture/kobayashitakiji.html|title=小林多喜二文学碑 小樽の街と人々を愛する思いを連ねた美しい言葉|publisher=Hongo Shin memorial Museum of Sculpture, Sapporo|date=July 1, 2005|accessdate=}}</ref>

*{{cite book | last = Keene| first = Donald| coauthors = | year = 1998 | title = Dawn to the West: Japanese Literature of the Modern Era - Fiction| publisher = Columbia University Press| isbn=9780231114349}}

*{{cite web|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185467523?searchTerm=takiji%20communist&searchLimits=|title= JAPANESE THINKERS PERSECUTED|publisher= Daily Standard |date= Jun 17, 1933|accessdate=}}

*{{cite web|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/209422509?searchTerm=takiji%20communist&searchLimits=|title= Communist Leaders Murdered In Japan|publisher= The Workers' Weekly |date= Jun 2, 1933|accessdate=}}