Tribute to a benefactor and friend

Donald Keene, an American scholar of Japanese literature, describes his long association with the Japanese historical novelist Ryotaro Shiba, who passed away on Feb. 12, 1996. He appreciates Shiba's cosmopolitan nature and the way he mixed freely with foreigners. He feels that the World War II had a great influence on Shiba's works. Shiba's command over language was remarkable and the liveliness of his narrative was unique. Shiba helped Keene to receive the inaugural Yamagata Banto Award in 1982 from Osaka Prefecture.