“If decay is a disease, then the body itself, the root cause of decay, is the disease.”
- January 14, 1925 – November 25, 1970
- Born in Japan
- Novelist, playwright, critic, political activist
- He became a representative figure of postwar Japanese literature, and was highly acclaimed both at home and abroad. He pursued his own unique aesthetic with themes of beauty and death, and ultimately committed seppuku at a Self-Defense Forces garrison. His life, which combined literature with action, continues to have a strong influence today.
Japanese
「衰えることが病であれば、衰えることの根本原因である肉体こそ病だった」
English
“If decay is a disease, then the body itself, the root cause of decay, is the disease.”
Explanation
In this quote, Mishima confronts the inevitability of physical decline and suggests that the body, as the source of decay, is fundamentally flawed or diseased. He implies that aging and physical degeneration, which are universally experienced, can be seen as the true disease of existence. The decay of the body, in his view, is not just a symptom of natural life cycles, but a fundamental illness that undercuts all human experience. Mishima often wrote about the fragility of the human form and the tension between the ideal and the physical, suggesting that the body’s inevitable decay challenges the pursuit of perfection and immortality. For Mishima, this decay is not just a biological process but a metaphor for the limits of human existence and the disillusionment with human imperfection.
This reflection on the body as the root cause of decay aligns with Mishima’s broader obsession with beauty, mortality, and the idealization of the physical form. He often contrasted the perfection of the spirit or mind with the decay of the physical body, seeing physical deterioration as a tragic contradiction to the ideal of eternal youth or perfection. Mishima’s works often examined the tragic beauty of the body—its vulnerability, fragility, and the inevitability of death—suggesting that decay is not only unavoidable but also intrinsic to the human condition.
In a modern context, this quote resonates with ongoing reflections on the impermanence of the human body and the limitations of the physical form in a society that increasingly values youth and aesthetic perfection. The constant pursuit of anti-aging treatments and the societal pressure to maintain physical beauty can be seen as an attempt to deny the decay that Mishima acknowledges as inevitable. His insight reminds us of the existential truth that no matter how much we try to maintain or perfect our bodies, they will ultimately decay—making the body itself a constant reminder of mortality. Mishima’s perspective challenges modern ideals of immortality and perfection, suggesting that accepting the body’s decay is an essential part of confronting the reality of existence.
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