Episode 79: The Life and Suicide of Mishima Yukio, part two -- Revolutionary without a Cause

Histories And Mysteries

Mishima Yukio was a complicated man -- a successful author, celebrity, committed family man, repressed homosexual, and budding fascist paramilitary leader. His attempted overthrowal of the elected government of Japan walks a fine line between failed coup and conscious act of suicide. He lived as an international literary icon, but died as a controversial nationalist figure, forever complicating his legacy.