Yukio Mishima is the pen name of Kimitake Hiraoka.
YUKIO MISHIMA (1925-1970) was a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor, and film director. Mishima is considered one of the most important Japanese authors of the 20th century; he was nominated three times for the Nobel Prize in Literature and was poised to win the prize in 1968 although lost the award to his fellow countryman Yasunari Kawabata, presumably because of his radical right-wing activities. His avant-garde work displayed a blending of modern and traditional aesthetics that broke cultural boundaries, with a focus on sexuality, death, and political change.

THE SEA OF FERTILITY series of novels is his masterpiece. After Mishima conceived the idea of the tetralogy in 1964, he frequently said he would die when it was completed. On November 25th, 1970, the day he completed THE DECAY OF THE ANGEL, the last novel of the cycle, Mishima committed seppuku (ritual suicide) at the age of 45.

In addition to the novels and short stories, this collection includes SUN AND STEEL, a memoir of Mishima's experiences with, and reflections upon, his bodybuilding and martial arts training.