Philosopher Takaaki Yoshimoto was born on November 25, 1924, in Tsukishima, Tokyo.
After completing the first half of his graduate studies as a special research student at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1951, he began working at Toyo Ink Manufacturing. While working at the factory, he published several poetry collections and won the Newcomer's Award from the poetry magazine "Araji" in 1954. In 1956, he co-authored "Literary Scholars' War Responsibility" with Takei Akio, the first chairman of the All-Japan Federation of Student Self-Government ... During this investigation, the magazine Kindai Bungaku (Modern Literature) held a literary award selection process, and Yoshimoto's work, "The Problem of the Axis: The Fallacies of Converted Fascists," was selected as the inaugural winner. In 1961, he founded the coterie magazine Shikko (Trial Publications), and since then, without being affiliated with a major media outlet, has continued to express his opinions to the public from an ordinary citizen's perspective. His philosophy of independence has become a spiritual pillar for young people of the Security Treaty and Zenkyoto generations. One of Yoshimoto's most representative works is his 1968 book, "Theory of Common Illusions." In this work, Yoshimoto views the existence of the nation as a product of the delusions of the people who live within it, and in 11 essays he explores his thoughts on how he arrived at this conclusion. In 1970, he retired from his patent office and devoted himself to writing. He has published numerous books, including "The Last Shinran" and "Deciphering Tragedy," which have had a profound influence on postwar thought. In the 1980s, Yoshimoto's ideas gained greater acceptance among the general public, in part due to his positive commentary on subcultures such as television, manga, rock music, and fashion.
In 1984, Yoshimoto appeared in the women's magazine "an・an" wearing Comme des Garçons. Upon seeing the photo, the philosopher Yukio Haniya criticized Yoshimoto, saying it was inappropriate to wear overpriced goods from capitalist companies that profited from the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Yoshimoto responded by issuing a statement defending Comme des Garçons, sparking a heated debate between the two that would come to be known as the "Comme des Garçons Controversy." He continued to discuss numerous cultural and political events, including the Aum Shinrikyo cult and the September 11 attacks, from his unique perspective, until 2012, when he was hospitalized with pneumonia and passed away.
The novelist Banana Yoshimoto is Yoshimoto's second daughter.