Born in Tokyo in 1925, Yukio Mishima was a prolific writer of plays, poetry, essays, and novels, many of which are now considered classics. Educated in Japan but deeply influenced by European and Russian literature, developed a consuming obsession with imperial Japan, its samurai traditions and heroic ideals of beauty, nationalism, and honour, and went on to found an elite right-wing organisation. At the age of 45, Mishima took his own life in a shocking and internationally-reported public event.