Junichiro Tanizaki (1886-1965) is widely considered one of Japan's finest authors. Born in the heart of Tokyo as the city began to modernize, he studied Japanese literature at Tokyo University and made his debut with the acclaimed short story "The Tattoo." Following the great Kanto earthquake of 1923, he moved to the Kyoto-Osaka region, the setting for his masterpiece "The Makioka Sisters".