Chiyo Uno: The life and romantic philosophy of the Japanese author

The life and perspectives of Japanese author Chiyo Uno, known for her turbulent personal history, have gained renewed attention. Uno experienced her first marriage at the age of 14 in 1911, a union that lasted only about ten days. While her father reportedly claimed the marriage was a punishment for her walking with a boy after dark, Uno later described this reasoning as a “fictional setting,” suggesting her father may have simply wanted to secure her future before his own death.

Throughout her life, Uno experienced four marriages and subsequent divorces. Reflecting on these experiences, she described herself as a “failure in the school of marriage.” Despite these setbacks, she maintained a positive outlook on romance and human connection, even at the age of 95, asserting that one should never stop loving. She emphasized the importance of finding at least one good quality in a partner and cultivating true friendship between men and women to sustain a long-term relationship.