Yasunari Kawabata (川端 康成, Kawabata Yasunari; Japanese pronunciation: [ka.wa.ba.ta (|) ja.sɯꜜ.na.ɾʲi], 11 June 1899 – 16 April 1972) was a Japanese novelist and short story writer whose spare, lyrical, subtly-shaded prose works won him the 1968 Nobel Prize in Literature, the first Japanese author to receive the award. His works have enjoyed broad international appeal and are still widely read. (Via Wikipedia)