Takiji Kobayashi (小林 多喜二 Kobayashi Takiji, October 13, 1903 – February 20, 1933) was a Japanese author of proletarian literature. He is best known for his short novel Kanikōsen, or Crab Cannery Ship, a short novel published in 1929. It tells the story of several different people and the beginning of organization into unions of fishing workers. The young writer died due to violent torture after arrest by the Tokkō police two years later, at the age of 29. (Wikipedia)