Yukio Mishima on it through the end of World War II. In January 1946, he visited famed writer Yasunari Kawabata in Kamakura, taking with him the manuscripts for and "Tabako", and asking for Kawabata's advice and assistance. In June 1946, following Kawabata's recommendations, "Tabako" was published in the new literary magazine . Also in 1946, Mishima began his first novel, , a story about two young members of the aristocracy drawn towards suicide. It was published in 1948, placing Mishima in the ranks of the Second Generation of Postwar Writers. He followed with "Confessions of a Mask", a semi-autobiographical account of a
Post-occupation Japan in many parts of the country. American music and movies became popular, spurring a generation of Japanese artists who built on both Western and Japanese influences. During this period, Japan also began to emerge as an exporter of culture. Young people across the world began consuming "kaiju" (monster) movies, "anime" (animation), "manga" (comic books), and other modern Japanese culture. Japanese authors such as Yasunari Kawabata and Yukio Mishima became popular literary figures in America and Europe. American soldiers returning from the occupation brought with them stories and artifacts, and the following generations of U.S. troops in Japan contributed to a