The young writer died due to violent torture after arrest by the Tokkō police two years later, at the age of 29.

The story depicted torture by the Tokkō special higher police, which in turn infuriated government officials.

[citation needed] In 1929, Kobayashi's novel Kanikōsen about a crab-fishing and canning ship's crew determined to stand up to a cruel manager under harsh conditions was published in Senki.

', close to the town of Asahikawa, along the Ishikari River valley, about 80 miles North East of Otaru where Kobayashi was living.

The police (in particular the Tokubetsu Kōtō Keisatsu or Tokkō) marked Kobayashi for surveillance, and in the same year the publication of his new book "Absentee Landlord" (不在地主, Fuzaijinushi) in the Chūōkōron magazine became grounds for his dismissal from his job at the bank.

[3] In the spring of 1930, Kobayashi moved to Tokyo and became the secretary general of the Proletarian Writer's Guild of Japan.

On May 23 he was arrested on suspicion of giving financial support to the Japanese Communist Party, and was temporarily released on June 7.

After returning to Tokyo on June 24, he was again arrested and in July, due to Kanikōsen he was further indicted on charges of Lèse majesté.

[7][8] Kobayashi's principal works have been translated into numerous languages, including Russian, Chinese, English, Korean, Spanish, Basque, Italian, Portuguese, German, French, Polish, and Norwegian.

[citation needed] In 1973, an English translation of Kobayashi's two novels by Frank Motofuji under the titles The Factory Ship (Kanikōsen) and The Absentee Landlord (Fuzai jinushi) was published by the University of Tokyo Press under sponsorship from UNESCO.

In addition to a new translation of the title text (Kanikōsen), the book includes Yasuko and Life of a Party Member (Tōseikatsusha).

The Crab Cannery Ship ('Le bateau-usine')[10] and The Absentee Landlord (Le propriétaire absent)[11] were published in French in 2010 and 2017 respectively.

[13] Suite Slaughter (Kumikyoku Gyakusatsu) is a musical written by Inoue Hisashi, and depicts Kobayashi from the time he was picked up for questioning in Osaka in May 1930 till his death three years later.

The play opened on 3 October 2009 at the Galaxy Theater (Ginga Gekijō) at Tennozu Isle in Tokyo.

After “Suite Slaughter” closes at the Galaxy Theater on Oct. 25, it plans to travel to the Hyogo Performing Arts Center in Nishinomiya, and the Kawanishicho Friendly Plaza in Yamagata.

[15] A Takiji Library was established by Sano Chikara, a businessman who graduated from Kobayashi's alma mater, Otaru University of Commerce.