Yamamoto Shugoro Award
2 appearances
-
Edition 32 (2019) nominee
-
Edition 33 (2020) nominee
Riichi Akamatsu
あかまつ りいち
Akamatsu Riichi
Pen Names:
Riichi Akamatsu（Pen name (legal name not disclosed)）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1956-02-05 （Kagawa Prefecture (Shodoshima), Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Shodoshima, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan → United States (lived for two years as a child) → Miyagi Prefecture (lived and worked after the 2011 earthquake) → Fukushima Prefecture (worked on decontamination) → Tokyo (lived in a manga café, later moved to an apartment)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Entrepreneur, Turf manager, Construction worker, Decontamination worker
- Active Years
- 2018-
- Affiliations
- Japan PEN Club, Mystery Writers of Japan
- Memberships
- Japan PEN Club, Mystery Writers of Japan
- Influenced By
- Chōkichi Kurumatani, Michael Ende
- Nominations
- Shortlisted for the 32nd Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize (Saba, 2018), Shortlisted for the 33rd Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize (Bodako, 2019)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansai University | Faculty of Letters | — | — | — | Japan |
Kansai University
Faculty of Letters
Country:
Japan
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Oyabu Haruhiko Newcomer Prize | — | — | Tokuma Shoten | 受賞 |
| 2020 | Oyabu Haruhiko Prize | Dog | — | Tokuma Shoten | 受賞 |
Oyabu Haruhiko Newcomer Prize
2018
Organization:
Tokuma Shoten
Result:
受賞
Oyabu Haruhiko Prize
2020
Work:
Dog
Organization:
Tokuma Shoten
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Oyabu Haruhiko Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 22 (2020) award
Works
Major Works
Written while living in a manga café; it depicts people living on the margins of society, homelessness and poverty.
PovertyHomelessnessFamily issuesSocial marginalization
Saba
2018 NovelOne of his representative works; a novel exploring contradictions and loneliness of people living in urban and rural settings.
LonelinessRural-urban contrastPoverty
Dog
2019 NovelA work on human relationships and loss. Winner of the 22nd Oyabu Haruhiko Prize.
LossHuman relationshipsUndercurrent of violence
Bodako
2019 NovelA controversial work based on personal experiences, depicting a broken life and dependence.
AddictionFamily collapseSelf-destruction
A collection of short and mid-length stories focusing on society's underclass.
Marginalized communitiesStruggles for survival
Translations
- Thai translation: title in Thai
A social novel about class gaps and relative poverty.
ClassPovertySocial critique
Outer Rise
2020 NovelA novel depicting modern social isolation and pathologies.
IsolationSocial pathology
A recent work about tensions between rural and urban life and people on the move.
MigrationRural-urban frictionTension
Bibliography
- Saba
- Bodako
- Dog
- Outer Rise
- Sumidagawa Shinju
- Elegy
Translations of Works
- Ranchiu (Thai translation)
- Kakyuu Kokumin A (translated editions exist)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Dark realistic proseSocial realismDirect, rough narrative style
- Recurring Motifs
- PovertyHomelessness and lack of fixed addressFamily breakdownRural-urban conflict
Health
-
Burnout30歳前後Led to resignation from his company and influenced subsequent career choices.
Legacy
Noted for his unconventional debut at age 62 and his background of homelessness, he is recognized for depicting society's marginalized people and has been honored with multiple literary awards.
Academic Societies
- Japan PEN Club
- Mystery Writers of Japan
In Popular Culture
- TV appearance on 'Geki Rea-san wo Tsuretekita.' (2023)
- YouTube appearance on 'Gairoku ch' (2023)
Quotes
-
Decision at 1 a.m.: with the 3 million yen prize from the Oyabu Haruhiko Prize, I'll leave the manga café.
Source: X (formerly Twitter) post (2020) (2020)
Trivia
- Made his literary debut at age 62 (debuted in 2018)
- Wrote award-winning work while living in a manga café
- Legal name is not publicly disclosed
- Graduate of Kansai University Faculty of Letters
- Has publicly stated that his daughter suffers from a mental illness