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Kano Akiyama

あきやま かの

Akiyama Kano

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1968-01-18 （Moji-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Novelist
Active Years
2002-
Affiliations
Mystery Writers of Japan
Memberships
Mystery Writers of Japan
Influenced By
William Shakespeare, Masakazu Yamazaki, Ryotaro Shiba

Education

Kassui Women's Junior College
Country: Japan
Graduation thesis on Ryotaro Shiba

Awards

Nomura Kodō Literary Prize
2018
Work: Ryū ga naku: Kawai Tsuginosuke
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Traitor

2002 Historical novel

A historical novel themed on the Shinsengumi; later retitled to focus on Toudou Heisuke in a reissue.

ShinsengumiloyaltyBakumatsu era

Otter Festival: The White Fox Disturbance

2015 Historical novel

A period novel depicting human relations through a regional disturbance.

local historycommon peoplemystery

Ryū ga naku: Kawai Tsuginosuke

2017 Historical novel

Depicts the life and political struggles of Kawai Tsuginosuke of Nagaoka Domain. Winner of the 6th Nomura Kodō Literary Prize.

Bakumatsudomain politicsbiography

Ujizane, Silent

2019 Historical novel

A historical novel portraying figures from the Sengoku to Azuchi–Momoyama periods.

Sengoku periodsamurai leaderspathos

Endless Chaos

2024 Historical novel

Published in 2024; a long novel intertwining multiple historical incidents and figures.

ensemble dramareconstruction of history

Yoritomo: Like Shadow, Like Thunder

2024 Historical novel

A 2024 historical epic centered on Minamoto no Yoritomo, founder of the Kamakura shogunate.

Kamakura shogunatesamurai governancepower and fate

Bibliography

  • Traitor
  • The Country Where Lions Dwell
  • Toshizo, Gone and Returned
  • Yagyu Jubei: Shinmyoken
  • Soji: Like a Flame
  • The Man Who Captured Goryokaku
  • Kondo Isami
  • Wind Grows Clear
  • The Fiery Split Sword: Hanjirō the Retainer
  • Chacha and Nobunaga
  • Chacha and Hideyoshi
  • Chacha and Ieyasu
  • Shinsengumi Casebook: Gen-san's Files
  • Weep at Twilight
  • Keepsake: The Kampo Doctor Ariyasu
  • Ripples: The Kampo Doctor Ariyasu
  • Torn Clouds: The Kampo Doctor Ariyasu
  • Evening Calm: The Kampo Doctor Ariyasu
  • Espionage Shinsengumi: The Wind's Refuge — Gen-san's Files
  • Shinsaku: The Azure Scorching Sun
  • The Inexperienced: Iba Hachiro — Bakumatsu Anecdotes
  • The Value of Samurai Ethics: Iba Hachiro — Bakumatsu Anecdotes
  • Boat Without a Turret: Iba Hachiro — Bakumatsu Anecdotes
  • Iba Hachiro Rushes into the Frozen Land
  • The Hawk Dancing in Gathered Clouds
  • The Demon Beside the Rain: Takechi Zokuryō and Okada Izō
  • The Spy
  • Ice Block: Okubo Toshimichi
  • Tengu Shines: The Man Who Surpassed the Shogun — Merchant and Market Master Honma Soukyu
  • Yoshida Shoin: Brilliant Yamato
  • Otter Festival: The White Fox Disturbance
  • Ryū ga naku: Kawai Tsuginosuke
  • Ujizane, Silent
  • Endless Chaos
  • Yoritomo: Like Shadow, Like Thunder

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Weighty depictions grounded in historical factMeticulous period research and detailed proseCareful exploration of characters' inner lives
Recurring Motifs
Figures of the Bakumatsu/Meiji Restoration eraSamurai loyalty and conflictCommunity conflict and renewal

Legacy

A historical novelist known for historically grounded character portrayals. Winner of the 2018 Nomura Kodō Literary Prize, she is recognized among contemporary Japanese historical fiction writers.

Academic Societies

  • Mystery Writers of Japan

Archives

  • National Diet Library (Japan) — author authority record
  • Library of Congress (US) — author authority record

Trivia

  • Her graduation thesis focused on Ryotaro Shiba.
  • She is married to historical novelist Eiji Suzuki.
  • In junior high she wrote scripts and skits as a member of the drama club.
  • In 2018 she won the 6th Nomura Kodō Literary Prize for 'Ryū ga naku: Kawai Tsuginosuke'.