Japanese Literary Awards

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Yu Aku

あく ゆう

Aku Yuu

Aliases: 多夢 星人
Pen Names: Tamu Seijin（Pseudonym derived from a character in Aku's novel 'Goodbye - BN Boy's Youth' who is a rock singer）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1937-02-07 （Ayuhara Village, Tsuna District, Hyogo Prefecture (currently Goshiki-cho Ayuhara, Sumoto City)）
Died
2007-08-01 （Nishi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo (Tokyo Jikei University School of Medicine Hospital)） age 70
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Lyricist, Broadcast Writer, Novelist
Active Years
1964-2007

Education

Meiji University Faculty of Letters
Faculty of Letters
Country: Japan

Awards

2nd Yokomizo Seishi Mystery Award
1982
Work: Satsujinkyou Jidai Yurie
Organization: Yokomizo Seishi Mystery Award Committee
Result: winner
45th Kikuchi Kan Prize
1997
Organization: Japan Literary Arts Promotion Association
Result: winner
7th Shima Kiyoshi Love Literature Award
2000
Work: Poetry Novel
Organization: Shima Kiyoshi Love Literature Award Committee
Result: winner
Japan Record Awards
1971
Work: Mata Au Hi Made
Category: 大賞
Organization: Japan Composers Association
Result: winner
Japan Record Awards
1976
Work: Kita no Yado Kara
Category: 大賞
Organization: Japan Composers Association
Result: winner
Japan Record Awards
1977
Work: Katte ni Shiyagare
Category: 大賞
Organization: Japan Composers Association
Result: winner
Japan Record Awards
1978
Work: UFO
Category: 大賞
Organization: Japan Composers Association
Result: winner
Japan Record Awards
1980
Work: Ame no Bojou
Category: 大賞
Organization: Japan Composers Association
Result: winner
Japan Record Awards - Lyricist Award
1973
Work: Jonny e no Dengon
Organization: Japan Lyricist Award Committee
Result: winner
Japan Record Awards - Lyricist Award
1975
Work: Ubasha
Organization: Japan Lyricist Award Committee
Result: winner
Japan Record Awards - Lyricist Award
1985
Work: Natsuzakari Honojigumi
Organization: Japan Lyricist Award Committee
Result: winner
Japan Record Awards - Lyricist Award
1986
Work: Atsuki Kokoro ni
Organization: Japan Lyricist Award Committee
Result: winner
Japan Record Awards - Lyricist Award
1990
Work: Hana (Bouquet) Taba
Organization: Japan Lyricist Award Committee
Result: winner
Japan Record Awards - Lyricist Award
1994
Work: Hana no You ni Tori no You ni
Organization: Japan Lyricist Award Committee
Result: winner
Japan Record Awards - Lyricist Award
1996
Work: Hotaru no Chochin
Organization: Japan Lyricist Award Committee
Result: winner
Japan Record Awards
2007
Category: 特別功労賞
Organization: Japan Composers Association
Result: winner
Japan Record Awards
2017
Category: 特別賞
Organization: Japan Composers Association
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Setouchi Boys Baseball Team

1979 Novel

A novel that was nominated for the Naoki Prize.

YouthBaseball

Satsujinkyou Jidai Yurie

1982 Novel

Winner of the 2nd Yokomizo Seishi Mystery Award.

Mystery

Poetry Novel

2000 Novel

A collection of short novels that won the Shima Kiyoshi Love Literature Award.

Romance

Love Letters

1997 Short story collection

A short story collection published in 1997.

Adaptations
  • [Radio Drama] Radio

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Diverse lyrical expressionsPrecise depictions of popular psychology
Recurring Motifs
YouthLoveMelancholyBaseball

Health

  • Kidney cancer
    2001年 - 2007年
    Continued activities while ill but eventually died of ureteral cancer.

Legacy

Known as a lyricist and novelist who greatly influenced the Japanese popular music world, receiving numerous awards, with continued recognition after death.

Museums

  • Yu Aku Memorial Museum Meiji University Academy Common Basement Opened in 2010

Archives

  • Posthumous manuscripts and diaries preserved at Yu Aku Memorial Museum, Meiji University

Quotes

  • The title 'Katte ni Shiyagare' was chosen because the song's deadline was approaching in the morning.
    Source: Yu Aku

Trivia

  • Pen name derived from twisting 'Bad Friend'.
  • Wrote lyrics for over 5,000 songs.
  • Achieved 22 number-one charted works.
  • Ranked 2nd in total single sales among lyricists with 68.34 million units.
  • Lyrics dominated the Oricon single charts for 25 consecutive weeks in 1977.