Japanese Literary Awards

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Man Arai

あらい まん

Arai Man

Aliases: 滿（本名：みつる）
Pen Names: Man Arai（Used as pen name and stage name）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1946-05-07 （Niigata City, Niigata, Japan）
Died
2021-12-03 （Hospital in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan） age 75
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Niigata City, Niigata, Japan → Tokyo, Japan → Nanae, Kameda District, Hokkaido, Japan (late life)

Career

Occupations
Author, Lyricist and composer, Singer, Photographer, Environmental video producer, Picture book artist
Active Years
1971-2021
Affiliations
Dentsu, Japan PEN Club (Executive Director)
Memberships
Japan PEN Club

Education

Sophia University
Faculty of Law
Country: Japan
Graduated from Sophia University, Faculty of Law

Awards

Noma Literary New Face Prize
1987
Work: Vexation
Organization: Noma Cultural Foundation
Result: 受賞
Akutagawa Prize
1988
Work: Tazunebito no Jikan (The Time of the Searcher)
Organization: Akutagawa Prize Selection Committee
Result: 受賞
Japan Record Awards (Composition Award)
2007
Work: Sen no Kaze ni Natte (A Thousand Winds)
Category: 作曲賞
Organization: Japan Record Awards Committee
Result: 受賞
Japan Record Awards (Special Lifetime Achievement Award)
2022
Organization: Japan Record Awards Committee
Result: 没後受賞
Mayor of Matsuyama Award
2000
Work: Kono Machi de (In This Town)
Organization: Matsuyama City
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Vexation

1987 Novel

A novel that poetically depicts the inner life of urban dwellers; winner of the 9th Noma Literary New Face Prize.

urban lifelonelinessmemory

Tazunebito no Jikan (The Time of the Searcher)

1988 Short fiction/Novel

A poetic and delicate portrayal of the inner lives of people living in contemporary urban settings; winner of the 99th Akutagawa Prize.

urban lifesolitudehuman relationships
Adaptations
  • [Music album] Tazunebito no Jikan (album) (1989)

Sen no Kaze ni Natte (A Thousand Winds)

2003 Song/Poetry

A Japanese translation and musical setting of the English poem 'Do not stand at my grave and weep'. The song became widely popular through covers by artists such as Masafumi Akikawa and was released as a CD and in book form.

deathmemorialconsolation
Adaptations
  • [Radio drama] Sen no Kaze ni Natte (Radio drama)
  • [TV drama] Sen no Kaze ni Natte (TV drama)
  • [Feature film] Sen no Kaze ni Natte (Feature film)
Translations
  • Includes a Japanese translation and musical setting of the English poem 'Do not stand at my grave and weep'.

Nichiyōbi da Zō! (It's Sunday, Elephant!)

1983 Children's picture book

A humorous and gentle picture book for children.

childrenfamilyimagination

Life by the Seaside

1991 Novel

A quietly observed work portraying seaside landscapes and the people who inhabit them.

naturerecollectionplace and memory

The Photographer and the Dog

2002 Novel / Essay

A collection of short stories and essays centered on photography and human relationships.

photographytravelfriendship

Bibliography

  • Nichiyōbi da Zō! (It's Sunday, Elephant!)
  • Vexation
  • Tazunebito no Jikan (The Time of the Searcher)
  • Sunset Beach Hotel
  • Life by the Seaside
  • Kafka's Coat
  • The Boy of Honfleur
  • Morning Pensee
  • The Black Cat of the Eiffel Tower
  • The Room with a Black Scar
  • The Photographer and the Dog
  • Tsukiko
  • Kinchyan the Toki Flies in the Sky
  • Sen no Kaze ni Natte (poem and song)
  • The Tree of Hope

Adaptations

  • Sen no Kaze ni Natte — adapted as radio drama, TV drama and feature film
  • Manyō Renga (musical setting) — recorded by Sachiko Kobayashi and performed on NHK Kouhaku

Translations by Author

  • The Heart Sutra (free translation)
  • Samuel Ullman 'Youth' (translation)
  • Brian Wildsmith 'Kumagorou's Great Adventure' (translation)
  • John Lennon/Yoko Ono 'Imagine' (translation)
  • Laozi (free translation)
  • Ten Ox-Herding Pictures (free translation)
  • Ryōkan (free translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Poetic and lyrical proseNarrative short/medium-length forms with strong storytellingMusical and cinematic imagery in expression
Recurring Motifs
Nature (wind, trees, sea)Death and rebirthNostalgia and hometownMusic and song

Health

  • Serious childhood illness and hospitalization
    幼少期
    The experience of near-death hospitalization strongly influenced his creative outlook and view of life
  • Aspiration pneumonia
    2021-12
    Died of aspiration pneumonia on 3 December 2021 (cause of death)

Legacy

He is regarded as a writer who poetically depicted the inner lives of modern urban people. The massive popularity of 'Sen no Kaze ni Natte' had substantial influence on music and memorial culture. Through his diverse creative activities—novels, picture books, music, photography and translations—he was widely beloved and continues to be recognized posthumously.

Academic Societies

  • Japan PEN Club

Archives

  • NHK Archives
  • National Diet Library (authority record)

In Popular Culture

  • His song 'Sen no Kaze ni Natte' was covered by artists such as Masafumi Akikawa and became a national hit frequently used at memorials and funerals.
  • His songs, such as the theme 'Hoshi no Machi Hakodate' for the Hakodate outdoor theatre, have become established in local events.

Quotes

  • He vowed to make discovering and conveying beauty his life's work.
    Source: Biography / autobiographical writings
  • Do not stand at my grave and weep (excerpt from the Japanese rendering used in 'Sen no Kaze ni Natte')
    Source: Sen no Kaze ni Natte (Japanese translation / song) (2003)

Trivia

  • His mother worked as a midwife.
  • After graduating from Sophia University (Faculty of Law), he joined Dentsu and worked on environmental video production.
  • He sang the 1977 CM song 'Wine Color no Tokimeki' himself, which became a hit.
  • There has been controversy over his Japanese rendering and trademarking related to 'Sen no Kaze ni Natte'.
  • He retired from Dentsu in 2006 upon reaching retirement age.