Japan Art Academy Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 6 (1950) award
Jiro Osaragi
おさらぎ じろう
Osaragi Jirō
Aliases:
野尻 清彦 / 野尻 草雄 / 大仏次郎（新字体）
Pen Names:
Yubihama Hito（Pen name used for some early works）,
Sakashita Goro（One of the pen names used for historical fiction）,
Nagareyama Ryutaro（Used for adventure/romance stories）,
Hakubatei Kyorai（A literary pen name used for essays and lighter pieces）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1897-10-09 （Eimachi, Yokohama (now Naka-ku), Kanagawa, Japan）
- Died
- 1973-04-30 （Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan (National Cancer Center Hospital)） age 75
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Eimachi, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan → Ogigayatsu (Ogigayatsu/Ogigayatsu), Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan (long-term residence) → Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan (late life, hospitalization)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Writer, Non-fiction writer, Playwright, Translator
- Active Years
- 1924-1973
- Affiliations
- Japan Art Academy, Kamakura Scenic Preservation Society, Japan Writers' Association
- Memberships
- Member, Japan Art Academy, Person of Cultural Merit
- Influenced By
- Romain Rolland, Edgar Allan Poe, Rafael Sabatini, Guillaume Apollinaire
- Influenced
- Michio Tsuzuki, Seicho Matsumoto (encouraged and recommended younger writers)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Imperial University (now University of Tokyo) | Faculty of Law | Department of Political Science | 学士 | 1918-1921 | Japan |
Tokyo Imperial University (now University of Tokyo)
Faculty of Law
/ Department of Political Science
Degree:
学士
Period:
1918-1921
Year of Graduation:
1921
Country:
Japan
Studied law at his father's insistence
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Japan Art Academy Prize | Return Home (Kaikyō) | — | Japan Art Academy | 受賞 |
| 1964 | Order of Culture | — | — | Government of Japan | 受章 |
| 1965 | Asahi Culture Award | Paris Burns (Pari Moyu) | — | Asahi Shimbun | 受賞 |
| 1969 | Kikuchi Kan Prize | Playwriting activities | — | Kikuchi Kan Prize Committee | 受賞 |
| 1928 | Watanabe Prize | Akō Rōshi (The 47 Ronin) | — | Literary Association | 受賞 |
| 1969 | Order of Cultural Merit (Portugal) | Edition/translation of Venceslau de Moraes' works | — | Government of Portugal | 受章 |
Japan Art Academy Prize
1950
Work:
Return Home (Kaikyō)
Organization:
Japan Art Academy
Result:
受賞
Order of Culture
1964
Organization:
Government of Japan
Result:
受章
Asahi Culture Award
1965
Work:
Paris Burns (Pari Moyu)
Organization:
Asahi Shimbun
Result:
受賞
Kikuchi Kan Prize
1969
Work:
Playwriting activities
Organization:
Kikuchi Kan Prize Committee
Result:
受賞
Watanabe Prize
1928
Work:
Akō Rōshi (The 47 Ronin)
Organization:
Literary Association
Result:
受賞
Order of Cultural Merit (Portugal)
1969
Work:
Edition/translation of Venceslau de Moraes' works
Organization:
Government of Portugal
Result:
受章
Awards & Nominations
Kikuchi Kan Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 23 (1969) award
Works
Major Works
Kurama Tengu (series)
1924 Jidaigeki / Historical fictionA long-running series set in the late Tokugawa era featuring the masked hero Kurama Tengu. Popular mass-literature series widely adapted into films and stage plays.
Robin-hood-like heroismMeiji Restoration seen from commoners' perspectiveFair play and justice
Adaptations
- [Film] Kurama Tengu (film adaptations)
Translations
- English title: Kurama Tengu (translated editions exist)
Akō Rōshi (The 47 Ronin)
1929 Historical novelA reinterpretation of the Chūshingura tale that recasts the forty-seven as ronin, bringing a critical perspective to contemporary politics and society.
Loyalty and moral ambiguityConflict between the modern state and samurai
Adaptations
- [Stage and film] Akō Rōshi (adaptations)
The Dreyfus Affair
1930 Non-fictionA non-fiction study of the Dreyfus Affair in France that also served as a critique of the growing militarism in Japan.
Critique of militarismMiscarriage of justice and public opinion
Return Home (Kaikyō)
1949 Contemporary novelA novel set in postwar Japan depicting human loneliness, desire, and the social conditions of reconstruction; one of his internationally translated major works.
Postwar reconstructionHuman lonelinessReordering of society
Adaptations
- [Film] Return Home (film) (1950)
Translations
- English: Return Home (translation)
- Translations into Spanish, Italian, Norwegian, Finnish (and others)
The Munakata Sisters
1950 Contemporary novelA postwar serial in the Asahi Shimbun that sensitively depicts the lives and emotions of a family and sisters.
FamilyPostwar human portrait
Adaptations
- [Film] The Munakata Sisters (film) (1950)
Paris Burns (Pari Moyu)
1964 Non-fictionA researched non-fiction work on subjects such as the Paris Commune, presenting perspectives on social movements and revolution.
Revolution and civic movementsHistorical comparison
The Century of the Emperor
1969 Non-fiction (large-scale serial)A major serialized work (unfinished) surveying the imperial institution and modern Japan from the Meiji era onward; an ambitious historical narrative based on extensive sources.
Modernization and the imperial systemEpic-scale historical narrative
Bibliography
- Ikkō Romance (1917)
- Kurama Tengu (series, 1924–1965)
- Akō Rōshi (1929)
- The Dreyfus Affair (1930)
- Return Home (1949)
- The Munakata Sisters (1950)
- Paris Burns (1964)
- The Century of the Emperor (1969–1973, unfinished)
Adaptations
- Kurama Tengu (numerous film and TV adaptations)
- Return Home (film, 1950)
Translations by Author
- Translated Romain Rolland's 'Les précurseurs' (1921)
- Translated Robert Louis Stevenson 'Treasure Island' (as Nojiri Kiyohiko)
Translations of Works
- Return Home — translated into English, Spanish, Italian, Norwegian and Finnish
- Selected major works have been translated into English and other European languages
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Populist narrative styleEpic, river-like historical narration connecting past and presentCareful fact-based non-fiction research
- Recurring Motifs
- CatsScenery of Yokohama and KamakuraVigilantes / roninThe ambivalence of modernization
Health
-
Stomach ulcer1954（入院・手術）Hospitalized and operated on; required ongoing health management
-
Suspected laryngeal cancer (surgery)1956Underwent surgery and subsequently quit smoking, affecting his lifestyle and work
-
Metastatic liver cancer1972–1973Died in 1973; continued writing from his sickbed but 'The Century of the Emperor' remained unfinished
Legacy
Osaragi Jiro left a broad legacy across popular fiction, historical novels and non-fiction. After his death his library and materials were donated to Yokohama and the Osaragi Jiro Memorial Museum opened in 1978. The Asahi Shimbun established the Osaragi Jiro Prize, and scholarship and commemoration continue.
Museums
- Osaragi Jiro Memorial Museum Harbor View Park, Yokohama, Japan Opened in 1978
Academic Societies
- Osaragi Jiro Study Group
Archives
- Osaragi Jiro Memorial Museum holdings (about 35,000 volumes and related materials)
- Yokohama municipal archives (materials donated)
In Popular Culture
- Kurama Tengu became a staple hero in films and TV, influencing jidaigeki/popular period drama culture
- Establishment of the Osaragi Jiro Prize by Asahi Shimbun (1973)
Quotes
-
I began to write to be able to pay Maruzen (for books).
Source: My Personal History (column) (1965) -
The children's tale 'Suiccho Neko' is the masterpiece of my lifetime.
Source: Collected essays (e.g., in 'Days with Cats') (1971)
Trivia
- Reportedly cared for around 500 cats in his lifetime (avid cat lover)
- Donated roughly 35,000 volumes from his library to the city of Yokohama after his death
- Used many pen names (over 20), writing across genres including jidai shosetsu, contemporary fiction and translations