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Giichi Fujimoto

ふじもと ぎいち

Fujimoto Giichi

Aliases: 藤本よしかず / 藤本よしかす

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1933-01-26 （Hamadera, Senboku District, Osaka Prefecture, Japan (now Nishi-ku, Sakai City, Osaka)）
Died
2012-10-30 （Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan） age 79
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Hirakata, Osaka (resided after marriage) → Nishi-ku, Sakai, Osaka (birthplace area / childhood) → Nishinomiya, Hyōgo (late life)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Broadcast writer, Television presenter
Active Years
1957-2012
Affiliations
Japan Broadcast Writers Association — Kansai Branch (Chair), Shinsaibashi University (Founder & Chancellor)
Memberships
Japan Broadcast Writers Association, Nozomi-kai Social Welfare Corporation (involved in founding)
Influenced By
Yūzō Kawashima, Masuji Ibuse, Ihara Saikaku
Influenced
Takashi Okamura, Kazuyo Matsui (mentored/assisted), Many Kansai comedians and younger writers (mentorship/influence)
Nominations
61st Naoki Prize nominee ('Chirimen Jako'), 62nd Naoki Prize nominee ('Manhattan Blues'), 65th Naoki Prize nominee ('Ikisogi no Ki')

Education

Osaka Prefectural University
Faculty of Economics
Degree: Bachelor of Economics
Period: 1951-1958
Year of Graduation: 1958
Country: Japan
Ritsumeikan University
Faculty of Law
Period: 在籍（中退、年月不詳）
Country: Japan
Withdrew (did not graduate)

Awards

Naoki Prize
1974
Work: Oni no Uta (Song of the Demon)
Organization: Naoki Prize Selection Committee
Result: 受賞
Arts Festival — Minister of Education Award (Playwriting)
1957
Work: Tsubakuro no Uta (Song of the Swallow)
Category: 戯曲
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs — Arts Festival Selection Committee
Result: 受賞
Bungei Prize (Playwriting — Honorable Mention)
1963
Work: Hidokei no Uta (Song of the Sundial)
Category: 戯曲（佳作）
Organization: Bungei Prize Selection Committee
Result: 佳作一席

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Oni no Uta (Song of the Demon)

1974 Novel

A novel portraying the life of an Upper Kansai (Kamigata) rakugo performer. Set against Osaka's entertainment culture, it interweaves humor and pathos to depict human drama.

Kamigata rakugoShow business / entertainment worldHuman drama
Adaptations
  • [Film] Oni no Uta / 村野鐵太郎 (1975)

Zankoku na Dowa (Cruel Fairy Tales)

1968 Novel

Often cited as his first long novel, this work addresses darker aspects of society and human nature.

Social critiqueHuman psychology

Hotaru no Yado: Waga Odasaku (Hotaru's Inn: My Oda Sakunosuke)

1986 Non-fiction / Biographical novel

Part of a long series focused on Oda Sakunosuke, blending memoir, study, and dramatized biography centered on the Osaka-born writer.

Literary studyOsaka literatureMemoir / recollection
Adaptations
  • [TV drama] Hotaru no Yado (1988)

Bibliography

  • Oni no Uta
  • Zankoku na Dowa
  • Chirimen Jako
  • Ikisogi no Ki
  • Hotaru no Yado: Waga Odasaku
  • Yasagure Seishunki (Wayward Youth)
  • Ugetsu Monogatari (modern translation)
  • Dear Young Lady, Won't You Love Well?
  • Ikisogi no Ki
  • Yodogawa Blues

Adaptations

  • Oni no Uta (1975 film)
  • Hotaru no Yado (1988 TV drama)
  • Multiple screen adaptations of his screenplays (e.g., Station-front series)

Translations by Author

  • Ugetsu Monogatari (modern translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Kansai (Kamigata) narrative voiceBlend of humor and sharp social critiqueConversation-driven, brisk tempo
Recurring Motifs
Kamigata rakugo / performers' livesOsaka / downtown sceneryMerchant culture and human sentimentEssay-like recollection

Health

  • Mesothelioma
    2011-2012
    Diagnosed in 2011 with mesothelioma and given a limited prognosis; underwent treatment and hospitalization, and died in 2012. Activities and writing were curtailed.
  • Aspiration pneumonia / pneumonia
    2012
    Developed pneumonia in 2012 which complicated his condition, contributing to weakened health and impaired oral intake.
  • Cerebral infarction (stroke, mild)
    2012
    Suffered a mild stroke in summer 2012 and was briefly hospitalized; later was re-hospitalized as condition worsened.

Legacy

Giichi Fujimoto influenced Kansai culture and entertainment as a broadcast writer, novelist and TV presenter. He received the Naoki Prize, enjoyed a long television career, mentored younger talents, and was active in disaster recovery and social welfare efforts.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Broadcast Writers Association

Archives

  • Giichi Fujimoto Archive

In Popular Culture

  • Widely known as the long-time host of the TV program '11PM'
  • Works about Kansai culture and performers were adapted for film and television

Quotes

  • What's wrong with telling the truth!
    Source: Remarks on the TV program '11PM' (during an episode with Takashi Hirose) (1988)
  • My master is Yūzō Kawashima.
    Source: Interviews / statements in his writings (2001)

Trivia

  • Nicknamed 'Gicchan' by Ryotaro Shiba.
  • There is an anecdote that the reading of his legal name differed on the birth registration (Yoshikazu / Yoshikasu).
  • As host of '11PM' he handled the Osaka-produced segments for most of the program's 25-year run, missing only three shows.
  • He helped found and promote the 'Hamkaze no Ie' facility for children affected by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and worked in social welfare.
  • Through mentoring and judging he helped launch many young manzai comedians' careers.