Japanese Literary Awards

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Funado Yoichi

ふなど よいち

Funado Yoichi

Pen Names: Funado YoichiPen name used for novels, Toyoura ShirouPen name used for reportage and non-fiction, Sotoura GorouPen name used for manga story originals (e.g. Golgo 13)

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1944-02-08 (Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan)
Died
2015-04-22 (Suginami, Tokyo, Japan) age 71
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Manga story writer
Active Years
1979-2015
Affiliations
Japan Adventure Writers Club (co-founder)
Memberships
Japan Adventure Writers Club

Education

Waseda University
Faculty of Law
Degree: 学士(法学)
Country: Japan
Member of the university exploration club during his studies

Awards

Japan Adventure Novel Association Grand Prize (Domestic)
1985
Work: Yamaneko no Natsu (Summer of the Wildcat)
Category: 国内部門
Organization: Japan Adventure Novel Association
Result: winner
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award
1985
Work: Yamaneko no Natsu (Summer of the Wildcat)
Organization: Kodansha
Result: winner
Japan Adventure Novel Association Grand Prize (Domestic)
1988
Work: Mōki Hakobune
Category: 国内部門
Organization: Japan Adventure Novel Association
Result: winner
Japan Adventure Novel Association Grand Prize (Domestic)
1989
Work: Densetsu Naki Chi
Category: 国内部門
Organization: Japan Adventure Novel Association
Result: winner
Mystery Writers of Japan Award (Long Novel)
1989
Work: Densetsu Naki Chi
Category: 長編部門
Organization: Mystery Writers of Japan
Result: winner
Japan Adventure Novel Association Grand Prize (Domestic)
1992
Work: Suna no Chronicle (Sand Chronicle)
Category: 国内部門
Organization: Japan Adventure Novel Association
Result: winner
Yamamoto Shugoro Prize
1992
Work: Suna no Chronicle (Sand Chronicle)
Organization: Shinchosha
Result: winner
Japan Adventure Novel Association Grand Prize (Domestic)
1996
Work: Ezochi Bekken
Category: 国内部門
Organization: Japan Adventure Novel Association
Result: winner
Naoki Prize
2000
Work: Niji no Tani no Satsuki (May in the Valley of Rainbows)
Organization: Japan Literature Promotion Society
Result: winner
Japan Adventure Novel Association Grand Prize (Domestic)
2004
Work: Yume wa Aredichi o
Category: 国内部門
Organization: Japan Adventure Novel Association
Result: winner
Japan Mystery Literature Award
2014
Organization: Kobun Cultural Foundation
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Yamaneko no Natsu (Summer of the Wildcat)

1984 Adventure novel

A large-scale adventure novel mixing violence and coming-of-age elements; a breakthrough representative work for the author.

adventureviolencecoming-of-age
Adaptations
  • [Radio drama] Yamaneko no Natsu (NHK-FM) (1985)

Densetsu Naki Chi

1988 Adventure novel

A sprawling long novel with many characters and settings; contains mystery elements and received critical acclaim.

adventurehistorymystery

Suna no Chronicle (Sand Chronicle)

1991 Adventure / Historical novel

An epic set against deserts and war, portraying an ensemble of human destinies; one of the author's major works.

warcolonialismhuman drama
Adaptations
  • [Theatre] Suna no Chronicle (stage) / 森井陸 (2006)

Niji no Tani no Satsuki (May in the Valley of Rainbows)

2000 Adventure novel

A novel about human bonds and the shadows of the past; recipient of the Naoki Prize.

human relationshipsthe pastadventure

Manshuukoku Engi (Manchukuo Saga)

2007 Historical novel / Adventure

A large-scale series set in Manchukuo. He continued writing it during his illness and finished the series before his death.

Manchuriamilitary historyimperialism

Bibliography

  • Higōhōin
  • Yamaneko no Natsu (Summer of the Wildcat)
  • Mōki Hakobune
  • Densetsu Naki Chi
  • Suna no Chronicle (Sand Chronicle)
  • Niji no Tani no Satsuki (May in the Valley of Rainbows)
  • Manshuukoku Engi (Manchukuo Saga, 9 vols)

Adaptations

  • Seagull Hotel Blue (film)
  • Shinjuku: Natsu no Shi (source for the film EDEN)
  • Stage adaptations (e.g. Suna no Chronicle)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Epic, muscular proseA style that fuses realistic depiction with adventurous scope
Recurring Motifs
war and its aftermathfrontier/colonial settingsviolence and masculine fate

Health

  • thymic carcinoma
    2010s - 2015
    He continued writing while undergoing treatment; he completed his major series before stopping due to his death.

Legacy

An author of large-scale adventure and historical novels. Praised for vigorous depiction and grand scope; many of his works were adapted for film, stage and other media.

Museums

  • Shimonoseki memorial exhibition Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan Opened in 2015

Academic Societies

  • Japan Adventure Writers Club

In Popular Culture

  • Film adaptations (Seagull Hotel Blue, EDEN, etc.)
  • Manga adaptations (serialized comic versions in magazines)

Trivia

  • Real name: Harada Kenji.
  • Used multiple pen names (e.g. Toyoura Shirou, Sotoura Gorou).
  • A former member of Waseda University's exploration club; experiences of exploration and travel informed his works.
  • Completed the Manshuukoku saga series before his death.