Japanese Literary Awards

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Masaharu Goto

ごとう まさはる

Goto Masaharu

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1946-12-13 （Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Non-fiction writer, University professor, University president
Active Years
1972-
Affiliations
Kobe Shohkawa Gakuin University
Memberships
Osaragi Jiro Prize selection committee member, Shiba Ryotaro Award selection committee member

Education

Kyoto University Faculty of Agriculture
Faculty of Agriculture
Degree: Bachelor of Agriculture
Year of Graduation: 1972
Country: Japan

Awards

Ushio Nonfiction Prize
1985
Work: The Blank Trajectory: Men Who Bet on Heart Transplants
Organization: Ushio Publishing
Result: winner
Kodansha Nonfiction Prize
1990
Work: Distant Ring
Organization: Kodansha
Result: winner
Soichi Oya Nonfiction Prize
1995
Work: Return Match
Organization: Soichi Oya Prize Committee
Result: winner
Takeo Kuwabara Award for Academic and Artistic Achievement
2011
Work: Pure and Clear: A Portrait of Poet Noriko Ibaragi
Organization: Takeo Kuwabara Award Committee
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Records of Working Youth

1983 Non-fiction

Debut work documenting workplaces and lives of young workers based on field reporting.

workyouth

The Blank Trajectory: Men Who Bet on Heart Transplants

1985 Non-fiction (medical)

A reportage following the medical field and patients surrounding heart transplantation, exploring medical ethics and personal struggles.

medicineethicspersonal drama of patients

Distant Ring

1989 Non-fiction (sports)

A reportage that depicts athletes' lives and social aspects through the world of boxing and combat sports.

sportsindividuals and society

Return Match

1994 Non-fiction

Non-fiction focused on rematches and challenges in sports, structured around personal interviews.

rematchstruggle

Pure and Clear: A Portrait of Poet Noriko Ibaragi

2010 Non-fiction (biography/profile)

A critical biography of poet Noriko Ibaragi, tracing her works and life with careful portraiture; this work received critical recognition.

literary biographylife of a poet

Bibliography

  • Records of Working Youth
  • The Blank Trajectory: Men Who Bet on Heart Transplants
  • Challenging the Artificial Heart
  • Oh, Shining Sea of Life
  • Distant Ring
  • My Own Medal
  • Reviving Heartbeats
  • Return Match
  • Things That Cannot Be Taken Away: Sports Nonfiction Short Stories
  • Adventurers of Life
  • Scout
  • Resurrection: Ten Phoenix Legends
  • Fang: Yutaka Enatsu and His Era
  • Living-donor Liver Transplant: The Kyoto University Team's Challenge
  • Marathon Runner
  • The Miraculous Painter
  • Pure and Clear: A Portrait of Poet Noriko Ibaragi
  • Explorations: Notable Nonfiction
  • Heavenly Man: Atsuo Fukashiro and the Age of Newspapers
  • Traveling with Words
  • Be a Sulker: Yasuharu Honda — The Man and His Works
  • In an Age with No Foundation
  • Memories of a Crossroad
  • Fumin: A Journey to Shupei Fujisawa

Style & Themes

Literary Style
fact-based narrativedetailed portraiture based on thorough interviewsreportage-style approach
Recurring Motifs
sportsmedicine and lifechallenge and comeback

Legacy

He gained recognition for nonfiction works based on field reporting in areas such as sports and medicine. He also served in academic leadership and left important critical writings and biographical studies in the nonfiction field.

Trivia

  • Born December 13, 1946, in Kyoto.
  • Graduated from Kyoto University Faculty of Agriculture in 1972.
  • Served as professor, vice-president, and then president of Kobe Shohkawa Gakuin University (president 2010–2012).
  • Major works include The Blank Trajectory; Distant Ring; Return Match; Pure and Clear: A Portrait of Poet Noriko Ibaragi.
  • Recipient of Ushio Nonfiction Prize; Kodansha Nonfiction Prize; Soichi Oya Nonfiction Prize; Takeo Kuwabara Award.