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Ryusei Hasegawa

はせがわ りゅうせい

Hasegawa Ryusei

Aliases: 名谷 龍生
Pen Names: Tatsuo Natani（Birth name / legal name）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1928-06-19 （Semba, Higashi-ku, Osaka (now Chuo-ku, Osaka), Japan）
Died
2019-08-20 （Tokyo, Japan (hospital)） age 91
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
poet, critic, novelist, copywriter, advertising planner, educator
Active Years
1946-2019
Affiliations
Japan PEN Club (honorary member), Japan Contemporary Poets Association (former chair), Rikutei (member), Osaka School of Literature (former principal)
Memberships
Japan PEN Club, Japan Contemporary Poets Association, Rikutei
Influenced By
Jusaburo Ono, Kiyoshi Hanada, Kobo Abe
Influenced
Shuntaro Tanikawa, Shinmon Aoki, Ramo Nakajima, many Japanese writers and poets

Awards

9th Takami Jun Prize
1978
Work: Poetic Life
Organization: Takami Jun Prize Committee
Result: winner
H Prize (runner-up)
1957
Work: Paurow's Crane
Organization: H Prize selection
Result: runner-up
Fujimura Memorial Rikutei Prize
1986
Work: Knowledge and Love
Organization: Fujimura Memorial Rikutei Prize Committee
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Paurow's Crane

1957 poetry

Debut poetry collection noted for its concrete yet fantastical imagery.

fantasyconcretenessinner consciousness

Tiger

1960 poetry

An early poetry collection containing works that clarified his poetic stance.

dreamsfantasyconflict

Poetic Life

1978 poetry

A mature poetry collection reflecting years of development; winner of the 9th Takami Jun Prize.

maturitytravelknowledge and emotion

Knowledge and Love

1986 poetry / criticism

Works combining poetic writing and critical spirit; winner of the Fujimura Memorial Rikutei Prize.

knowledgelovespirituality

Tachimin (Standing Sleep)

2002 poetry

A poetry collection published after 13 years; was a leading candidate for a contemporary poetry prize which he declined.

silenceold ageintrospection

Bibliography

  • Paurow's Crane (1957)
  • Tiger (1960)
  • Collected Poems of Ryusei Hasegawa (1967)
  • The Station Called 'Fountain' (1975)
  • Embrace of Intuition (1976)
  • Poetic Life (1978)
  • Barbara's Summer (1980)
  • The Largo Mansion in Shiina-machi Dances (1982)
  • Knowledge and Love (1986)
  • Make Room for Madonna Blue (1989)
  • While Tears Are Falling (1989)
  • Continued Collected Poems of Ryusei Hasegawa (1996)
  • Tachimin (2002)
  • Sense of Mountain Sound (2017)

Adaptations

  • Direct film adaptations are few, but his work influenced other creators and productions
  • Encouraged Shinmon Aoki to write 'The Crematory Man's Diary', which later influenced the film 'Okuribito (Departures)'

Style & Themes

Literary Style
concrete yet fantastical imagerywriting with a critical perspectivea commitment to pursue truth rather than mere lyricism
Recurring Motifs
fantasy/delusiontravel (yukyo)inner world and renewal of knowledgeintersection of dream and reality

Health

  • aphasia (childhood)
    幼少期
    Childhood language impairment is said to have influenced his inward-looking expression and poetry.
  • pneumonia (cause of death)
    2019年
    Died in 2019 in a Tokyo hospital due to pneumonia.

Legacy

A poet active for many decades known for concrete yet fantastical verse. He made contributions in criticism and advertising as well, and is regarded as an important figure in contemporary Japanese poetry.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Contemporary Poets Association
  • Japan PEN Club

In Popular Culture

  • Indirectly influenced the creation of the film 'Okuribito (Departures)' by advising Shinmon Aoki to write 'The Crematory Man's Diary'.
  • Well-known anecdote that he coordinated foreign guests at Expo '70 in Osaka.

Quotes

  • He stands at the pinnacle of contemporary Japanese poets.
    Source: Toshihiko Hirabayashi (criticism) (2002)

Trivia

  • He once worked as an in-house copywriter for Dentsu.
  • Served as coordinator for foreign guests at Expo '70 in Osaka.
  • His 2002 collection 'Tachimin' was a leading candidate for a contemporary poetry prize which he declined.