Japanese Literary Awards

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Shin Hasegawa

はせがわ しん

Hasegawa Shin

Aliases: 長谷川伸二郎
Pen Names: Yamano Imosaku（One of the pen names used during his newspaper years）, Hasegawa Imoo（Pen name used in early fiction publications）, Shunpuro（One of the art-names (gō) he used）, Hama no Satobito（A byname used in newspapers and magazines）, Manmantei（Used as a whimsical byname）, Reireitei / Reireitei Shujin（Used to conceal identity during side-jobs as a newspaper writer）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1884-03-15 （Hinodecho, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan）
Died
1963-06-11 （Akashicho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan (St. Luke's International Hospital)） age 79
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Yokohama (birthplace) → Tokyo (residence / main base of activity)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Playwright, Scriptwriter, Journalist
Active Years
1914-1963
Affiliations
Miyako Shimbun / To Shimbun (entertainment reporter), Kodan Club, Tankisha (popular literature circle), 26th-Meeting (literary group), Shinyokai (founder / foundation established per his will)
Memberships
26th-Meeting (participant), Tankisha (co-founder/member), Shinyokai (chair/founder)
Influenced By
Kikuchi Kan, Ihara Seien (theatre critic)
Influenced
Shotaro Ikenami, Sōhachi Yamaoka, Juichiro Yamate, Yumie Hiraiwa, Genzō Murakami, Kyotaro Nishimura

Awards

Kikuchi Kan Prize
1956
Work: Nihon Horyu-shi (Accounts of Japanese POWs)
Organization: Kikuchi Kan Prize Committee
Result: winner
Asahi Culture Prize
1962
Organization: Asahi Shimbun
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Seki no Yatappe

1930 Period novel / popular fiction (matarimono)

One of his representative 'matarimono' works, depicting duty, loyalty and human sentiment among itinerant heroes and chivalrous rogues.

duty and human sentimentjourneychivalrous outlawry
Adaptations
  • [Film / TV (adapted)] Seki no Yatappe (adaptation)
Translations
  • Seki no Yatappe

Mabuta no Haha (The Mother)

1936 Play / Novel

A human drama centered on upbringing and reunion with the mother; elements of Hasegawa's own life experiences are reflected.

parent-child reunionhuman sentimentforgiveness
Adaptations
  • [Kabuki / Film / Television] Mabuta no Haha (stage & screen adaptations)
Translations
  • Mabuta no Haha

Araki Mataemon

1951 Historical novel

A historical novel about the real-life swordsman Araki Mataemon, incorporating elements of chivalrous tales.

loyaltyswordsmanshiprevenge and reconciliation
Adaptations
  • [Film / TV drama adaptations] Araki Mataemon (adaptation)
Translations
  • Araki Mataemon

Nihon Horyu-shi (Accounts of Japanese POWs)

1955 Non-fiction / reportage (serial)

A record/reportage on Japanese prisoners (POWs) during and after the war, compiled from extended reporting.

war and humanityreality of prisonerspostwar history
Translations
  • Nihon Horyu-shi

Kurayami no Ushimatsu

1931 Kabuki (play)

A kabuki play first staged with Kikugorō VI in the title role; it has also been adapted for film and television.

duty and chivalryhuman sentimenttragic elements
Adaptations
  • [Kabuki / Film / Television] Kurayami no Ushimatsu (stage & screen adaptations) (1931)
Translations
  • Kurayami no Ushimatsu

Bibliography

  • Jigoku Emaki (1924)
  • Yomosugara Kengyo (1924)
  • Seki no Yatappe (1930)
  • Ippon Tō Dohyōiri (1931)
  • Mabuta no Haha (1936)
  • Kurayami no Ushimatsu (1931)
  • Araki Mataemon (1951)
  • Nihon Horyu-shi (1955)
  • Autobiographical Essays (1956)

Adaptations

  • Kurayami no Ushimatsu (kabuki, film & TV adaptations)
  • Seki no Yatappe (film & TV adaptations)
  • Mabuta no Haha (stage & screen adaptations)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
popular-literature narrative styleconcise and vigorous descriptionsan emphasis on human sentiment and duty
Recurring Motifs
duty and human sentimentjourney and wanderingstories of chivalrous rogues and swordsmen

Health

  • Pneumonia (complication)
    1963年（晩年・最終疾患）
    Hospitalized at St. Luke's International Hospital and died on 1963-06-11

Legacy

Contributed to the development of popular literature and the 'matarimono' period drama; influenced numerous disciples and later writers. The Shin Hasegawa Prize and the Shinyokai foundation were established per his will, and his works have been repeatedly adapted for kabuki, film, TV and manga.

Museums

  • Monument to the Birthplace of Shin Hasegawa Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Academic Societies

  • Shinyokai

Archives

  • National Diet Library (works / authority records)
  • Asahi Shimbun archives (materials)
  • Shinyokai archives (preserved per his will)

In Popular Culture

  • Strong influence on period dramas in film and television
  • Manga adaptations by artists such as Makoto Kobayashi

Quotes

  • “Being a writer is a fairly rewarding male pursuit. If one doubts this path, it's because they condition it on success; if enjoying a job but not succeeding means it's not a life's work, then what work would qualify? That's how it is. Come, let's study together.”
    Source: Shotaro Ikenami, essay 'Shin Hasegawa' (source: Ikenami's essays)

Trivia

  • The Shin Hasegawa Prize was established in 1966 per his will
  • Burial site: Kōfuku-in (Shinagawa, Tokyo)
  • Published under multiple pen names during his newspaper years