Japanese Literary Awards

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Akira Higashiyama

ひがしやま あきら

Higashiyama Akira

Pen Names: Akira Higashiyama（Pen name derived from family origins (grandfather's Shandong province and parental ties to Changhua).）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1968-09-11 （Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan)）
Nationality
Republic of China (Taiwan)
Languages
Japanese, Chinese
Residence History
Taipei, Taiwan → Hiroshima, Japan → Ogori, Fukuoka, Japan

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Mystery writer, Screenwriter, Essayist, Translator
Active Years
2002-
Affiliations
Mystery Writers of Japan, Seinan Gakuin University (part-time lecturer), RKB Radio (regular contributor)
Memberships
Mystery Writers of Japan
Influenced By
Wang Xiaolian (father)
Nominations
Nominee for the 67th Mystery Writers of Japan Award (Long novels and linked short stories) for 'Black Rider'

Education

Seinan Gakuin Junior & Senior High School
Country: Japan
Seinan Gakuin University
Faculty of Economics / Department of Economics
Degree: 学士
Country: Japan
Seinan Gakuin University Graduate School, Graduate School of Economics
Graduate School of Economics
Degree: 修士
Period: ～1995
Year of Graduation: 1995
Country: Japan
Completed master's program
Jilin University, School of Economics and Management
School of Economics and Management
Period: 入学後中退
Country: People's Republic of China
Left doctoral program before completion

Awards

Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! Award
2002
Work: Turd on the Run
Organization: Takarajimasha
Result: 銀賞・読者賞 (Silver Prize & Readers' Prize)
Oyabu Haruhiko Prize
2009
Work: Roadside
Organization: Oyabu Haruhiko Prize Selection Committee
Result: 受賞 (Winner)
Naoki Prize
2015
Work: Flow
Organization: Naoki Prize Selection Committee
Result: 受賞 (Winner)
Chuokoron Literary Prize
2016
Work: The End of Sin
Organization: Chuokoron-Shinsha
Result: 受賞 (Winner)
Oda Sakunosuke Prize
2017
Work: The Person I Killed and the Person Who Killed Me
Organization: Oda Sakunosuke Prize Selection Committee
Result: 受賞 (Winner)
Yomiuri Literature Prize
2018
Work: The Person I Killed and the Person Who Killed Me
Organization: Yomiuri Shimbun
Result: 受賞 (Winner)
Junichi Watanabe Literature Prize
2018
Work: The Person I Killed and the Person Who Killed Me
Organization: Junichi Watanabe Literature Prize Committee
Result: 受賞 (Winner)
Fukuoka Prefecture Cultural Award
2019
Organization: Fukuoka Prefecture
Result: 受賞 (Winner)

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Turd on the Run

2003 Hard-boiled, Action, Mystery

Debut hard‑boiled novel about flight and violence; follows a protagonist on the run and explores criminal relationships.

fugitive lifeviolenceatonementidentity

Flow

2015 Novel, Family saga

A multi‑generational family saga spanning Taiwan and Japan that explores migration, nationality and generational conflict. Winner of the Naoki Prize.

familymigrationnationalityhistory

The End of Sin

2016 Novel, Social fiction

A human drama revolving around morality and culpability. Winner of the Chuokoron Literary Prize.

sinatonementmorality

The Person I Killed and the Person Who Killed Me

2017 Novel, Mystery

A crime novel about perpetrators and victims, and the moral aftermath; explores atonement and memory.

crimeatonementmemory

Roadside

2008 Short story collection, Mystery

A collection of short stories portraying facets of modern society with a cold lens. Winner of the Oyabu Haruhiko Prize.

short storiesviolencesociety

Black Rider

2013 Mystery

A novel with hard‑boiled elements, marked by fast pacing and depictions of violence. Nominee for the Mystery Writers of Japan Award.

revengeviolencethe past

Bibliography

  • Turd on the Run
  • Walk the Wild Side
  • Rum & Coke
  • Goodbye, Gangland
  • Love Bites the Bad Star (retitled 'Sasurai')
  • It's Only Rock'n'Roll
  • Roadside
  • Johnny the Rabbit
  • Life Goes On
  • Goodbye Revolution (retitled 'Renren')
  • Family Restaurant
  • Black Rider
  • Flow
  • The End of Sin
  • The Person I Killed and the Person Who Killed Me
  • Night Tide
  • Devil's Door
  • A Small Place
  • Which Mouth Speaks of Love
  • Monster

Adaptations

  • NARUTO the Movie: Blood Prison (screenplay, 2011)

Translations by Author

  • Translation of 'The Mourning Home's Dog' (documentary on crimes by Chinese residents in Japan) by Tian Yan & Xiang Xuan
  • Translation of Donald Goines' 'Black Detroit'

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Lean, fast‑paced proseHard‑boiled elementsDetailed character depiction
Recurring Motifs
family historymigration and nationalityviolence and atonementbars and urban landscapesmasculinity and friendship

Legacy

Winner of major literary awards including the Naoki Prize; recognized for exploring Taiwan–Japan history and immigrant experiences. Also an active figure in Fukuoka's local cultural scene.

Academic Societies

  • Mystery Writers of Japan

In Popular Culture

  • Regular contributor on RKB Radio
  • Stage appearance in 'After School' (2024)

Trivia

  • Birth name is Wang Zhenxu (王 震緒).
  • Has retained Republic of China (Taiwan) nationality and has not naturalized as Japanese.
  • Likes tequila and holds a Tequila Maestro qualification.
  • His father, Wang Xiaolian, is a noted Taiwanese writer and scholar.
  • Resides in Ogori, Fukuoka Prefecture.