Akutagawa Prize
1 appearances
Keiichiro Hirano
ひらの けいいちろう
Hirano Keiichiro
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1975-06-22 （Gamagori, Aichi, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Gamagori, Aichi, Japan → Yahatanishi Ward, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan → Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan (university years) → France (residence during Cultural Affairs assignment) → Tokyo, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Essayist, Critic, Translator
- Active Years
- 1998-
- Influenced By
- Mircea Eliade, Charles Baudelaire, Georges Bataille, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Mori Ōgai, Yukio Mishima
- Nominations
- Nominated for the Oda Sakunosuke Prize (Kekkai)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyoto University, Faculty of Law | Faculty of Law | Department of Law | 学士（法学） | 1994-1998 | Japan |
Kyoto University, Faculty of Law
Faculty of Law
/ Department of Law
Degree:
学士（法学）
Period:
1994-1998
Year of Graduation:
1998
Country:
Japan
Wrote and submitted debut novel 'Nisshoku' while enrolled; later won the Akutagawa Prize.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Akutagawa Ryunosuke Prize | Nisshoku (Eclipse) | — | Akutagawa Prize Selection Committee | 受賞 |
| 2009 | Art Encouragement Prize (Newcomer) | Kekkai (Collapse) | — | Agency for Cultural Affairs | 受賞 |
| 2009 | Bunkamura-Doumago Literary Prize | Dawn | — | Bunkamura Domago Prize Committee | 受賞 |
| 2014 | Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Chevalier) | — | — | French Republic | 受章（シュヴァリエ） |
| 2017 | Watanabe Junichi Literary Prize | At the End of the Matinee | — | Watanabe Junichi Literary Prize Committee | 受賞 |
| 2018 | Yomiuri Literary Prize | A Man | — | Yomiuri Literary Prize Committee | 受賞 |
| 2023 | Kobayashi Hideo Award | On Yukio Mishima | — | Kobayashi Hideo Award Committee | 受賞 |
Akutagawa Ryunosuke Prize
1999
Work:
Nisshoku (Eclipse)
Organization:
Akutagawa Prize Selection Committee
Result:
受賞
Art Encouragement Prize (Newcomer)
2009
Work:
Kekkai (Collapse)
Organization:
Agency for Cultural Affairs
Result:
受賞
Bunkamura-Doumago Literary Prize
2009
Work:
Dawn
Organization:
Bunkamura Domago Prize Committee
Result:
受賞
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Chevalier)
2014
Organization:
French Republic
Result:
受章（シュヴァリエ）
Watanabe Junichi Literary Prize
2017
Work:
At the End of the Matinee
Organization:
Watanabe Junichi Literary Prize Committee
Result:
受賞
Yomiuri Literary Prize
2018
Work:
A Man
Organization:
Yomiuri Literary Prize Committee
Result:
受賞
Kobayashi Hideo Award
2023
Work:
On Yukio Mishima
Organization:
Kobayashi Hideo Award Committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Bunkamura Deux Magots Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 19 (2009) award
Art Encouragement Newcomer Award of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
1 appearances
-
Edition 59 (2009) award
Watanabe Junichi Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 2 (2017) award
Yomiuri Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 70 (2018) award
Kobayashi Hideo Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 22 (2023) award
Works
Major Works
Nisshoku (Eclipse)
1998 NovelDebut novel written and submitted while at Kyoto University. Noted for ornate prose and symbolic imagery; won the Akutagawa Prize at a young age.
RomanticismLoveLossMemory
Ichigetsu Monogatari (A January Tale)
1999 NovelA fantasy tale influenced by Kyoka Izumi; considered part of Hirano's early 'romantic' triptych.
FantasyTradition and desireMemory
Sōsō (Funeral/Obsequies)
2002 NovelSet in 19th-century Paris; an ensemble narrative weaving in historical figures such as Chopin and Delacroix. Part of the romantic triptych.
HistoryArtHuman relationsLoss
Kekkai (Breakdown/Collapse)
2008 NovelA long novel exploring societal and familial breakdown and fragmented selves; seen as containing early ideas of 'partial selves' (bunjinshugi).
FamilyCollapseSubjectivityPartial selves
Dawn
2009 NovelA novel questioning postwar society and individual temporality; received critical acclaim on publication.
TimeSocial critiqueMemory
At the End of the Matinee
2016 NovelA long novel about love and relationships set around concerts; notable for its musical and artistic depictions.
MusicLoveInternationalityWork and private life
A Man
2018 NovelFocusing on a middle-aged man, the novel probes loneliness, violence, and identity under social scrutiny. Winner of the Yomiuri Literary Prize.
LonelinessViolenceIdentity
On Yukio Mishima
2023 Criticism/EssayA critical study re-examining Yukio Mishima's work and thought. Winner of the Kobayashi Hideo Award.
Modern Japanese literatureCriticismYukio Mishima
Bibliography
- Nisshoku (Eclipse)
- Ichigetsu Monogatari (A January Tale)
- Sōsō (Funeral)
- Kekkai (Collapse)
- Dawn
- Katachi Dake no Ai (A Superficial Love)
- Fill in the Blank
- Transparent Labyrinth
- At the End of the Matinee
- A Man
- Honshin (True Heart)
- Mount Fuji
- On Yukio Mishima
- What Am I? From 'Individual' to 'Partial Self' (essay)
Translations by Author
- Salome (Oscar Wilde, translated)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Ornate, decorative proseLyrical yet intellectual voiceEssayistic, theoretical approach
- Recurring Motifs
- LoveMemoryPartial selves (fragmented identity)LossMusicLiterary-historical references
Legacy
One of contemporary Japan's prominent authors. Since winning the Akutagawa Prize at a young age, he has been widely praised for his stylistic elegance and critical engagement, and for introducing the concept of 'partial selves' into literary and intellectual discourse. He has received multiple awards and exerts influence both in Japan and abroad.
In Popular Culture
- Appearances on radio and television programs (cultural outreach)
Trivia
- His father died when he was one year old.
- He played guitar in his university light-music circle and covered heavy metal bands such as LOUDNESS.
- Wrote 'Nisshoku' while enrolled at Kyoto University and won the Akutagawa Prize at a young age.
- Married model Haruka in 2008 and held the ceremony at Meiji Shrine.
- Known for popularizing the concept of 'partial selves' (bunjinshugi) through books and public commentary.