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Hiroshi Kato

かとう ひろし

Kato Hiroshi

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1930-06-27 （Tokyo, Japan）
Died
2018-04-07 age 87
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Tokyo, Japan → Kyoto, Japan → Saitama, Japan → Osaka, Japan

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Author, Management commentator, Consultant, Lecturer
Active Years
1954-2018
Affiliations
Small and Medium Enterprise Finance Corporation (former), Yamaichi Securities Co., Ltd., Saitama University, Osaka University of Economics, Nihon Keizai Shimbun (serialisation)
Nominations
Nominated for the 12th Nakayama Yoshihide Literary Award

Education

Tokyo Metropolitan Shinjuku High School
Country: Japan
University of Tokyo
Faculty of Law
Period: 1950年代
Year of Graduation: 1954
Country: Japan

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Nobunaga's Coffin

2005 Historical novel

A long historical novel that tackles the mysteries surrounding Oda Nobunaga's death through careful examination of sources and original interpretation. Serialized in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and became a bestseller.

Honnō-ji IncidentPower and betrayalHuman drama in the Sengoku period
Adaptations
  • [Television drama] Nobunaga's Coffin (2006)
Translations
  • Nobunaga's Coffin (Traditional Chinese translation, Yuan-Liou Publishing, 2008)
  • Nobunaga's Coffin (Simplified Chinese translation, Jilin Publishing Group, 2012)

Hideyoshi's Shackles

2006 Historical novel

The second volume of the Honnō-ji trilogy. Centers on Toyotomi Hideyoshi and depicts the power structures and individual fates in the Sengoku era.

Toyotomi HideyoshiPower strugglesRevenge and responsibility
Translations
  • Hideyoshi's Shackles (Traditional Chinese translation, Yuan-Liou Publishing, 2008)
  • Hideyoshi's Shackles (Simplified Chinese translation, Jilin Publishing Group, 2013)

The Love of Akechi Samasuke

2007 Historical novel

Centers on a retainer of Akechi Mitsuhide, portraying human drama and romance in the Sengoku era.

Loyalty and betrayalRomanceSchemes
Adaptations
  • [Television drama] The Enemy Is at Honnō-ji (2007)
Translations
  • The Love of Akechi Samasuke (Simplified Chinese translation: planned)

The Ghost of Azuchi Castle — Side Stories to 'Nobunaga's Coffin'

2011 Short story collection / Historical fiction (side stories)

A collection of side stories related to 'Nobunaga's Coffin', recounting anecdotes about Azuchi Castle and its surroundings in short-story form.

Azuchi CastleReinterpretation of historySide-story episodes

Secret Letters of Lord Ieyasu

2011 Historical novel

A historical novel focusing on Tokugawa Ieyasu and the intrigues surrounding him.

Tokugawa IeyasuPolitical intrigueEnd of the Sengoku era

The Mysterious Textbook of Chūshingura

2008 Historical novel

A novel that treats the Chūshingura story while raising and exploring documentary questions and mysteries.

ChūshinguraSource criticismRevenge

The Blank Okehazama

2009 Historical novel

A work that focuses on uncertainties surrounding the Battle of Okehazama, blending fact and imagination.

Battle of OkehazamaGaps in historyStrategy and chance

The Darkness of Rikyū

2015 Historical novel

Focuses on Sen no Rikyū, depicting the relationship between the tea ceremony and political power from a historical perspective.

Sen no RikyūCulture and powerRituals

Bibliography

  • How to Enrich Funds: How to Borrow, Grow, and Manage
  • How to Become a Strong Accountant: How to Act Within a Company
  • Men's Resumes: Corporate Romance in the Modern Age
  • Identifying Venture Businesses: How Genuine Ones Grow
  • Personnel Reform for the 21st Century: The Collapse of Japanese Management and New HR Systems
  • New Era of Human Resources: Seeking Harmony Between People and Organizations
  • Easy Corporate Observation Techniques: Tips Useful for Loan Negotiations
  • Discovering True Wealth (Quest for Richness)
  • Life Rules Learned from Nobunaga's Army
  • Nobunaga's Coffin
  • Hideyoshi's Shackles
  • The Love of Akechi Samasuke
  • The Ghost of Azuchi Castle — Side Stories to 'Nobunaga's Coffin'
  • Secret Letters of Lord Ieyasu
  • The Mysterious Textbook of Chūshingura
  • The Blank Okehazama
  • Far-off Naval Forces
  • Nobunaga's Bloodline
  • The Darkness of Rikyū
  • Secret Records of the Shimabara Rebellion

Adaptations

  • Nobunaga's Coffin (TV drama, 2006)
  • The Enemy Is at Honnō-ji (TV drama, 2007; based on 'The Love of Akechi Samasuke')

Translations of Works

  • Nobunaga's Coffin (Traditional Chinese translation, Yuan-Liou Publishing, 2008)
  • Hideyoshi's Shackles (Traditional Chinese translation, Yuan-Liou Publishing, 2008)
  • Nobunaga's Coffin (Simplified Chinese translation, Jilin Publishing Group, 2012)
  • Hideyoshi's Shackles (Simplified Chinese translation, Jilin Publishing Group, 2013)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Detailed, fact-based historical narrationEvidence-driven, investigative styleAccessible popular narrative
Recurring Motifs
Honnō-ji IncidentThe light and dark of powerThe human side and frailties of warlords

Legacy

After a long career in business and academia, he made a high-profile novelist debut at age 75. Combining meticulous source-based research with popular accessibility, he produced bestsellers and left a broad cultural impact, including television adaptations.

Archives

  • Holdings at the National Diet Library

In Popular Culture

  • Television adaptation ('Nobunaga's Coffin' — 2006)
  • Television adaptation ('The Enemy Is at Honnō-ji' — 2007)

Trivia

  • He made his novelist debut in 2005 at age 75.
  • 'Nobunaga's Coffin' was serialized in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and became a bestseller.
  • He had a long professional career in business and finance, and served as a lecturer/visiting professor at Saitama University and Osaka University of Economics.
  • Many of his works, including the Honnō-ji trilogy, were translated and published in Chinese-speaking regions.