Japanese Literary Awards

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Natsuki Ikezawa

いけざわ なつき

Ikezawa Natsuki

Aliases: 福永 夏樹
Pen Names: Natsuki Fukunaga（birth name）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1945-07-07 （Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Obihiro (birthplace) → Tokyo, Japan (moved 1951) → Greece (1975–1978) → Okinawa, Japan (moved 1993) → Fontainebleau, France (moved 2005) → Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan (moved 2009) → Azumino, Nagano, Japan (moved Autumn 2022)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Poet, Essayist, Translator, Editor
Active Years
1984-
Affiliations
Japan Art Academy, Hokkaido Museum of Literature (former director), Kawade Shobo Shinsha (editor/curator)
Memberships
Japan Art Academy
Influenced By
Claude Lévi-Strauss

Education

Saitama University
Faculty of Science and Engineering / Department of Physics
Period: 1964-1968
Country: Japan
Dropped out

Awards

Chuo Koron Newcomer Prize
1987
Work: Still Life
Organization: Chuokoron-Shinsha
Result: Won
Akutagawa Prize
1988
Work: Still Life
Organization: Bungeishunju
Result: Won
Shogakukan Literary Award
1992
Work: Tio's Island
Organization: Shogakukan
Result: Won
Yomiuri Literary Prize
1993
Work: Mother Nature's Breasts
Category: 随筆・紀行
Organization: Yomiuri Shimbun
Result: Won
Tanizaki Jun'ichiro Prize
1993
Work: The Downfall of Matías Guili
Organization: Tanizaki Jun'ichiro Prize Committee
Result: Won
Ito Sei Literary Prize
1994
Work: Pleasant Apocalypse
Organization: Ito Sei Prize Committee
Result: Won
JTB Publishing Culture Award
1996
Work: Hawaii Travelogue
Organization: JTB Publishing
Result: Won
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award
2000
Work: A Burden of Flowers
Category: 文学・芸術部門
Organization: Mainichi Shimbun
Result: Won
Agency for Cultural Affairs' Arts Award (Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award)
2001
Work: A Wonderful New World
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs
Result: Won
Miyazawa Kenji Prize
2003
Work: Meteor Shower of Words
Organization: Miyazawa Kenji Prize Committee
Result: Won
Shiba Ryotaro Prize
2003
Work: Overall literary activities (e.g., On a Small Bridge in Iraq)
Organization: Shiba Ryotaro Prize Committee
Result: Won
Shinran Prize
2004
Work: Reading World Literature / Quiet Land
Organization: Shinran Prize Committee
Result: Won
Kuwabara Takeo Academic Award
2005
Work: Paleomania
Organization: Kuwabara Takeo Award Committee
Result: Won
Order of the Purple Ribbon
2007
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: Awarded
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award (Planning)
2010
Work: Editorial work for 'World Literature' series (Kawade Shobo Shinsha)
Category: 企画部門
Organization: Mainichi Shimbun
Result: Won
Asahi Prize
2011
Work: Achievements in 2010
Organization: Asahi Shimbun
Result: Won
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award (Planning)
2020
Work: Editorial work for 'Japanese Literature' series (Kawade Shobo Shinsha)
Category: 企画部門
Organization: Mainichi Shimbun
Result: Won
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Officer)
2021
Organization: Government of France (Ministry of Culture) / French Embassy in Japan
Result: Awarded
Waseda University Tsubouchi Prize
2023
Organization: Waseda University
Result: Won

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Still Life

1987 Novel

A novel portraying modern civilization and solitude through fragmented episodes of urban life and family.

civilizationlonelinessfamilyurban life
Translations
  • La Vie immobile (French translation, 1995)
  • Still Lives (English translation, 1997)
  • L'uomo che fece ritorno (Italian translation, 2003)

Tio's Island

1992 Novel / Children's literature

Set on a southern island, it tells of children, nature, and cultural encounters.

islandsnaturechildrenmemory
Translations
  • TIO'S ISLAND (English edition, 2010)
  • Tio du Pacifique (French translation, 2001)

The Downfall of Matías Guili

1993 Novel

A novel about individuals swept by power and history, featuring Latin American settings and political elements.

politicshistorypower
Translations
  • Aufstieg und Fall des Macias Guili (German translation, 2002)
  • The Navidad Incident: The Downfall of Matías Guili (English translation, 2012)

A Burden of Flowers

2000 Novel

A story of family, loss, and renewal, noted for its detailed observations of nature and human relationships.

familylossrebirthnature
Translations
  • A Burden of Flowers (English translation, 2001)
  • La soeur qui portait des fleurs (French translation, 2004)
  • Schwere Blumen (German translation, 2014)

Quiet Land

2004 Novel

A long work with strong essayistic elements that contemplates the relationship between civilization and nature.

naturecivilizationland

Until We Meet Again

2023 Novel / Biographical novel

A biographical novel based on his great-uncle Akiyoshi Toshio, weaving family and personal histories.

family historybiographymemory

The Stratosphere of a Summer Morning

1984 Novel

Debut long-form work rooted in travel and observation.

travelobservationnature

Bibliography

  • Salt Road
  • Reflections on the Longest River
  • The Stratosphere of a Summer Morning
  • Still Life
  • Noon Pliny
  • Go to Babylon and Sing
  • Tio's Island
  • The Downfall of Matías Guili
  • A Burden of Flowers
  • Quiet Land
  • Until We Meet Again

Translations by Author

  • Gerald Durrell — translations of 'The Amateur Naturalist' series (various titles)
  • Kurt Vonnegut — 'Mother Night'
  • John Updike — 'The Coup'
  • Jack Kerouac — poetry (co-translation)
  • E. M. Forster — selected short works and essays

Translations of Works

  • Still Life (translated into English, French, Italian, etc.)
  • The Downfall of Matías Guili (German, English)
  • A Burden of Flowers (English, French, German)
  • Tio's Island (French, English)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
poetic proseessayistic narrationessay-like reflections on civilizationtravel- and fieldwork-based descriptions
Recurring Motifs
sea and islandsanimalsmemory and family historycontrast of nature and civilizationmovement and travel

Legacy

Known for multifaceted works centered on travel, nature and reflections on civilization. As an author, translator and editor he has had a major influence on contemporary Japanese literature and the introduction of world literature in Japan.

Museums

  • Hokkaido Museum of Literature Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

Academic Societies

  • Japan Art Academy

In Popular Culture

  • 'Still Life' and other texts have been used in university entrance exams and textbooks.

Quotes

  • Many people are condemning one person. If that condemnation has no basis, then many more must stand up to protect that person.
    Source: Statement regarding the formation of the 'Support Hokusei' group (public comment) (2014)
  • I was born and raised in Hokkaido. As it is known for lacking rainy season, it is a very dry place. When I thought of returning to Japan from France, I wanted to live in the same kind of air, so I chose Sapporo.
    Source: Weekly Bunshun (interview/article) (2009)

Trivia

  • Born as Natsuki Fukunaga and later used the surname Ikezawa.
  • Dropped out from Saitama University's Department of Physics and pursued writing and translation.
  • His daughter Haruna Ikezawa is a well-known voice actress.
  • Edited the 30-volume 'World Literature' series for Kawade Shobo Shinsha.
  • Served as a member of the Akutagawa Prize selection committee from 1995 to 2011.