Japanese Literary Awards

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Shogo Imamura

いまむら しょうご

Imamura Shōgo

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1984-06-18 （Kamo, Sōraku District, Kyoto Prefecture (now Kizugawa), Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Kamo, Sōraku District, Kyoto Prefecture (now Kizugawa), Japan → Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Bookseller / Bookstore owner
Active Years
2016-
Affiliations
Japan Writers' Association, FIRST AGENT
Memberships
Japan Writers' Association, FIRST AGENT (agency), Historical Fiction Writers Club (affiliation)
Influenced By
Shōtarō Ikenami, Kenzō Kitakata
Nominations
All Yomimono Newcomer Award (96th) nominee: 'Umi o Yaburu Mono', Naoki Prize nominee: 'Warabe-gami' (160th), Naoki Prize nominee: 'Jinkan' (163rd), Yoshikawa Eiji Bunko Prize nominee: 'Ushū Borotobi-gumi' series

Education

Nara Women's University Attached Secondary School
Country: Japan
Graduated from affiliated secondary school
Kansai University
Faculty of Letters
Degree: 学士（文学）
Country: Japan
Graduated from Kansai University, Faculty of Letters

Awards

Izu Literary Prize
2016
Work: Keru, Hikogorō
Category: 小説・随筆・紀行文部門最優秀賞
Organization: Izu Literary Prize
Result: 受賞
Kyushu Saga Popular Literature Prize
2016
Work: Kitsune no Shiro
Category: 大賞（笹沢左保賞）
Organization: Kyushu Saga Popular Literature Prize
Result: 受賞
Kadokawa Haruki Prize
2018
Work: Warabe-gami
Organization: Kadokawa Haruki Prize
Result: 受賞
Historical Fiction Writers Club Prize
2018
Work: Hikabitori (Ushū Borotobi-gumi)
Category: 文庫書き下ろし新人賞
Organization: Historical Fiction Writers Club Prize
Result: 受賞
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award
2020
Work: Hachibonme no Yari
Organization: Yoshikawa Eiji Newcomer Award
Result: 受賞
Nomura Kodō Literary Prize
2020
Work: Hachibonme no Yari
Organization: Nomura Kodō Literary Prize
Result: 受賞
Yamada Futarō Prize
2020
Work: Jinkan
Organization: Yamada Futarō Prize
Result: 受賞
Yoshikawa Eiji Bunko Prize
2021
Work: Ushū Borotobi-gumi series
Organization: Yoshikawa Eiji Bunko Prize
Result: 受賞
Naoki Prize
2022
Work: Saiō no Tate
Organization: Naoki Prize
Result: 受賞
Otsu City Cultural Special Award
2022
Organization: Otsu City
Result: 受賞
Kyoto Prefecture Miyako Cultural Award
2022
Organization: Kyoto Prefecture
Result: 受賞
Shiga Prefecture Cultural Encouragement Award
2022
Organization: Shiga Prefecture
Result: 受賞
Kyoto Shimbun Grand Prize
2022
Organization: Kyoto Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Kyoto City Culture & Arts Kirameki Award
2023
Organization: Kyoto City
Result: 受賞
Kansai Genki Cultural Zone Award (New Power Prize)
2023
Category: ニューパワー賞
Organization: Kansai Genki Cultural Zone Council
Result: 受賞
Rakuten Kobo eBook Award 2024 (Period Fiction Grand Prize)
2024
Work: Ikusagami
Category: 時代小説部門大賞
Organization: Rakuten Kobo eBook Award
Result: 受賞
Weibo Japan Annual Innovative Novelist Award
2025
Organization: Weibo
Result: 受賞
Osaka Honma Book Award
2025
Work: Yukimura wo Ute
Organization: Osaka Honma Book Award Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Hikabitori

2017 Historical fiction / Period fiction

First volume of the 'Ushū Borotobi-gumi' series; an Edo-period ensemble tale of swords, duty and community.

Sengoku/Edo periodduty and loyaltyensemble drama
Adaptations
  • [Radio drama] Hikabitori (Ushū Borotobi-gumi) (2018)

Warabe-gami

2018 Historical fiction / Period fiction

A long-form historical novel set in the Sengoku era exploring human emotion and the brutality of war.

war and familyhuman relationshipsrevenge and forgiveness
Adaptations
  • [Manga] Warabe-gami (manga adaptation) (2020)

Hachibonme no Yari

2019 Historical fiction

A novel depicting samurai and lords of the Sengoku era; recipient of the Yoshikawa Eiji Newcomer Award.

sengoku warlordsstrategy and tacticsportrayal of heroes

Jinkan

2020 Historical fiction

A period novel about human desire and conflict; recipient of the Yamada Futarō Prize.

human psychologyfateconflict

Saiō no Tate

2021 Historical fiction / Period fiction

A grand-scale war chronicle that won the Naoki Prize; examines the light and shadow of war and human nature.

war chronicleheroic narrativeethics and violence

Bibliography

  • Hikabitori
  • Yako Karasu
  • Kumonryū
  • Warabe-gami
  • Hachibonme no Yari
  • Jinkan
  • Saiō no Tate
  • Ikusagami
  • Yukimura wo Ute

Adaptations

  • Ikusagami — Netflix adaptation announced (production decided)
  • Hikabitori — radio drama on NHK-FM 'Seishun Adventure'
  • Warabe-gami — manga adaptation in Monthly Action

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Entertaining historical/period fiction grounded in historical factAn intuitive writing style without pre-made plots
Recurring Motifs
Sengoku warlordsSanada clan and regional historyduty and loyaltyensemble casts

Health

  • Ruptured right Achilles tendon
    2013年
    Affected mobility; was one of the life events that led to a career reassessment.
  • Retinal detachment (right eye)
    2014年
    Temporary loss of vision in the right eye; impacted daily life and writing during recovery.

Legacy

Creator of several popular historical novels who has revitalized local book culture by taking over and opening bookstores. He has contributed to regional cultural activity, founded the 'Honmirai' organization and launched projects and awards to support young writers and promote print culture.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Writers' Association
  • Historical Fiction Writers Club

In Popular Culture

  • Ikusagami (Netflix live-action adaptation)
  • Hikabitori (NHK radio drama)
  • Warabe-gami (manga adaptation)

Quotes

  • Go where there is no path.
    Source: Interview (motto) (2022)
  • A town bookstore provides unexpected encounters with books; it's cultural infrastructure and must be preserved.
    Source: Statement on bookstore management (press release) (2021)

Trivia

  • Fan of the Hanshin Tigers baseball team
  • An avid smoker who uses a Louis Vuitton humidor
  • Produced over 10,000 signed copies to deter resellers
  • Took over and operates a near-closure local bookstore
  • Conducted a nationwide bookstore tour 'Matsuritabi' (118 nights, 119 days)