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Issei Yamamoto

やまもと いっしょう

Yamamoto Issei

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1948-10-14 （Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Modern historian, Horse racing historian, Writer, Translator, Editor
Active Years
1971-
Influenced By
Takashi Ito

Education

University of Tokyo
Faculty of Letters / Department of National History
Country: Japan
After graduation he worked for an oil refining company; later became a freelance writer and editor.

Awards

Japan Essayists' Club Prize
2007
Work: Love, the Count and Taisho Democracy: Arima Yorinobu Diary 1919
Organization: Japan Essayists' Club
Result: Winner
Yomiuri Literature Prize
2021
Work: Hyakken, Still Not Dead: A Biography of Uchida Hyakken
Organization: Yomiuri Shimbun
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Invitation to the Study of Horse Racing

1995 Non-fiction / Horse racing history

An introductory study of horse racing from social and cultural history perspectives, discussing pedigrees, race history, and the cultural aspects of jockeys and spectators.

Horse racingPedigreeSports historyCultural history

Adventures in Horse Racing Studies

1998 Essay / Criticism

A volume of essays and studies on horse racing, combining historical perspectives with personal observation.

Horse racingHistorical analysisEssay

Ah, My Tosho Boy

1998 Essay / Horse racing

An essay reflecting on the famous horse Tosho Boy; a revised edition was published in 2014. The work moves between memory and recorded history.

ReminiscenceFamous racehorsesCultural memory

Love, the Count and Taisho Democracy: Arima Yorinobu Diary 1919

2007 Edited historical diary

An edited and annotated edition of Arima Yorinobu's 1919 diary, with commentary shedding light on political and cultural circumstances of the Taisho era.

DiariesTaisho eraSource interpretation

Horse Racing Studies from the Study

2008 Criticism / Essays

Reflections on horse racing written from the author's study, drawing on sources while keeping an engaging, readable tone.

Horse racingEssaySource presentation

Diary Rambles: Traversing Showa from Kido Koichi to Furukawa Roppa

2011 Source studies / Criticism

An attempt to read the Showa period through various diaries, exploring the intersection of personal and social history.

DiariesShowa eraBiographical study

Too Sad, Roppa: The Furukawa Roppa Showa Diaries and the Vanished Showa

2014 Biography / Source research

Centering on Furukawa Roppa's diaries, this book reevaluates Showa-era culture and discourse, drawing attention to overlooked aspects.

Furukawa RoppaDiariesShowa culture

The Man Who Turned Water into Oil: Yamamoto Isoroku — A Moment of Oversight

2017 Biography

An interpretive biography of Yamamoto Isoroku, attempting to probe the subject's character and historical evaluation.

BiographyModern military historyProfile

Hyakken, Still Not Dead: A Biography of Uchida Hyakken

2021 Biography / Literary studies

A biography tracing Uchida Hyakken's life and works, weaving literary history and interpretation to portray the author.

Uchida HyakkenLiterary historyBiography

Hyakken: Side Stories — The Arrival of Korekun's Style

2024 Literary study / Profile

A companion volume to the Uchida Hyakken biography, a collection of ancillary essays and studies.

Uchida HyakkenEssaysLiterary studies

Bibliography

  • Invitation to the Study of Horse Racing
  • Adventures in Horse Racing Studies
  • Ah, My Tosho Boy
  • Love, the Count and Taisho Democracy: Arima Yorinobu Diary 1919
  • Horse Racing Studies from the Study
  • Diary Rambles: Traversing Showa from Kido Koichi to Furukawa Roppa
  • Too Sad, Roppa: The Furukawa Roppa Showa Diaries and the Vanished Showa
  • The Man Who Turned Water into Oil: Yamamoto Isoroku — A Moment of Oversight
  • Hyakken, Still Not Dead: A Biography of Uchida Hyakken
  • Hyakken: Side Stories — The Arrival of Korekun's Style

Translations by Author

  • Ken McLean, 'The Pursuit of the Classic Horse: Pedigree Patterns of Racehorses' (Keiba Tsushinsha, 1991)
  • John Hislop, 'Hislop's Breeding Methods: How Great Racehorses Are Made' (Japan Racing Association, 1994)
  • Burkhard von Etchingen, 'Theory and Practice of Horse Breeding' (Equestrian Culture Foundation, 1997)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Carefully annotated, source-based scholarshipClear, accessible explanatory proseEssayistic narrative voice
Recurring Motifs
DiariesHorse racingModern JapanBiographical study

Legacy

Issei Yamamoto is known for bridging horse racing history and modern Japanese history and for his careful editing of diaries and primary sources. Through essays and translations he has connected academic research with general readers and influenced subsequent scholars.

Trivia

  • Born on October 14, 1948.
  • Graduated from the Faculty of Letters, Department of National History, University of Tokyo.
  • Worked for an oil refining company after graduation; became freelance in 1997.
  • Has produced numerous translations and studies on horse racing and pedigrees.
  • Won the Japan Essayists' Club Prize in 2007 for 'Love, the Count and Taisho Democracy'.
  • Won the Yomiuri Literature Prize in 2021 for 'Hyakken, Still Not Dead'.