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Shinji Kajio

カジオ シンジ

Kajio Shinji

Aliases: カジシン
Pen Names: Kajishin（Nickname / familiar pen name）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1947-12-24 （Kumamoto Prefecture）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Kumamoto Prefecture

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Science fiction writer
Active Years
1971-
Influenced By
Osamu Tezuka, H. G. Wells

Education

Fukuoka University
Faculty of Economics
Country: Japan

Awards

Seiun Award (Japanese Short Story)
1979
Work: The Earth Is Plain Yogurt
Category: 日本短編作品部門
Organization: Federation of Japanese SF Fans
Result: 受賞
Shibano Takumi Award
1986
Organization: Unknown
Result: 受章
Kumamoto Nichinichi Literary Prize
1987
Work: Uncharted Planet Key-Lago
Organization: Kumamoto Nichinichi Literary Prize
Result: 受賞
S-F Magazine Reader's Award
1990
Work: Notes Concerning Toki-ny
Organization: Hayakawa Publishing (S-F Magazine)
Result: 受賞
Japan SF Grand Prize
1991
Work: Salamander Extermination
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan
Result: 受賞
Seiun Award (Japanese Short Story)
1992
Work: Vision of the Dinosaur Laurentis
Category: 日本短編作品部門
Organization: Federation of Japanese SF Fans
Result: 受賞
Seiun Award (Japanese Short Story)
2001
Work: Ashibiki Daydream
Category: 日本短編作品部門
Organization: Federation of Japanese SF Fans
Result: 受賞
Seiun Award (Japanese Short Story)
2004
Work: Yomibito Shirazu
Category: 日本短編作品部門
Organization: Federation of Japanese SF Fans
Result: 受賞
Seiun Award (Japanese Long Work)
2016
Work: Enshu Seiki (Realm of Vendetta)
Category: 日本長編作品部門
Organization: Federation of Japanese SF Fans
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Earth Is Plain Yogurt

1979 Short stories / Science fiction

A collection of short and medium-length stories blending lyrical SF ideas with humor.

nostalgiahumorfantastic imagination

Yomigaeri

2000 Novel / Human drama (with speculative elements)

A novel about the mysterious return of the dead; explores family and life-and-death themes. Adapted into a film.

death and resurrectionfamilyregional identity
Adaptations
  • [Film] Yomigaeri / 塩田明彦 (2003)

Salamander Extermination

1990 Novel / Science fiction

A large-scale SF novel notable for its hard settings and ensemble character depiction.

catastrophecollectivescience and technology

Realm of Vendetta

2015 Novel / Science fiction

An SF epic centered on revenge and conflict. Winner of the 2016 Seiun Award (Japanese Long Work).

revengeconflictspace

Bibliography

  • Omoide Emanon
  • The Earth Is Plain Yogurt
  • Salamander Extermination
  • Yomigaeri
  • Realm of Vendetta

Adaptations

  • Yomigaeri (film)
  • Double Tone (TV drama)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lyricalromanticismhumorous undertonesgenre-crossing narrative style
Recurring Motifs
death and rebirthmemorytime travelregional (Kumamoto) settings

Legacy

A veteran SF writer active since the 1970s. He has written across short and long forms, picture books and novelizations, winning major genre awards such as the Seiun Award and the Japan SF Grand Prize. The 2003 film adaptation of Yomigaeri broadened his public recognition.

Academic Societies

  • Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan

In Popular Culture

  • Film adaptation of Yomigaeri (2003) which increased mainstream recognition
  • Numerous media mixes including TV drama, stage plays and manga adaptations

Quotes

  • I even dream of having my grandchild win a Seiun Award — a three-generation Seiun legacy is not impossible.
    Source: Afterword of Karisome Emanon (statement in the afterword) (2001)

Trivia

  • Nickname: "Kajishin".
  • He was a regular at the now-closed Kumamoto bar "DEVIL'S LUCK".
  • He once managed the family petroleum business (Kajio Kaijirushi Oil) while writing.