Kikuchi Kan Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 16 (1962) award
Kan Shimozawa
しもざわ かん
Shimozawa Kan
Aliases:
梅谷松太郎 / Umeya Matsutarou
Pen Names:
Kan Shimozawa（Pen name derived from his residence; used for published works）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1892-02-01 （Atsuta Village, Atsuta District, Hokkaido, Japan (now Ishikari City, Hokkaido)）
- Died
- 1968-07-19 （Kugenuma, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan） age 76
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Religion
- Buddhism
- Residence History
- Atsuta Village, Atsuta District, Hokkaido (now Ishikari City) → Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan → Nyūarai (Shimozawa area), Ota Ward, Tokyo, Japan → Kugenuma, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, newspaper journalist, essayist
- Active Years
- 1928-1967
- Affiliations
- Yomiuri Shimbun, Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun
- Influenced By
- Takeshi Osatake
- Influenced
- Ryotaro Shiba, Shotaro Ikenami
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Hokkai Middle School (now Hokkai High School) | — | — | — | 在学期間不詳 | Japan |
| Meiji University, Special Department (former system) | Faculty of Law | — | 専門課程修了 | 〜1914年 | Japan |
Old Hokkai Middle School (now Hokkai High School)
Period:
在学期間不詳
Country:
Japan
Began literary activities during school
Meiji University, Special Department (former system)
Faculty of Law
Degree:
専門課程修了
Period:
〜1914年
Year of Graduation:
1914
Country:
Japan
Graduated in 1914; originally intended to become a lawyer but changed career path
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Kikuchi Kan Prize | Works such as 'Katsu Kaishu' and 'Oyako-daka' (Father and Son Hawk), novels about the Bakumatsu and Meiji Restoration | — | Kikuchi Kan Prize Selection Committee | 受賞 |
Kikuchi Kan Prize
1962
Work:
Works such as 'Katsu Kaishu' and 'Oyako-daka' (Father and Son Hawk), novels about the Bakumatsu and Meiji Restoration
Organization:
Kikuchi Kan Prize Selection Committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Shinsengumi Shimatsuki (An Account of the Shinsengumi)
1928 Historical fiction (jidaigeki)A debut work based on oral accounts of former shogunate retainers, recording the activities and demise of the Shinsengumi.
Bakumatsu (end of shogunate)Shinsengumiloyaltyhistorical reconstruction
Adaptations
- [Film] Shinsengumi Shimatsuki (film) (1963)
Sasagawa no Shigezō
1930 Historical fiction (traveler/roaming hero story)One of his representative 'traveler' stories, characterized by entertaining character portrayals and adventure.
traveler (kabuki) talesyakuza/rogue heroesduty and human feeling
Kunisada Chūji
1933 Historical fiction (jidaigeki)A historical novel centered on the outlaw Kunisada Chūji, mixing legendary elements with historical material.
tales of roguesEdo and regional historyduty and revenge
Adaptations
- [Film] Akagi no Chikemuri: Kunisada Chūji (film) (1957)
Yataro-gasa
1932 Historical fiction (traveler/roaming hero story)A long traveler/roaming-hero novel; later served as the basis for films and television adaptations.
itinerant actors/travelersduty and human sentimentrogue heroes
Adaptations
- [Film] Yataro-gasa (film series) (1952)
- [Film] Yataro-gasa (1955 film) (1955)
Zatoichi Monogatari (Stories of Zatoichi)
Historical fiction (jidaigeki)Stories concerning Zatoichi, the blind masseur/itinerant swordsman; includes material that served as the basis for the later Zatoichi series.
blind swordsmanjourney and solitudehuman compassion
Adaptations
- [Film] Zatoichi (film series) (1962)
Katsu Kaishū
1946 Historical/biographical novelA long novel depicting the Bakumatsu statesman Katsu Kaishū; later used as the basis for an NHK Taiga drama.
Bakumatsupolitics and human relationsmodernization
Adaptations
- [TV drama] Katsu Kaishu (NHK Taiga drama / based on the novel) (1974)
Oyako-daka (Father and Son Hawk)
1956 Historical fiction (jidaigeki)A traveler/human-interest tale focusing on parent and child; widely known through film and TV adaptations.
parent and childtraveler storieshuman sentiment
Adaptations
- [Film] Oyako-daka (film) (1956)
Bibliography
- Shinsengumi Shimatsuki
- Shinsengumi Ibun
- Shinsengumi Monogatari
- Sasagawa no Shigezō
- Kunisada Chūji
- Yataro-gasa
- Zatoichi Monogatari
- Katsu Kaishū
- Oyako-daka
- Obōzu Tengu
- Sengoku Matoi
- Suruga Yukyō-den
- Kamogawa Monogatari
- Ezo Monogatari
- Nigemizu (Takahashi Deishu)
- Collected Works of Kan Shimozawa (various complete editions)
- Futokoro Techō (Pocket Notebook)
Adaptations
- Zatoichi (film series)
- Katsu Kaishu (NHK Taiga drama; based on the novel)
- Shinsengumi Shimatsuki (1963 film)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- popular, accessible narrative stylereconstruction of history based on sources and oral historiesconcise, forceful prose
- Recurring Motifs
- traveler/itinerant protagonistsrogue heroes and human sentimentfigures of the Bakumatsu and Meiji Restorationrevenge and reconciliation
Health
-
Myocardial infarction1968年Died suddenly of a myocardial infarction on 19 July 1968 at home; this ended his literary activity.
Legacy
Kan Shimozawa was a major writer of popular jidaigeki and historical fiction; many of his works were adapted for film and television and influenced later writers such as Ryotaro Shiba and Shotaro Ikenami. He was recognized with honors including the Kikuchi Kan Prize.
Archives
- Meiji University Historical Archives (holds related materials)
- National Diet Library (Japan) (bibliographic holdings)
In Popular Culture
- Zatoichi series (films and TV)
- Katsu Kaishu (adapted as NHK Taiga drama)
Trivia
- Real name: Umeya Matsutarou.
- Pen name 'Shimozawa Kan' derived from the Shimozawa area (Nyūarai) in Ota Ward, Tokyo.
- Awarded the 10th Kikuchi Kan Prize at age 70 (1962).
- Many works were adapted into films and television; the Zatoichi series had significant popular impact.
- Half-brother (younger) was the painter Kōtarō Migishi (MIGISHI Kōtarō).