Kodansha Essay Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 12 (1996) award
Shigeru Kashima
かしま しげる
Kashima Shigeru
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1949-11-30 （Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese, French
- Residence History
- Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan (birthplace) → Tokyo (residence / work) → Paris (extended stays / research)
Career
- Occupations
- French literature scholar, Literary critic, Translator, University professor, Author
- Active Years
- 1973-
- Affiliations
- Kyoritsu Women's University (former associate professor / professor), Meiji University (Professor, International Japanese Studies; Emeritus Professor), Selection committee member, Kadokawa Foundation Arts Award, Member, Yokozuna Deliberation Committee (from Feb 2024)
- Influenced By
- Honoré de Balzac, Émile Zola, Victor Hugo, Walter Benjamin
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kanagawa Prefectural Shonan High School | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| University of Tokyo, Faculty of Letters, Department of French Literature | Faculty of Letters | Department of French Literature | 学士 | 1969–1973 | Japan |
| University of Tokyo Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology (doctoral program) | Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology | Doctoral program (French literature) | — | 1973–1978 | Japan |
Kanagawa Prefectural Shonan High School
Country:
Japan
University of Tokyo, Faculty of Letters, Department of French Literature
Faculty of Letters
/ Department of French Literature
Degree:
学士
Period:
1969–1973
Year of Graduation:
1973
Country:
Japan
University of Tokyo Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology (doctoral program)
Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology
/ Doctoral program (French literature)
Period:
1973–1978
Year of Graduation:
1978
Country:
Japan
Withdrew after completing coursework from doctoral program (supervisor: Shigehiko Hasumi)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Suntory Academic Award | I Want to Buy a Carriage! | — | Suntory Academic Award Committee | winner |
| 1996 | Kodansha Essay Award | I Value Old Books More Than Children | — | Kodansha | winner |
| 2000 | Yomiuri Literary Prize | Paris Customs | — | Yomiuri Shimbun | winner |
| 1998 | Gessner Prize | Book-Loving Maniac | — | Gessner Prize Committee | winner |
Suntory Academic Award
1991
Work:
I Want to Buy a Carriage!
Organization:
Suntory Academic Award Committee
Result:
winner
Kodansha Essay Award
1996
Work:
I Value Old Books More Than Children
Organization:
Kodansha
Result:
winner
Yomiuri Literary Prize
2000
Work:
Paris Customs
Organization:
Yomiuri Shimbun
Result:
winner
Gessner Prize
1998
Work:
Book-Loving Maniac
Organization:
Gessner Prize Committee
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Yomiuri Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 51 (1999) award
Works
Major Works
I Want to Buy a Carriage!
1991 EssayAn essay collection about rare books and everyday obsessions; showcases the author's bookish tastes and review style.
rare-book collectingbook reviewscultural hobbies
I Value Old Books More Than Children
1996 EssayEssays on the passion for collecting rare books; central themes include the author's bibliomania and love of books.
collectingbook culturepersonal history
Paris Customs
2000 Cultural history / EssaysA cultural study of Parisian life and manners, with particular insight into 19th-century French culture.
Parissocial customs19th-century France
Reviving Showa Supporting Actors' Film Gallery
2005 Film history / EssaysA collection of essays and criticism on supporting actors and notable films of the Showa era; written with evident cinephilia.
film historyShowa era Japanbiographical sketches
Rare Book Explorations
2022 Illustrated book / Cultural historyA major illustrated work introducing rare books from the author's collection and discussing their historical and cultural contexts.
rare booksillustrationscultural history
Bibliography
- 'Les Misérables: 106 Views' (Bungei Shunju, 1987)
- 'Legend of the Newspaper King: Girardin Who Conquered Paris and the World' (Chikuma Shobo, 1991)
- 'I Want to Buy a Carriage!' (Hakusuisha, 1991)
- 'I Value Old Books More Than Children' (Seidosha, 1996)
- 'Paris Customs' (2000)
- 'Reviving Showa Supporting Actors' Film Gallery' (Kodansha, 2005)
- 'Rare Book Explorations' (Heibonsha, 2022)
Translations by Author
- 'Film and Psychoanalysis: The Imaginary Signifier' (translated; Christian Metz)
- Balzac, 'The Pleasures and Pains of Journalism' (translated)
- Blaise Pascal, selected 'Pensées' (edited and translated)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- erudite, essayistic prosewitty critical voiceillustration-rich, explanatory writing
- Recurring Motifs
- Paris / French culturebook collectingbiographical portraitsurban customs and manners
Legacy
Based on his scholarship in 19th-century French literature, Kashima has published a wide range of essays and cultural criticism. As a rare-book collector and the creator of a book-review archive, he has significantly contributed to the promotion of book culture. Through teaching and public engagement he has deepened understanding of French literature in Japan.
Museums
- Nerima Art Museum (related exhibitions of the Kashima collection) Nerima, Tokyo, Japan
- Gunma Prefectural Tatebayashi Museum (related exhibitions of the Kashima collection) Tatebayashi, Gunma, Japan
- Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum (related exhibitions) Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Trivia
- Known as a cat lover.
- Famous as a collector of rare 19th-century French books; commissioned a custom bookshelf known as the 'Kashima Custom'.
- Has been reported to produce up to 400 manuscript pages per month during busy periods.
- His son is the photographer Nao Kashima.
- He once considered joining the Nikkatsu film company after failing a graduate exam.