Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Shuichi Kato

かとう しゅういち

Katō Shūichi

Pen Names: Fujisawa Tadashi（Used for some early novels/works）, Arai Sakunosuke（Recorded as an alternate pen name）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1919-09-19 （Shibuya, Toyotama District, Tokyo Prefecture (now Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan)）
Died
2008-12-05 （Hospital, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan） age 89
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese, English, German, French, Latin
Religion
Catholicism Baptized in 2008 （Baptismal Name: Luke）
Residence History
Tokyo (Shibuya; Setagaya) → Paris, France → Vancouver, Canada → Kyoto (Ritsumeikan University affiliations)

Career

Occupations
critic, novelist, physician, translator, university professor
Active Years
1936-2008
Affiliations
Sophia University, Yale University (lecturer), Brown University (lecturer), Free University of Berlin (visiting professor), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (visiting professor), Collège de France (invited professor), University of British Columbia (professor), Ritsumeikan University (visiting professor; Director, International Peace Museum), Tokyo Metropolitan Central Library (Director)
Memberships
Article 9 Association (co-founder/initiator), Contributor/member, "Kindai Bungaku" magazine
Influenced By
Paul Valéry, Shinichiro Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga
Influenced
Kenzaburo Oe, Washizu Chikara, Yoichi Komori, Ryuichi Narita

Education

Tokyo Imperial University (now University of Tokyo)
Faculty of Medicine / Internal Medicine; Hematology
Degree: 医学博士
Period: 〜1943
Year of Graduation: 1943
Country: Japan
Accelerated graduation during wartime
University of Paris (study abroad)
Hematology research
Period: 1951-1952
Country: France
French government scholarship/research period

Awards

Osaragi Jirō Prize
1980
Work: An Outline of Japanese Literary History (vols. I–II)
Organization: Asahi Shimbun Company (awarding body)
Result: 受賞
Asahi Prize
1993
Organization: Asahi Shimbun Company
Result: 受賞
Legion of Honour (Officier)
2000
Organization: Government of France
Result: 受章

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

What Is Literature?

1950 Essay/Criticism

A collection of essays published shortly after World War II discussing the role and significance of literature with clear arguments.

literary theoryreading techniquespostwar culture

Hybrid Culture — Japan's Small Hope

1956 Cultural Criticism

An influential collection arguing for the 'hybrid' nature of Japanese culture, exploring the productive interaction of native traditions and foreign influences.

hybriditycultural critiquemodernization

Song of the Sheep — My Memoirs

1968 Memoir/Autobiography

A memoir recounting his youth, wartime experiences, and relationship with literature in a reflective style.

war and memorypersonal historyliterature and life

An Outline of Japanese Literary History

1975 Literary History

A major work outlining key currents in Japanese literature, compiled from research and lectures.

literary historyclassical and modernintellectual history

Sunset Delusions

1984 Essays/Columns

A long-running series of essays and columns (originally serialized in the Asahi Shimbun evening edition), continued until 2008.

essayscultural commentarydaily life and culture

Time and Space in Japanese Culture

2007 Cultural Studies

A late-career study analyzing Japanese culture through concepts of time and space.

temporalityspatialitycultural comparison

Bibliography

  • Literature and Reality (1948)
  • On Contemporary French Literature Vol.1 (1948)
  • What Is Literature? (1950)
  • The Literature of Resistance (1951)
  • Hybrid Culture — Japan's Small Hope (1956)
  • Song of the Sheep — My Memoirs (1968)
  • An Outline of Japanese Literary History (1975–1980)
  • Sunset Delusions (1984–2007)
  • Time and Space in Japanese Culture (2007)
  • The 20th Century for Me (2000)

Adaptations

  • But That Is Not All: Shuichi Kato Speaks with Ghosts (documentary, 2010)
  • NHK Specials / ETV features (programs about Shuichi Kato)

Translations by Author

  • Vercors — "The Silence of the Sea; Walk to the Stars" (co-translation)
  • Jean-Paul Sartre — Collected Works Vol.9: "What Is Literature?" (co-translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
clear, essayistic proseerudite comparative-cultural argumentation
Recurring Motifs
hybridity of culturewar and memorytime and space in Japanese culturetechniques of reading

Health

  • Pleurisy (pleural inflammation)
    1940年代初期
    Caused exemption from conscription
  • Multiple organ failure
    2008年（死没）
    Primary cause of death

Legacy

One of Japan's leading postwar critics and cultural thinkers. Through extensive writings and teaching that spanned literature and culture, he left a significant influence in academic and public discourse both domestically and internationally.

Museums

  • Ritsumeikan University Shuichi Kato Center for Contemporary Thought Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
  • Ritsumeikan University International Peace Museum (former Director) Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

Archives

  • Ritsumeikan University Library — Shuichi Kato Collection
  • NHK Archives (personal records and programs)

In Popular Culture

  • Documentary film 'But That Is Not All: Shuichi Kato Speaks with Ghosts' (2010)
  • Appearances in NHK/ETV specials and feature programs

Quotes

  • To me, the fate of that poet seemed more significant than the fate of an earthly empire.
    Source: On Contemporary French Literature (1948)

Trivia

  • He was baptized into the Catholic Church in 2008 (baptismal name: Luke).
  • Used the pen names Fujisawa Tadashi and Arai Sakunosuke for some writings.
  • His poem 'Sakura Yokochō' was set to music by composers such as Nakada Yoshinao and Betsumiya Sadao.