Japanese Literary Awards

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Bunichiro Kawamura

かわむら ぶんいちろう

Kawamura Bunichiro

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1917-04-15 （Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan）
Died
2004-03-30 age 86
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Orthopedic surgeon, Poet, Lyricist, University professor
Active Years
1949-2004
Affiliations
Sapporo Medical University (professor, emeritus), Hokkaido Children's Medical and Rehabilitation Center (founding director)
Influenced By
Mitsuaki Kaneko, Takashi Tomihara
Influenced
Junichi Watanabe

Education

Hokkaido Imperial University, Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine
Country: Japan
Graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of Hokkaido Imperial University (now Hokkaido University)
University of Tokyo Graduate School (Medical Sciences)
Graduate School of Medical Sciences
Country: Japan
Undertook graduate studies in medical sciences
Tohoku University
Medical School (Doctoral program)
Degree: 医学博士
Year of Graduation: 1950
Country: Japan
Received Doctor of Medicine degree for research on calcification of the interspinous ligament (1950)

Awards

Hokkaido Shimbun Cultural Prize
1975
Organization: Hokkaido Shimbun Press
Result: winner
Hokkaido Cultural Encouragement Award
1949
Result: winner
Hokkaido Cultural Prize
1981
Organization: Hokkaido
Result: winner
Japan Poets Club Prize
1998
Work: Siberia
Organization: Japan Poets Club
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Tenchi Kowan (Joy of Heaven and Earth)

1949 Poetry collection

An early poetry collection focusing on northern landscapes and human observation in lyrical verse.

the Northnaturehuman condition

Fire on the Mountain Peak

1951 Poetry collection

Contains poems reflecting sensitivity and sentiments of the early postwar period.

renewalnature

Snow and Roses: Northern Poems

1967 Poetry collection

A collection of poems emblematic of northern scenery and its people.

snownorthern regionmemory

Poetry Collection: Siberia

1997 Poetry collection

A later representative work containing poems on war, history, and distant lands.

historyremembranceforeign lands

Rainbow and Snow Ballad (lyrics)

1972 Lyrics / Theme song

Wrote the lyrics for the song used as one of the theme songs for the 1972 Sapporo Olympics; famously performed by Toi et Moi.

Olympicsthe Northhope
Adaptations
  • [Music (record / performance)] Rainbow and Snow Ballad (1972)

Bibliography

  • Tenchi Kowan (Joy of Heaven and Earth)
  • Fire on the Mountain Peak
  • Rose on the Lake
  • Snow and Roses: Northern Poems
  • Collected Poems of Bunichiro Kawamura (Shicho-sha edition)
  • Constellations of Man (essays)
  • Poetry Collection: Siberia
  • Grave of the Unknown Soldier: Japanese-Russian Selected Poems
  • New York Poems

Adaptations

  • Rainbow and Snow Ballad (widely performed and used as song/CM piece)

Translations of Works

  • Bunichiro Kawamura: English Translations - The Midday of Matter (ed. Yulia Kumagai, Shicho-sha, 2005)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Lyrical poetry depicting northern nature and daily lifeObservational expressions incorporating medical/physical perspectives
Recurring Motifs
snowthe Northnaturethe human bodymemory

Health

  • Bacterial pneumonia
    2004年3月
    Contracted in March 2004 and was the cause of death

Legacy

Combined a notable clinical and research career in orthopedics with extensive literary activity as a poet and lyricist, leaving a significant mark on Hokkaido's medical and cultural life. The song "Rainbow and Snow Ballad" remains widely loved.

Museums

  • Rainbow and Snow Ballad Monument (Ōkurayama) Ōkurayama Ski Jump Stadium, Sapporo Opened in 2005

Academic Societies

  • Japan Poets Club

Archives

  • National Diet Library (holds works/records)

In Popular Culture

  • "Rainbow and Snow Ballad" continues to be used in commercials and school music curricula

Trivia

  • Wrote the lyrics for "Rainbow and Snow Ballad," associated with the 1972 Sapporo Olympics.
  • Worked extensively for children with physical disabilities in Hokkaido and has been called "the father of children with physical disabilities" in the region.
  • Junichi Watanabe was one of his students.