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Kazu Yamada

やまだ かず

Yamada Kazu

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1946-03-14 （Tonami, Toyama, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Tonami, Toyama (birthplace) → Tokyo (work/residence)

Career

Occupations
Non-fiction writer, Translator, Editor (former)
Active Years
1973-
Influenced By
Kitaoji Rosanjin

Awards

Kodansha Nonfiction Award
1996
Work: India: Miniature Fantasies
Organization: Kodansha
Result: winner
Ōya Sōichi Nonfiction Award
2008
Work: The Untold Rosanjin
Organization: Ōya Sōichi Award Committee
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Street Merchants of India

1991 Non-fiction / Travelogue

A nonfiction account of street merchants in India, depicting local life and commerce based on field reporting.

IndiaPopular cultureEconomy and daily life

India: Miniature Fantasies

1996 Non-fiction

An exploration of Indian miniature paintings combining cultural commentary and travel writing. Winner of the Kodansha Nonfiction Award.

ArtIndiaCultural history

Waterfall (Bakuryu)

2002 Fiction

A novel set around the Shō River in Toyama, notable for its local setting and character portrayals.

LocalityNatureHuman relationships

The Untold Rosanjin

2007 Non-fiction / Biography

A biographical study uncovering lesser-known aspects and achievements of Kitaoji Rosanjin. Winner of the Ōya Sōichi Nonfiction Award.

RosanjinArtFood culture

Rosanjin's Gourmet: Menus of a Culinary Genius

2008 Essay / Food culture

An examination of Rosanjin's approach to food and aesthetics, discussing ideas about gastronomy.

Food cultureAestheticsRosanjin

Bibliography

  • Street Merchants of India
  • India: Miniature Fantasies
  • A Book on Traveling in India
  • Trivia Notes on Traveling in India: Heated Battles
  • Trivia Notes on Traveling in India: Astonishment
  • Studies of Indian Wonders: From Hair Growth Tonics to the Secrets of Love
  • The Great Ascetic Era in India
  • Waterfall (Bakuryu)
  • 21st-Century Indians: Caste vs the Global Economy
  • The Untold Rosanjin
  • Rosanjin's Gourmet: Menus of a Culinary Genius
  • Rosanjin's Calligraphy: Write Characters in the Universe, Learn on the Sand
  • Dream Realm: Works and Trajectory of Kitaoji Rosanjin
  • Rosanjin: Famous Quotes on Gourmet Food

Translations by Author

  • The Country of Loss, Japan: An Indian Elite Businessman's 'Japan Experience' (translator)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Reportage-style prose based on fieldworkNon-fiction blending detailed cultural analysis
Recurring Motifs
India and its culturesKitaoji Rosanjin / art and food cultureLocality and everyday life

Legacy

Kazu Yamada is a nonfiction writer known for on-the-ground reporting on India and detailed studies of Kitaoji Rosanjin. He has won the Kodansha Nonfiction Award and the Ōya Sōichi Nonfiction Award, contributing to Japanese food culture, art studies, and Indian cultural reporting.

Trivia

  • His father was a local newspaper reporter and was close to Kitaoji Rosanjin.
  • He joined Fukuinkan Shoten in 1973 and left in 1993 to become a full-time writer.