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第1回（1982年） domestic category
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第2回（1983年） domestic category
Kenzo Kitakata
きたかた けんぞう
Kitakata Kenzo
プロフィール
- 性別
- 男性
- 生誕
- 1947-10-26 （Karatsu, Saga, Japan）
- 国籍
- Japan
- 言語
- Japanese
- 居住地歴
- Karatsu, Saga, Japan → Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan → Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
経歴
- 職業
- Novelist, Writer
- 活動期間
- 1970年〜
- 所属
- Mystery Writers of Japan, Japan Adventure Writers Club, Naoki Prize selection committee
- 所属団体
- Mystery Writers of Japan, Japan Adventure Writers Club, Japan PEN Club
- 影響を受けた人物
- Kyoji Shirai, Jiro Osaragi, Nakazato Kaizan, Dashiell Hammett
- 影響を与えた人物
- Osawa Arimasa, Funado Yoichi, Sasaki Jo
- ノミネート
- Naoki Prize nominee (1983): Kori (The Cage), Naoki Prize nominee (1983): Tomo yo, Shizuka ni Meure (Friend, Rest in Peace), Naoki Prize nominee (1985): Yagate Fuyu ga Owareba (When Winter Finally Ends)
学歴
| 学校 | 学部 | 学科 | 学位 | 期間 | 国 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuo University | Faculty of Law | Law | 学士 | 1969-1973 | Japan |
Chuo University
Faculty of Law
/ Law
学位:
学士
期間:
1969-1973
卒業年:
1973
国:
Japan
Graduated from Chuo University Faculty of Law
受賞歴
| 年 | 賞名 | 対象作品 | 部門 | 主催 | 結果 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Japan Adventure Fiction Association Grand Prize | Sleepless Night | — | Japan Adventure Writers Club | 受賞 |
| 1983 | Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award | Sleepless Night | — | Yoshikawa Eiji Award Committee | 受賞 |
| 1984 | Japan Adventure Fiction Association Grand Prize | The Cage | — | Japan Adventure Writers Club | 受賞 |
| 1984 | Kadokawa Novel Award | Past: Remember | — | Kadokawa Shoten | 受賞 |
| 1985 | Mystery Writers of Japan Award | The City of Thirst | 長篇部門 | Mystery Writers of Japan | 受賞 |
| 1985 | Japan Literary Arts Award | Corner Without Tomorrow | — | Japan Literary Promotion Society | 受賞 |
| 1986 | Best Dresser Award | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| 1991 | Shibata Renzaburo Award | Hagun no Hoshi | — | Shibata Renzaburo Award Committee | 受賞 |
| 2004 | Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Award | The Yang Family Generals | — | Yoshikawa Eiji Award Committee | 受賞 |
| 2006 | Shiba Ryotaro Prize | Suikoden (Water Margin) | — | Shiba Ryotaro Prize Committee | 受賞 |
| 2007 | Funahashi Seiichi Literary Award | Hitori Muresazu | — | Funahashi Seiichi Literary Award Committee | 受賞 |
| 2010 | Japan Mystery Literature Grand Prize | — | — | Japan Mystery Literature Award Committee | 受賞 |
| 2011 | Mainichi Publishing Culture Award | Yang Ling Legend | — | Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd. | 受賞 |
| 2013 | Medal with Purple Ribbon | — | — | Government of Japan | 受章 |
| 2016 | Kikuchi Kan Prize | — | — | Kikuchi Kan Award Committee | 受賞 |
| 2017 | Historical Fiction Writers' Club Prize | The Great Suikoden series | 特別功労賞 | Historical Fiction Writers' Club | 受賞 |
| 2020 | Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays | — | — | Government of Japan | 受章 |
| 2024 | Mainichi Art Award | The Chronicles of Genghis | — | Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd. | 受賞 |
Japan Adventure Fiction Association Grand Prize
1983
対象作品:
Sleepless Night
主催:
Japan Adventure Writers Club
結果:
受賞
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award
1983
対象作品:
Sleepless Night
主催:
Yoshikawa Eiji Award Committee
結果:
受賞
Japan Adventure Fiction Association Grand Prize
1984
対象作品:
The Cage
主催:
Japan Adventure Writers Club
結果:
受賞
Kadokawa Novel Award
1984
対象作品:
Past: Remember
主催:
Kadokawa Shoten
結果:
受賞
Mystery Writers of Japan Award
1985
対象作品:
The City of Thirst
部門:
長篇部門
主催:
Mystery Writers of Japan
結果:
受賞
Japan Literary Arts Award
1985
対象作品:
Corner Without Tomorrow
主催:
Japan Literary Promotion Society
結果:
受賞
Best Dresser Award
1986
結果:
受賞
Shibata Renzaburo Award
1991
対象作品:
Hagun no Hoshi
主催:
Shibata Renzaburo Award Committee
結果:
受賞
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Award
2004
対象作品:
The Yang Family Generals
主催:
Yoshikawa Eiji Award Committee
結果:
受賞
Shiba Ryotaro Prize
2006
対象作品:
Suikoden (Water Margin)
主催:
Shiba Ryotaro Prize Committee
結果:
受賞
Funahashi Seiichi Literary Award
2007
対象作品:
Hitori Muresazu
主催:
Funahashi Seiichi Literary Award Committee
結果:
受賞
Japan Mystery Literature Grand Prize
2010
主催:
Japan Mystery Literature Award Committee
結果:
受賞
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award
2011
対象作品:
Yang Ling Legend
主催:
Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd.
結果:
受賞
Medal with Purple Ribbon
2013
主催:
Government of Japan
結果:
受章
Kikuchi Kan Prize
2016
主催:
Kikuchi Kan Award Committee
結果:
受賞
Historical Fiction Writers' Club Prize
2017
対象作品:
The Great Suikoden series
部門:
特別功労賞
主催:
Historical Fiction Writers' Club
結果:
受賞
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays
2020
主催:
Government of Japan
結果:
受章
Mainichi Art Award
2024
対象作品:
The Chronicles of Genghis
主催:
Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd.
結果:
受賞
受賞・候補エディション
-
第4回（1983年） award
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第38回（1985年） novel category
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第4回（1991年） award
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第38回（2004年） award
Shiba Ryotaro Award
1回登壇
-
第9回（2005年） award
-
第1回（2007年） award
Kikuchi Kan Award
1回登壇
-
第64回（2010年） award
-
第13回（2010年） award
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第65回（2011年） special award
-
第6回（2017年） award
作品
代表作
The Distant Tolling of the Funeral Bell
1981年 Hard-boiled fictionA long-form novel marking his second major debut; a hard-boiled work portraying youth, loneliness and masculine ways of life.
LonelinessMasculinityRebirth and resilience
Getaway Town
1982年 Hard-boiled fictionA hard-boiled novel set in a fictional city; adapted into a 1983 film starring Yutaka Mizutani, directed by Eiichi Kudo.
Escape and confrontationFriendshipViolence and ethics
映像化・舞台化
- [Film] Getaway Town / 工藤栄一 (1983)
The Cage
1983年 Hard-boiled fictionA work containing ensemble elements around violence and friendship; it was nominated for the Naoki Prize.
FriendshipViolenceGuilt and atonement
Hagun no Hoshi
1990年 Historical fictionA historical epic set in the Nanbokucho era; one of his representative works and winner of the Shibata Renzaburo Award.
WarLoyaltySamurai ethos
Sangokushi (Romance of the Three Kingdoms) — Kitakata edition
1996年 Historical fictionA 13-volume long epic reworking the Three Kingdoms period based on official histories; praised for its distinctive character portrayals and popular narrative.
Power strugglesStrategy and relationshipsEpic heroism
Suikoden (Water Margin) — Kitakata edition
1999年 Historical fictionA 19-volume epic that reorganizes the original tales and reconstructs chronology and character depiction; regarded as a pinnacle of popular historical fiction in Japan.
Honor and rebellionHeroes' developmentGroup vs individual conflict
Yang Ling Legend
2006年 Historical fictionA sequel series to Suikoden focusing on Yang Ling and the resurgence of the Liangshan bandit army.
RestorationHeroic sagaTactics and honor
The Chronicles of Genghis
2018年 Historical fiction (Mongolian history)A long series (2018–2023) centered on Genghis Khan, a major recent work treating continental history.
Conquest and governanceLeader's fateCultural exchange
全著作
- To a Brighter Town
- The Distant Tolling of the Funeral Bell
- Getaway Town
- The Cage
- Sleepless Night
- Hagun no Hoshi
- Sangokushi (Kitakata edition)
- Suikoden (Kitakata edition)
- Yang Ling Legend
- The Chronicles of Genghis
翻案
- Getaway Town — film (1983), starring Yutaka Mizutani, directed by Eiichi Kudo
- Friend, Rest in Peace — film (1985)
- The Woman in the Black Dress — film (1987)
作風・主題
- 文体
- Hard-boiledPopular-fiction narrative styleHistorical fiction with reconstructed factual basis
- 頻出モチーフ
- A man's manner of dying (and thus living)LoyaltyLonelinessFriendshipCombat and pride
健康
-
Pulmonary tuberculosis高校3年の時（1960年代）Diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis in high school; it caused significant physical and mental strain but became one factor leading him to pursue writing. He later underwent treatment and continued his education.
評価・遺産
He has won widespread readership across hard-boiled and historical fiction, earning acclaim as a leading popular novelist. With major long works such as his editions of the Three Kingdoms, Suikoden and the Genghis chronicles, he has combined commercial success and critical recognition, receiving numerous literary prizes and state honors; he has also served on literary prize selection committees such as the Naoki Prize.
関連学会
- Mystery Writers of Japan
- Historical Fiction Writers' Club
資料所蔵先
- Holdings at the National Diet Library (Japan)
- Publisher archives (holdings at Shueisha, Kadokawa, etc.)
大衆文化への影響
- Multiple film and television adaptations (notable: Getaway Town; Friend, Rest in Peace; etc.)
- Long-running life-advice column in Hot-Dog PRESS influenced younger readers
引用
-
Go to a soapland
出典: Hot-Dog PRESS column 'Trial Horizon' (1986年) -
A man's manner of dying — that is, how to live.
出典: Theme stated in works and interviews
豆知識
- He is known to own and favor a Maserati.
- He keeps a villa on the Kanagawa coast and enjoys fishing from his small boat 'Gaibota'.
- He suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis during high school.
- He served as a Naoki Prize selection committee member but has never been a Naoki Prize winner despite multiple nominations.
- He is related to Akito Katayose of the band GREAT3.