Nihon Essayist Club Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 33 (1985) award
Kitakoji Ken
きたこうじ けん
Kitakoji Ken
Aliases:
渡部 栄
Pen Names:
Sakae Watanabe（Birth name. Used for some early publications.）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1913-01-25 （Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, Japan）
- Died
- 1991-10-22 age 78
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, Japan → Dalian, Manchuria (then) → Changchun, Manchuria (then) → Tokyo, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- Japanese literature scholar, paleographer, author
- Active Years
- 1936-1991
- Influenced By
- Nose Asaji, Yamagishi Tokuhira
- Influenced
- Aneoka Shōtarō
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Bunrika University | Department of Japanese Literature | Japanese Literature | — | 1931-1937 | Japan |
Tokyo Bunrika University
Department of Japanese Literature
/ Japanese Literature
Period:
1931-1937
Year of Graduation:
1937
Country:
Japan
Transferred from Tokyo Higher Normal School (Faculty II) and graduated.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Mainichi Publishing Culture Award | Kisoji: A Journey Through Documents | — | Mainichi Newspapers | 受賞 |
| 1984 | Japan Essayist Club Award | The Fascination of Old Documents | — | Japan Essayist Club | 受賞 |
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award
1984
Work:
Kisoji: A Journey Through Documents
Organization:
Mainichi Newspapers
Result:
受賞
Japan Essayist Club Award
1984
Work:
The Fascination of Old Documents
Organization:
Japan Essayist Club
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Studies on the 'Jūichi-i Reiko' Manuscript of The Tale of Genji
1936 scholarly researchA study reporting the discovery and analysis of the 'Jūichi-i Reiko' manuscript of The Tale of Genji, discussing its text and lineage.
Genji studiesmanuscript researchpaleography
Kisoji: A Journey Through Documents
1970 local history / documentary researchA work combining documentary research and travel through the Kiso region, including studies related to 'Yoake Mae' (Before the Dawn).
local historydocumentary explorationtravel
The Fascination of Old Documents
1984 essay / memoirAn essay collection with autobiographical elements describing encounters with old documents and the pleasures of research, illustrated with materials and anecdotes.
paleographymemoirhistory of research
Bibliography
- Studies on the 'Jūichi-i Reiko' Manuscript of The Tale of Genji (Daido-sha, 1936) (as Sakae Watanabe)
- On Rhythm in The Tale of Genji, Vol. 1 (Bungakusha, 1940) (as Sakae Watanabe)
- Kisoji: A Journey Through Documents (Geisodo, 1970-71)
- An Invitation to 'Before the Dawn' with Documentary Photographs (Tsuchimaya, 1972)
- The Fascination of Old Documents (Shinchosha, 1984)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- annotative, source-based empirical stylescholarly yet written with accessible explanations
- Recurring Motifs
- The Tale of Genjimanuscripts and textual lineagesManchuria and travel accountsthe thrill of documentary discoveries
Legacy
Kitakoji Ken made notable contributions to Genji studies and paleography through diligent independent research and publications. Despite losing much of his collection during the war, his scholarship and essays earned wide recognition in postwar Japanese literary studies.
Quotes
-
Kisoji is all in the mountains.
Source: Kisoji: A Journey Through Documents (1970)
Trivia
- Birth name was Sakae Watanabe.
- Many of his collected books were reportedly burned during the war.
- Published numerous photographic books featuring photos by Manabu Watanabe with his accompanying texts.