Japanese Literary Awards

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Nobuhiko Kobayashi

こばやし のぶひこ

Kobayashi Nobuhiko

Pen Names: Yumihiko Nakahara（Pen name）, William C. Flanagan（Pen name under the persona of an American who misunderstands Japan）, Hiroshi Miki（Alias used for original work adapted to TV and film）, Haruo Arima（Pen name）, Ruijūbei（Pen name）, Scott Kaiya（Pen name）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1932-12-12 （Higashi Nihonbashi 2-18-5, Nihonbashi-ku, Tokyo (now Chuo-ku, Tokyo), Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
novelist, critic, columnist
Active Years
1963-
Nominations
52nd Naoki Prize nominee for 'Suibōki', 74th Akutagawa Prize nominee for 'Oka no Ichizoku', 76th Akutagawa Prize nominee for 'Ie no Hata', 77th Akutagawa Prize nominee for 'Hachigatsu no Shiya', 79th Naoki Prize nominee for 'Tōjishi Kabushiki-gaisha', 80th Naoki Prize nominee for 'Mizusumashi no Machi', 8th Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature nominee for Yume no Machi Sonota no Machi, 34th Mystery Writers of Japan Award nominee (long work division) for Shinshi Dōmei, 22nd Tanizaki Jun'ichirō Prize nominee for Bokutachi no Sukina Sensō, 14th Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature nominee for Bokutachi no Sukina Sensō

Education

Waseda University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences / Department of English Literature
Period: 1951-1955
Year of Graduation: 1955
Country: Japan
Graduated from Department of English Literature. Thesis focused on William Makepeace Thackeray and the picaresque novel.

Awards

Newcomer Award of the Japan Art Academy
1973
Work: Nihon no Kigeki-jin
Organization: Japan Art Academy
Result: 受賞
Kinema Junpo Readers' Award
1978
Work: Kobayashi Nobuhiko's column
Organization: Kinema Junpo
Result: 受賞
Kinema Junpo Readers' Award
1981
Work: Kobayashi Nobuhiko's column
Organization: Kinema Junpo
Result: 受賞
Kikuchi Kan Prize
2006
Work: Uranari
Organization: Kikuchi Kan Prize
Result: 受賞
Kinema Junpo Special Award
2023
Category: 映画文化の発展に大きな功績
Organization: Kinema Junpo
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

City of Vanity

1964 Novel

Debut full-length novel under the pen name Yumihiko Nakahara. A comic novel including humor, initially difficult to establish in literary circles.

ComedyLiterary fictionWar experience

Adventure on Oyoyo Island

1970 Children's literature

A work from the Oyoyo President series. A lighthearted parody.

ParodyHumor

Tang Lion Corporation

1978 Novel

An entertainment work rich in parody.

ParodyComedyCorporate
Adaptations
  • [Film] Tang Lion Corporation / 曽根中生 (1983)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
humor sketchescomic novelShitamachi Modernism
Recurring Motifs
comedianshumorTokyo's Shitamachi

Health

  • stroke
    2017年4月以降
    Left hemiplegia leading to rehabilitation and repeated hospitalizations.
  • left leg fractures
    2017年以降
    Repeated fractures necessitated rehospitalization.

Legacy

Made significant contributions to Japanese comedy and film criticism, established a unique humor literature style, and influenced many younger writers and critics.

In Popular Culture

  • Known for activities as a multi-talent in media and television.
  • Famous as the founding editor of 'Hitchcock Magazine'.

Quotes

  • There is criticism of Prime Minister Koizumi as a bundle of narcissism and sadism. That is true, but essentially it is a manifestation of infantilism.
    Source: Weekly Bunshun, Nov 3, 2005, Nobuhiko Kobayashi 'Hon'ne wo Mosaeba' (2005)

Trivia

  • Use of multiple pen names and their specific contexts.
  • Early childhood exposure to rakugo and comedy influenced his literature.
  • Editor-in-chief position at 'Hitchcock Magazine' marked literary debut.
  • Controversy over unauthorized use of 'Oyoyo' series gag.
  • Maintained detailed diaries used as source material for writings.