Akutagawa Prize
1 appearances
Koichiro Uno
うの こういちろう
Uno Koichiro
Pen Names:
Ichiro Umino（Pen name used for short stories and essays）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1979-06-15 （Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan → Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Essayist
- Active Years
- 2004-
- Affiliations
- Japanese Authors Association
- Memberships
- Japanese Authors Association
- Influenced By
- Haruki Murakami, Hiromi Kawakami
- Influenced
- Younger generation of novelists
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyoto University | Faculty of Letters | Department of Japanese Literature | 学士 | 1997-2001 | Japan |
Kyoto University
Faculty of Letters
/ Department of Japanese Literature
Degree:
学士
Period:
1997-2001
Year of Graduation:
2001
Country:
Japan
Specialized in contemporary literature and fiction
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Peace Literature Prize | Memory of the Sea | — | Peace Literature Foundation | Winner |
| 2005 | Emerging Writer Award | Shadows of the City | — | Literary Promotion Association | Winner |
Peace Literature Prize
2023
Work:
Memory of the Sea
Organization:
Peace Literature Foundation
Result:
Winner
Emerging Writer Award
2005
Work:
Shadows of the City
Organization:
Literary Promotion Association
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Memory of the Sea
2022 Novel 312 pagesA novel about lost memories and familial recovery. Set in a seaside town, the protagonist pieces together fragments of the past and uncovers delicate, human portraits.
lossmemoryfamily
Adaptations
- [Film] Memory of the Sea / 高橋 健 (2024)
Translations
- English translation: Memory of the Sea (tr. Emi Tanaka, 2024)
Shadows of the City
2005 Novel 256 pagesHis debut novel depicting the facets of urban life and interpersonal nuance. As solitude and chance intersect, characters' memories are woven together.
citysolitudehuman relationships
Canal at Night
2010 Short story collection 184 pagesA collection of short stories. Through characters wandering the city at night, it evokes fragments of memory and time.
nightmemoryloneliness
Bibliography
- Shadows of the City (2005)
- Canal at Night (2010)
- Short Stories 'After the Surf' (2016)
- Memory of the Sea (2022)
- Essays 'On Writing' (2020)
Adaptations
- Memory of the Sea — film adaptation (2024)
- Short story from Canal at Night — TV drama adaptation (2012)
Translations of Works
- Memory of the Sea — English edition (tr. Emi Tanaka, 2024)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyrical and introspective prosesubtle imagery and use of negative space
- Recurring Motifs
- seaclocksold photographs
Legacy
An author whose unique perspective bridging city and seaside settings has had a measurable impact on contemporary Japanese literature. He is well-regarded by critics and has influenced younger writers.
Academic Societies
- Modern Literature Association
Archives
- Special Collections, Kyoto University Library (Koichiro Uno papers)
In Popular Culture
- Memory of the Sea (film adaptation)
- Television drama adaptations of short stories
Quotes
-
The sea teaches us to forget. Yet at the bottom of oblivion we still find each other.
Source: Memory of the Sea (novel, 2022) (2022) -
To write is to weave memory, and to reweave it again.
Source: Essays 'On Writing' (2020) (2020)
Trivia
- Graduated from Kyoto University and published short stories in literary magazines while a student
- Has a habit of spending long periods by the sea when writing
- Often references film and music in essays and interviews