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Nobuyuki Kondo

こんどう のぶゆき

Kondo Nobuyuki

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1931-03-11 （Tokyo, Japan）
Died
2022-07-17 age 91
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese, French, English
Residence History
Tokyo, Japan → Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan

Career

Occupations
Literary critic, Editor, Author
Active Years
1955-2022
Affiliations
Chuo Koron-sha, Magazine 'Umi', Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Literature (Director)

Education

Waseda University
Faculty of Letters / Department of French Literature
Degree: 修士
Period: 1950s（学部・大学院）
Year of Graduation: 1955
Country: Japan
Graduated from Waseda University Faculty of Letters and completed graduate studies (specialized in French literature).

Awards

Osaragi Jiro Prize
1978
Work: Kojima Usui: The Mountain's Elegant Envoy
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Kojima Usui: The Mountain's Elegant Envoy

1978 Biography / Literary criticism

A biographical study of Kojima Usui focusing on his mountain travel writings and their literary significance.

mountain literaturebiographyhistorical reappraisal

Introduction to Mountaineering

1982 Primer / Non-fiction

An introductory guide to mountaineering covering fundamentals and practical advice aimed at beginners.

mountaineeringrelationship with natureskill education

Tanizaki Jun'ichiro: Tokyo Map

1998 Literary criticism / Topography

Traces author Tanizaki Jun'ichiro's footsteps through Tokyo's geography and landscapes related to his works.

studies on Tanizaki Jun'ichirocity and literaturesense of place

Memories of Fire: 1945 — Air Raids and the Edge of Madness

2005 Non-fiction / War accounts

A non-fiction work exploring memories of the 1945 air raids and their psychological impact on people.

war memoryair raidssocial psychology

Kyūya Fukada: His Mountains and Literature

2011 Literary criticism / Monograph

Discusses Kyūya Fukada's mountain literature and examines its literary significance and view of nature.

mountain literaturebiographical studyviews of nature

Tabuchi Yukio: The Naturalist of Azumino

2015 Biography / Natural history

A biographical work on Tabuchi Yukio that compiles his life and observations of nature.

natural historybiographyregional culture

Bibliography

  • Kojima Usui: The Mountain's Elegant Envoy (Sōbunsha, 1978)
  • Introduction to Mountaineering (Iwanami Junior Shinsho, 1982)
  • Tanizaki Jun'ichiro: Tokyo Map (Kyoiku Shuppan, 1998)
  • Memories of Fire: 1945 — Air Raids and the Edge of Madness (Shinchosha, 2005)
  • Kyūya Fukada: His Mountains and Literature (Heibonsha, 2011)
  • Tabuchi Yukio: The Naturalist of Azumino (Yama-to-Keikoku-sha, 2015)

Translations by Author

  • Eric Newby, A History of World Climbing: Great Ascents and Attempts (Soshisha, 1981) — translated by Nobuyuki Kondo

Style & Themes

Literary Style
A clear, measured critical style emphasizing historical and cultural contextInterweaves factual accounts of mountaineering and nature with literary analysis
Recurring Motifs
mountains and naturememory and warcity and literature

Health

  • senility / old age
    晩年
    Died of senility in July 2022. There is no widely published record of long-term serious illness.

Legacy

Nobuyuki Kondo illuminated various aspects of Japanese literature through his criticism and writings on mountaineering. He is recognized for founding and editing the magazine 'Umi', winning the Osaragi Jiro Prize in 1978, and contributing to regional culture as director of the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Literature.

Museums

  • Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Literature

Trivia

  • Founded the literary magazine 'Umi' in 1969.
  • Won the Osaragi Jiro Prize in 1978 for 'Kojima Usui: The Mountain's Elegant Envoy'.
  • Served as director of the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Literature until March 2013.