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Kunio Hikita

ヒキタ クニオ

Kunio Hikita

Aliases: 疋田 児雄 / ヒキタクニオ
Pen Names: Kunio Hikita（Pen name used as a writer and illustrator）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1961-07-21 （Fukuoka City, Fukuoka, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Fukuoka City, Japan → Tokyo, Japan

Career

Occupations
Illustrator, Multimedia creator, Writer, Novelist
Active Years
1985-
Influenced By
Yō Mizuki

Education

Fukuoka University Ohori High School
Country: Japan
Kyushu Sangyo University
Faculty of Art / Department of Design
Degree: 学士
Year of Graduation: 1986
Country: Japan
Received an encouragement prize at the Japan Graphic Exhibition while a student.

Awards

Japan Graphic Exhibition — Encouragement Prize (6th)
1985
Category: 奨励賞
Organization: Japan Graphic Exhibition
Result: 受賞
JACA Japanese Illustration Exhibition — Silver Prize
1988
Category: 銀賞
Organization: JACA Japanese Illustration Exhibition
Result: 受賞
Oyabu Haruhiko Prize (8th)
2006
Work: Far and Shallow Sea
Organization: Oyabu Haruhiko Prize
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Kyouki no Sakura

2000 Novel

Debut novel as a writer. A long-form novel depicting violence and groups of young people.

ViolenceYouthUrban life
Adaptations
  • [Film] Kyouki no Sakura / 薗田賢次 (2002)

Tobi ga Kururi to

2002 Novel

Published in 2002; this work was also adapted into a film.

Human dramaFamily
Adaptations
  • [Film] Tobi ga Kururi to / 薗田賢次 (2005)

Far and Shallow Sea

2005 Novel

The work that won the 8th Oyabu Haruhiko Prize.

Human relationshipsSociety

Hikita-san! You're Pregnant — A 45-year-old man begins infertility treatment

2012 Non-fiction/Essay

A non-fiction account of his experience undergoing infertility treatment at age 45.

Infertility treatmentFamilyLife history
Adaptations
  • [Film] Hikita-san! You're Pregnant / 細川徹 (2019)

Bibliography

  • Kyouki no Sakura
  • Tobi ga Kururi to
  • Berry Tart
  • Hitogoroshi Paradise
  • Keshiiya A
  • Blue Bird
  • Amsterdam no Nihonbare
  • Sakura Kozō
  • Harajuku Danchi Monogatari
  • Far and Shallow Sea
  • Kaku
  • Go de Ikou Ze
  • Tokyo Voice
  • Clumsy Red
  • Negative Crest
  • My name is TAKETOO
  • Look Up and Walk
  • Onna-tachi: Some Girls
  • Ore, Refre
  • Goodbye, My Lies
  • Sheep Without Brands
  • Kneel, Hear the Voice of the Road
  • Someday Blue Sky
  • Ganya Jūshirō: Kagesakura, Sakaseyashō
  • Life Does Not Forgive Weakness
  • Perfection
  • Hikita-san! You're Pregnant — A 45-year-old man begins infertility treatment
  • Red Crescent
  • Kawaii Hell
  • Nude-colored Moon
  • Udobuno: Uraharajuku / Jingūmae Information Company
  • Shokuhō Shōjo
  • Afternoon of Stray Cats
  • Children's Castle Murder Case
  • Totsugeki Beautiful
  • Shokuhō Shōjo: Yuuwaku

Adaptations

  • Kyouki no Sakura (2002 film; dir. Kenji Sonoda)
  • Tobi ga Kururi to (2005 film; dir. Kenji Sonoda)
  • Hikita-san! You're Pregnant (2019 film; dir. Toru Hosokawa)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Hard-boiled toneBlack humorUrban realism
Recurring Motifs
ViolenceUrban lonelinessFamily breakdown

Legacy

Transitioned from illustrator and multimedia creator to novelist; several works have been adapted into films. Recognized for a contemporary Japanese hard‑boiled style since the 2000s.

In Popular Culture

  • Several works have been adapted into films
  • Essays and personal accounts have been covered in media

Trivia

  • Received an encouragement prize at the Japan Graphic Exhibition while a student, gaining recognition as an illustrator.
  • Published 'Hikita-san! You're Pregnant' in 2012 and publicly discussed undergoing infertility treatment at age 45.
  • In a 2013 talk event he referred to himself with a memorable self-deprecating phrase.