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Kurumatani Chokichi

くるまたに ちょうきつ

Kurumatani Chokichi

Aliases: 車谷 嘉彦 / 辻永 銀治郎 / 車谷 縉
Pen Names: Chokichi（Pen name used primarily for fiction; derived from Tang poet Li He.）, ,

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1945-07-01 （Shikama, Hyogo Prefecture (now Shikama Ward, Himeji), Japan）
Died
2015-05-17 （Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan） age 69
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Shikama, Hyogo (now Himeji) → Moved among Kobe, Nishinomiya, Amagasaki while working as cook/shoe attendant (periods of no fixed address) → Tokyo (base for literary activity and later life)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Essayist, Haiku poet
Active Years
1972-2015
Affiliations
Gendai Hyoronsha (editorial staff of 'Gendai no Me'), Seibu Distribution/Sezon Group (contract employee), Kinema Junpo Co. (contract staff)
Influenced By
Mori Ogai, Natsume Sōseki, Franz Kafka
Nominations
86th Akutagawa Prize nominee ("Manzo no baai"), 113th Akutagawa Prize nominee ("Drift"), Shincho Newcomer Prize nominee ("Nanmamdaa-e")

Education

Keio University
Faculty of Letters / Department of German Literature
Degree: 学士（文学）
Period: 1964-1968
Year of Graduation: 1968
Country: Japan
Graduation thesis: "Franz Kafka and Art." Co-founded the literary doujinshi "Fūsen" while enrolled.
Mikashiho Culinary School
Degree: 調理師課程修了
Period: 1976-1977
Year of Graduation: 1977
Country: Japan
Studied while working as a shoe attendant at a ryokan; trained as a cook.

Awards

Arts Encouragement Newcomer Prize (Minister of Education)
1993
Work: The Spoon of the Salt Jar
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs
Result: 受賞
Mishima Yukio Prize
1993
Work: The Spoon of the Salt Jar
Organization: Mishima Yukio Prize Selection Committee
Result: 受賞
Hirabayashi Taiko Literary Prize
1997
Work: Drift
Organization: Hirabayashi Taiko Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Naoki Prize
1998
Work: Akame: Attempted Double Suicide at Forty‑Eight Waterfalls
Organization: Naoki Prize Selection Committee
Result: 受賞
Kawabata Yasunari Literary Prize
2001
Work: Musashimaru
Organization: Kawabata Yasunari Prize Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Spoon of the Salt Jar

1992 I-novel / short and mid-length story collection

A collection of short and mid-length stories set in his native Shikama, depicting a declining landlord family and the narrator's inner life; marked by autobiographical I-novel techniques.

declinefamilynative placeI-novel / autobiographical fiction

Drift

1996 Short story collection

A short story collection drawing on his experiences as a cook and a drifting life, exploring human weakness and confessional episodes.

driftingconfessionviolenceloneliness

Akame: Attempted Double Suicide at Forty‑Eight Waterfalls

1998 Novel

A novel about a cook who deserts his life and a mysterious tattooed woman on the run. While inspired by the author's experiences, the work is largely fictional.

flighttattooguilt and atonementI-novel elements
Adaptations
  • [Film] Akame: Attempted Double Suicide at Forty‑Eight Waterfalls (2003)

Musashimaru

2000 Short story

A short piece about a couple who keep a beetle named Musashimaru, notable for delicate human observation and understated humor.

daily lifeminute depictionanimals

Ganse-Shan (False Hermit)

2002 Novel

A novel based on the author's early life up to his return to Tokyo in 1983, containing themes of wandering, failure, and resurgence with autobiographical elements.

autobiographical elementsdriftingrebirth

Bibliography

  • The Spoon of the Salt Jar
  • Drift
  • Akame: Attempted Double Suicide at Forty‑Eight Waterfalls
  • Onna-zuka: Early Works
  • Collected Works of Kurumatani Chokichi (3 vols.)
  • Kurumatani Chokichi Haiku Collection

Adaptations

  • Akame: Attempted Double Suicide at Forty‑Eight Waterfalls (film adaptation, 2003; starring Shinobu Terajima)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
I-novel / confessional narrationintrospectiverealist depiction with contrasts of coarse and fine detail
Recurring Motifs
wandering / homelessnessdeclining landowning families / hometownfeelings of failure and earthly desiresdepictions of food and cooking

Health

  • Chronic sinusitis
    1962（60日以上の入院・手術を複数回）
    Suffered from nasal breathing difficulties; underwent prolonged hospitalization and multiple surgeries in 1962. Longstanding condition affected life.
  • Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD)
    1996年発症（急性期あり）
    Experienced hallucinations and compulsive behaviors (e.g., repeated handwashing) during acute phases, significantly impacting writing and daily life.
  • Choking (accidental death)
    2015-05-17
    Died accidentally by choking after swallowing thawed raw squid. Aged 69.

Legacy

A writer acclaimed for his confessional I-novel style and depictions of wandering and personal failure; he received multiple major literary prizes and saw major works adapted to film. In later years he distanced himself from I-novels and shifted toward biographical and short forms.

Archives

  • National Diet Library (holds related materials)
  • Keio University archives (possible related holdings)

In Popular Culture

  • Film adaptation of 'Akame: Attempted Double Suicide at Forty‑Eight Waterfalls' (2003), starring Shinobu Terajima
  • His wife Junko Takahashi named his death anniversary (May 17) 'Hyo fū‑ki' and it became a day for remembrance and essays.

Quotes

  • A counter‑era poisonous insect
    Source: Essay / interview collection 'Anti‑era Poisonous Insect' / self‑description (2004)
  • I was captivated by the idea of abandoning the world
    Source: Essays and memoirs (reminiscences from university onward)

Trivia

  • The pen name 'Chokichi' was inspired by Tang dynasty poet Li He.
  • His Naoki Prize–winning novel was adapted into a film (2003) starring Shinobu Terajima.
  • Reportedly died on May 17, 2015, after accidentally choking on thawed raw squid.
  • His wife is the poet Junko Takahashi; she has published memoirs and essays about him.