Naoki Sanjugo Award
1 appearances
Hisao Juran
ひさお じゅうらん
Hisao Juran
Pen Names:
Abe Masao（birth name (legal name)）,
Tanigawa Sō（pseudonym used for some publications）,
Rokutobe Riki（pseudonym used in Shin Seinen (a play on 'Sexton Blake')）,
Ishida Kuman-kichi（one of several pen names used）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1902-04-06 （Hakodate (former Hakodate Ward), Hokkaido, Japan）
- Died
- 1957-10-06 （Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan） age 55
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Hakodate, Hokkaido → Aoyama, Tokyo → Paris, France → Karuizawa (Chigataki, summer villa) → Chōshi (evacuation residence) → Aizuwakamatsu (evacuation residence) → Zaimokuza, Kamakura
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, theatre director, screenwriter, translator
- Active Years
- 1924-1957
- Affiliations
- Bungakuza (theatre company), Shin-Tsukiji Theatre Company, Meiji University (lecturer)
- Memberships
- Bungakuza, Meiji University (faculty)
- Influenced By
- Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, Charles Duran, Kunio Kishida
- Influenced
- Michio Tsuzuki, Miyoko Nakano (has written works featuring Juran's characters), 'Juranian' — enthusiastic readers of Hisao Juran
- Nominations
- Budōman no Taba, Mikasa no Tsuki, Diary of a Trip to America, Shinfuku-ji Incident
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido Prefectural Hakodate Junior High School (now Hokkaido Hakodate Chubu High School) | — | — | — | 1916-1920（在学・中退） | Japan |
| Seigakuin Junior & Senior High School | — | — | — | 編入・中退（1920年前後） | Japan |
| Paris Municipal School of Arts and Trades | theatre studies | — | — | 1929-1933 | France |
Hokkaido Prefectural Hakodate Junior High School (now Hokkaido Hakodate Chubu High School)
Period:
1916-1920（在学・中退）
Country:
Japan
attended but did not complete
Seigakuin Junior & Senior High School
Period:
編入・中退（1920年前後）
Country:
Japan
transferred in but left shortly thereafter
Paris Municipal School of Arts and Trades
theatre studies
Period:
1929-1933
Year of Graduation:
1933
Country:
France
studied lens engineering and theatre; studied under Charles Duran
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Shin Seinen Readers' Prize (1st) | Kyarako-san | — | Shin Seinen editorial team (Hobunkan) | 受賞 |
| 1952 | Naoki Prize (26th) | Suzuki Mondo | — | Naoki Prize Committee | 受賞 |
| 1955 | 2nd International Short Story Contest | Portrait of Mother and Child | — | New York Herald Tribune | 第一席入選 |
Shin Seinen Readers' Prize (1st)
1939
Work:
Kyarako-san
Organization:
Shin Seinen editorial team (Hobunkan)
Result:
受賞
Naoki Prize (26th)
1952
Work:
Suzuki Mondo
Organization:
Naoki Prize Committee
Result:
受賞
2nd International Short Story Contest
1955
Work:
Portrait of Mother and Child
Organization:
New York Herald Tribune
Result:
第一席入選
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Kogane Tonsōkyoku (Golden Fugue of Escape)
1935 novelSerialized in 1935 in Shin Seinen. One of Juran's early full-length novels, notable for its brisk style and incorporation of elements from popular entertainment and comic cinema.
humoradventurepopular culture
Kinrō (Golden Wolf)
1936 novelA work serialized in Shin Seinen from 1936; produced around the time Juran began using his pen name. It blends detective elements with humor.
detective fictionhumor
Mato (Magic/Demonic City)
1937 novelSerialized in 1937 in Shin Seinen and written in his Karuizawa villa. A long novel depicting the darker aspects of the city; often associated with adventure and fantastical undertones.
the metropolisfantasyadventure
Agojūrō Torimonochō (Agojūrō Detective Stories)
1940 period detective series / mysteryA long-running series of detective/court records featuring the unusually long-jawed protagonist Senba Akotajūrō; it employs a traditional kabuki/kodan flavor while maintaining Juran's distinctive narrative voice.
period detective talesmysterytradition and humor
Adaptations
- [film] Oshun Torimonochō: Mystery of the Nun's Palace (based on a story from the series) / 滝沢英輔 (1955)
Portrait of Mother and Child
1954 short storyA short story about a parent and child who survived the Saipan battle. It received international recognition and has been translated into multiple languages.
effects of warparent and childlife and death
Adaptations
- [film] Portrait of Mother and Child / 佐伯清 (1956)
Translations
- French translation (excerpt): Portrait d'une mère et de son enfant (Jean-Jacques Tschudin)
Suzuki Mondo
1951 modern novel / work drawing on kodan storytellingBased on a kodan (storytelling) piece of the same name; the fusion of kodan setting with modern novelistic narration was highly regarded and earned the Naoki Prize.
kodan storytellingtradition vs modernitycharacter study
Bibliography
- Komo (Silkworm) — debut
- Nonsense Travelogue (Nochalant Travelogue)
- Kogane Tonsōkyoku (Golden Fugue of Escape)
- Kinrō (Golden Wolf)
- Mato (Magic/Demonic City)
- Kyarako-san
- Agojūrō Detective Stories
- Hiraga Gennai Detective Stories
- Regards to the Homeland (Naichi e yoroshiku)
- Crossroads (Jūjigai)
- Usuyuki Collection
- Portrait of Mother and Child
- Skin-Colored Moon (posthumous)
Adaptations
- Kyarako-san (film, 1939)
- Portrait of Mother and Child (film, 1956)
- Skin-Colored Moon (film, 1957)
- Works related to Agojūrō detective series (TV / film adaptations)
Translations by Author
- Zigoma (translation of Léon Sazie)
- Fantômas (translation of Pierre Souvestre & Marcel Allain)
- Rulletabille (translation of Gaston Leroux)
- The Iron Mask (translation of Fortuné du Boisgobey)
Translations of Works
- Chinese (simplified) editions (collected releases, 2010)
- French translation (excerpt: Portrait d'une mère et de son enfant, 2009)
- English translations (short story 'Water Grass' etc., recent publications)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- erudite and artful prosefast-paced with paradoxical reversalsblend of comic elements and cynical human observation
- Recurring Motifs
- plot reversalshumor and ironyperiod detective and mystery motifswar and its aftermath
Health
-
esophageal cancer1957年（診断から没年）Diagnosed with and died of esophageal cancer in 1957; the illness affected his late-career productivity.
Legacy
Known for his versatile oeuvre in his lifetime, Juran was reappraised after his death. Ranging from detective stories to period fiction and fantastical short stories, his technical prose left a strong impression on readers and writers. Numerous collected editions and reprints have been issued, and a devoted readership ('Juranian') emerged.
Academic Societies
- Bungakuza Research Institute (associated)
Archives
- Materials held at the National Diet Library
- Hakodate foundation biographical materials
- Kodansha publications of posthumous materials (war diaries)
In Popular Culture
- A fan culture calling devoted readers 'Juranian'
- Multiple film and TV adaptations of his works (1939–1950s)
Quotes
-
"If the Naoki Prize can rein in this philanderer (referring to Juran) and settle a richly unusual talent into a steady course, then I think that would be meaningful."
Source: Jirō Osaragi (post-selection comment on Naoki Prize) (1952) -
"Indeed, one can see he is a hard worker; this is evidenced by the meticulous care paid to his expression."
Source: Masuji Ibuse (commentary at time of Naoki Prize) (1952)
Trivia
- The pen name 'Hisao Juran' is said to be a play on the name of a French writer, but the exact origin is disputed.
- He often used dictation (oral composition) in his writing process.
- A wartime diary was discovered among his belongings and published in 2007 (Kodansha).
- His devoted readers are sometimes called 'Juranian'.
- His grave is at Zaimokuza cemetery (Anglican mausoleum) in Kamakura.