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Iwao Matsuyama

まつやま いわお

Matsuyama Iwao

Pen Names: Kakishiba Orita（Pseudonym used for publishing 'Gisho Hyakusen' (a parody collection of fictitious curious books)）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1945-07-11 （Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Tokyo

Career

Occupations
novelist, literary critic, architecture critic, translator, university lecturer
Active Years
1978-
Affiliations
Tokyo University of Science (part-time lecturer), Hosei University (part-time lecturer), Tokyo University of the Arts (part-time lecturer)
Memberships
Selection committee member, Ito Sei Literary Prize
Influenced By
Edogawa Rampo, Yukio Mishima

Education

Tokyo University of the Arts
Department of Architecture / Department of Architecture
Country: Japan

Awards

Mystery Writers of Japan Award (38th)
1985
Work: Rampo and Tokyo — The Face of the 1920s City
Category: 評論その他の部門
Organization: Mystery Writers of Japan
Result: 受賞
Suntory Academic Award
1993
Work: The Perspective of Rumors
Organization: Suntory Foundation (award)
Result: 受賞
Ito Sei Literary Prize (7th)
1996
Work: The Stone in the Darkness
Organization: Ito Sei Literary Prize
Result: 受賞
Yomiuri Literature Prize (48th)
1997
Work: Crowds — Refugees within the Machine
Organization: Yomiuri Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Architectural Institute of Japan Award (Cultural Prize)
Category: 文化賞
Organization: Architectural Institute of Japan
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Rampo and Tokyo — The Face of the 1920s City

1984 criticism

A critical study of Edogawa Rampo's works that analyzes the image of Tokyo in the 1920s and its cultural background.

Edogawa Rampourban studies1920sdetective fiction

Phantasmal Interiors

1985 architecture criticism

A collection of cultural-historical essays and reflections on interiors and domestic spaces.

architectureinteriordwellingcultural history

The Perspective of Rumors

1993 criticism / essay

An essay collection examining how rumor and hearsay shape discourse and social landscapes.

rumordiscoursesocial theorycultural criticism

One Hundred Fictitious Books

1994 parody / miscellany

Published under the pseudonym Kakishiba Orita, a parody book that introduces invented curious and rare books.

parodybibliographic playfictional books

The Stone in the Darkness

1995 fiction

A novel that focuses on the darkness of the city and human solitude.

citysolitudememory

Crowds — Refugees within the Machine

1996 criticism

An essay collection examining the position of individuals in crowds and mechanized society.

crowdsmachinesmodern society

Nikko

1999 travel writing / cultural study

Observations and cultural commentary centered on the history and culture of Nikko.

tourismhistorycultural heritage

The Works of Iwao Matsuyama

2001 collected essays

A collection compiling the author's essays and critical writings.

criticismarchitectureliterature

Bibliography

  • Rampo and Tokyo — The Face of the 1920s City
  • Phantasmal Interiors
  • A Year at the End of the Century: 1900 — The Empire of Japan
  • The City as Ruin: Two Postwar Periods and Yukio Mishima
  • The Perspective of Rumors
  • One Hundred Fictitious Books (as Kakishiba Orita)
  • The Stone in the Darkness
  • Silver Dragonfly, Scented Glass
  • Crowds — Refugees within the Machine
  • Nikko
  • The Works of Iwao Matsuyama
  • Raku-chan
  • Kururi Kurukuru
  • The Murder of a Home: Notes on Architectural Theory
  • Architecture Smiles
  • Cat Balloons
  • Hints for Being a Little Lazy
  • Towards Atsuko Suga
  • Chichin-puipui
  • Reading Books: Iwao Matsuyama's Book Reviews

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Detailed description and analysis from an architectural perspectivecritical and essayistic proseelements of humor and parody
Recurring Motifs
cityarchitecturecrowdsmemorysolitude

Legacy

Known for a distinctive viewpoint that crosses architecture, urban studies, and literary criticism. Recognized for work on Edogawa Rampo and urban discourse, winner of multiple literary and academic awards, and has served as a part-time university lecturer.

Trivia

  • After graduating from Tokyo University of the Arts (Department of Architecture), he founded an architectural design office and worked on residential design.
  • In 1985 he won the 38th Mystery Writers of Japan Award (criticism and other category) for 'Rampo and Tokyo — The Face of the 1920s City'.
  • 'One Hundred Fictitious Books' was published under the pseudonym Kakishiba Orita and is a parody-style work.
  • He has served as a selection committee member for the Ito Sei Literary Prize.