Art Encouragement Prize for Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
1 appearances
-
Edition 18 (1968) award
Mori Arimasa
もり ありまさ
Mori Arimasa
Pen Names:
Arimasa（Short pen name used in early short stories）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1978-04-03 （Chuo, Tokyo, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Chuo, Tokyo, Japan → Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan → Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Screenwriter, Essayist
- Active Years
- 2001-
- Memberships
- Japan Writers' Association, Japan P.E.N. Club
- Influenced By
- Hiromi Kawakami, Haruki Murakami
- Influenced
- Reiko Sato, Yu Yamada
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waseda University | Faculty of Letters | Department of Japanese Literature | 文学士 | 1997-2001 | Japan |
Waseda University
Faculty of Letters
/ Department of Japanese Literature
Degree:
文学士
Period:
1997-2001
Year of Graduation:
2001
Country:
Japan
Graduation thesis on modern Japanese literature
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Shinei Literary Prize | Afternoon at the Waterline | — | Japan Literature Promotion Association | Winner |
| 2015 | Contemporary Japanese Literature Prize | Memory of the Sea | 長編小説 | Contemporary Literature Association | Winner |
Shinei Literary Prize
2010
Work:
Afternoon at the Waterline
Organization:
Japan Literature Promotion Association
Result:
Winner
Contemporary Japanese Literature Prize
2015
Work:
Memory of the Sea
Category:
長編小説
Organization:
Contemporary Literature Association
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Afternoon at the Waterline
2009 Short Story Collection 240 pagesA collection of short stories set around waterfronts. The book quietly explores loss, memory, and the boundaries of everyday life.
memorylosswaterfrontfamily
Adaptations
- [Film] Afternoon at the Waterline / 鈴木翔 (2011)
Translations
- English translation: Afternoon at the Waterline (translated by John Smith)
- French translation: L'après-midi au rivage (translated by Emmanuel Dupont)
Memory of the Sea
2014 Novel 360 pagesA novel about a protagonist searching for a lost past, who reassesses himself through encounters in a seaside town. A lyrical epic where history and personal memory intersect.
historymemoryrebirthlandscape
Adaptations
- [Film] Memory of the Sea / 小川玲 (2016)
- [Stage] Memory of the Sea (Stage) / 田中葵 (2018)
Translations
- English translation: Memory of the Sea (translated by Emily Clark, 2017)
Bibliography
- 2009 - Afternoon at the Waterline
- 2011 - Night Tales and Landscapes
- 2014 - Memory of the Sea
- 2018 - Behind Words
- 2022 - Tanka on the Borderline
Adaptations
- Afternoon at the Waterline (2011, film)
- Memory of the Sea (2016, film / 2018, stage)
Translations of Works
- Afternoon at the Waterline — English edition (2012)
- Memory of the Sea — English edition (2017)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Lyrical, cinematic proseDetailed description based on calm observation
- Recurring Motifs
- watermemoryboundariesshifts in time
Legacy
Mori Arimasa established a unique place in contemporary Japanese literature with works focusing on memory and landscape. His cinematic descriptions and serene narrative voice have attracted a broad readership and influenced younger writers.
Academic Societies
- Contemporary Japanese Literature Society
Archives
- Waseda University Library - Modern Materials Room
In Popular Culture
- Film adaptations of his works attracted attention at domestic film festivals and general release; stage adaptations have also been performed.
Quotes
-
Memory drifts together with place. Only by touching it does the past return to the present.
Source: Afterword to Memory of the Sea (2014) -
Landscape is not merely a backdrop. It holds untold stories.
Source: Interview (Asahi Shimbun) (2016)
Trivia
- Childhood experiences playing by the sea are reflected in his work.
- Often uses first-person narration in short stories.