Matsumoto Seicho Prize
2 appearances
-
Edition 1 (1994) nominee
-
Edition 3 (1996) nominee
Yoshio Nagai
ながい よしお
Nagai Yoshio
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1949-04-20 （Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan）
- Died
- null
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Fukuoka (birthplace) → Tokyo (residence and work)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Historical critic, Translator, Copywriter, Editor, Non-fiction writer
- Active Years
- 1985-
- Affiliations
- Benesse (Fukutake Publishing) – editorial department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) – public relations, J-WAVE (FM Japan) – news editor, Asia Population and Development Association – research on population and development in China
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fukuoka Prefectural Shuyukan High School | — | — | — | 1964-1967 | Japan |
| Tokyo University of Foreign Studies | Faculty of Foreign Studies | Hindi and Urdu Studies | 学士 | 1967-1971 | Japan |
Fukuoka Prefectural Shuyukan High School
Period:
1964-1967
Year of Graduation:
1967
Country:
Japan
Graduated from local prefectural high school
Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Faculty of Foreign Studies
/ Hindi and Urdu Studies
Degree:
学士
Period:
1967-1971
Year of Graduation:
1971
Country:
Japan
Majored in Hindi and Urdu
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Kaikō Ken Prize | Sangaku Kijin-den | — | — | 受賞 |
Kaikō Ken Prize
1997
Work:
Sangaku Kijin-den
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Fukagawa Ryouki Shinjū
1995 Novel (historical/period fiction)A historical novel set in Fukagawa (Edo) portraying a grotesque double-suicide and the human dramas surrounding it.
Edo periodLoveCrimeHuman drama
Sangaku Kijin-den
1997 Novel (historical fiction)A novel about people surrounding mathematics and folk wisdom in Edo; recipient of the Kaikō Ken Prize.
Sangaku (mathematical tablets)Popular cultureWisdom and skills
The Fishmonger
1997 Novel (historical fiction)Depicts life and conflicts of people involved with fish wholesalers and fishermen in Edo.
CommerceEdo lifeArtisans
Edo Wolf: Strange Tales
1998 Novel (historical/freak tale)A collection of stories set in the Edo period that include elements of the uncanny and strange tales.
The uncannyEdo customsMysteries
Edo Sexual Customs
2008 Non-fiction (history/culture)A study examining Edo-period sexual customs and folklore.
Edo customsSexualitySocial history
Dictionary of Edo Sexual Terms
2014 Non-fiction (reference/dictionary)A dictionary-style work compiling and explaining terms related to sexuality used in the Edo period.
VocabularyEdo cultureSexuality
Yoshiwara and the 400-Year History of Sex Among the Japanese
2019 Non-fiction (history)A co-authored historical examination of sexual practices among Japanese people centered on Yoshiwara over four centuries.
YoshiwaraHistory of sexualitySocial change
Wandering Diary of Swordsmanship Training
2023 Travelogue / Non-fictionA travelogue documenting travels and training in various schools of swordsmanship.
SwordsmanshipTravelogueTraditional culture
Bibliography
- Living Action and Ethics: Exploring the Historical Continuity of the Japanese (editor)
- The Entertaining Encyclopedia of Sex Trivia
- Collection of Famous Historical Quotes for Businesspeople (editor)
- Human Studies of Strategy and Unorthodox Strategy: Learning from Chinese Classics
- New Dictionary of Four-character Idioms
- Selected Chinese Family Precepts (compiled and translated)
- Collection of Martial Arts Maxim (from Chinese oral traditions)
- Hundred Battle Strategies (Liu Ji) (compiled/translated)
- Compilation of Chinese Military Idioms (compiled/translated)
- Human Studies from Chinese Stories: 100 Wisdoms for Turning the Tables
- Fukagawa Ryouki Shinjū
- Sangaku Kijin-den
- The Fishmonger
- Edo Wolf: Strange Tales
- Rangyō-i Nagasaki Kōsai: Great Edo Mystery-solving Notebook
- The Shogun and the Mummy: The Mystery Notebook of Kokugaku Scholar Yamazaki Yoshinari
- Bakumatsu Code War
- The Night Hawk Killer: Mystery Notebook of Chinese Scholar Terakado Seiken
- A-ko's Sword Techniques: All-purpose Contractor
- Kageru Style Assassination Sword: Satsuma Assassin
- Playwright Takizawa Bakin: Tenpō Mystery Notebook
- Drunken Assassin Sword
- Onikan Martial Arts Notebook: Sealed Kill
- Bakumatsu One-strike Assassination Squad
- Onitake Troublemaker Sword: Edo Love-town Notes
- Onitake Troublemaker Sword: Temporary Home Sparrow
- False Accusation: The Sword Saint Ikuta Ranpō
- The Mr. Eybian Case Records
- Illustrated Introduction to Yoshiwara
- Edo Sexual Customs
- Hidden Aspects of Edo Life: From Food, Clothing and Shelter to the Reality of Social Stratification
- Sexual Scandals in Edo
- Kaleidoscope of Edo's Sex Industry: From Yoshiwara and the Four Lodgings to Night Hawks and Wakashu
- Adultery in Edo: Crimes and Punishments Surrounding Sex
- Edo Sexual Customs Seen Through Shunga: Forms of Love That Have Not Changed
- Two Military Arts: Sun Tzu (Sun Wu) and Sun Bin — The Mystery
- Edo Sexual Techniques Seen Through Shunga: Sexual Techniques Passed Down Through Time
- Yoshiwara and Edo Customs Seen Through Shunga and Margin Notes
- Overly Passionate: Men and Women of Edo
- Dictionary of Edo Sexual Terms
- The Study of Feces and Urine in Edo
- The Famous Doctor of Secret Swords: Yoshiwara's Private Physician Sawamura Iori (series)
- The Strongest Tiger: Undercover Doshin Shioda Toranosuke
- The Retired Magistrate Doshin (series)
- Yoshiwara and the 400-Year History of Sex Among the Japanese (co-authored)
- The Edo Period That Was Actually Black (A Critical View)
- Behind the Scenes of Yoshiwara: Were the Private Lives of Courtesans Actually __?
- Wandering Diary of Swordsmanship Training
Adaptations
- Manga 'Ichigeki' by Jiro Matsumoto — based on the novel 'Bakumatsu Ichigeki Hissatsu Tai' (original provided)
Translations by Author
- Selected Chinese Family Precepts (compiled/translated) — Tokuma Shoten
- Origins of Overseas Chinese Business Practices — Building Wealth from Zero (editor)
- Hundred Battle Strategies (Liu Ji) (compiled/translated) — Tokuma Shoten
- Compilation of Chinese Military Idioms (compiled/translated) — Tokuma Shoten
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Primarily period (jidai) fiction narrationCritical, research-based non-fiction proseReadable, colloquial style
- Recurring Motifs
- Edo customs and sexualityYoshiwara and pleasure-quarter cultureSwordsmanship and martial artsCommoners' life and occupationsHistorical mysteries
Legacy
Yoshio Nagai is known for numerous period fiction series as well as non-fiction works on Edo customs and sexuality. He has published many books introducing history and customs to general readers, serving as a bridge between historical study and popular jidai fiction.
In Popular Culture
- The novel 'Bakumatsu Ichigeki Hissatsu Tai' served as the basis for the manga 'Ichigeki' (original provided).
Trivia
- Born April 20, 1949, in Fukuoka City.
- Graduated from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Faculty of Foreign Studies (Hindi & Urdu).
- Has worked at Benesse (Fukutake Publishing) editorial department, JICA public relations, and as a news editor at J-WAVE.
- Debuted as a novelist in 1995 with 'Fukagawa Ryouki Shinjū'.
- Won the Kaikō Ken Prize in 1997 for 'Sangaku Kijin-den'.
- In addition to period fiction, has authored numerous non-fiction works on Edo-period sexuality and customs.
- Author of multiple series (e.g., the 'Famous Doctor of Secret Swords' series).