Yamamoto Shugoro Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 2 (1989) nominee
Manji Nagakura
ながくら まんじ
Nagakura Manji
Pen Names:
Manji Nagakura（Later-life orthographic variant of his pen name (same reading)）,
Kyoichi Nagakura（Birth name (some works published anonymously or under initials)）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1948-01-27 （Shiki, Saitama, Japan）
- Died
- 2000-10-05 （Wako, Saitama, Japan (National Saitama Hospital)） age 52
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Broadcast writer, Magazine editor, Advertising planner
- Active Years
- 1970-2000
- Influenced By
- Kuniko Mukoda
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rikkyo University | Faculty of Economics | — | — | 在学中に中退 | Japan |
Rikkyo University
Faculty of Economics
Period:
在学中に中退
Country:
Japan
Dropped out while enrolled in the Faculty of Economics
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Kodansha Essay Award | Anniversary Song | — | Kodansha | 受賞 |
Kodansha Essay Award
1989
Work:
Anniversary Song
Organization:
Kodansha
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Kodansha Essay Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 5 (1989) award
Works
Major Works
Anniversary Song
1989 EssayA collection of essays on daily life and human experience, notable for the author's observant and wry voice.
everyday lifehuman relationshipsmiddle-aged romance
A Great Hot-Blooded Illness Chronicle
1992 Autobiographical / MemoirA memoir recounting his hospitalization and rehabilitation after a 1989 cerebral hemorrhage. Later adapted for TV as 'Father Returns'.
illness and recoveryfamilyrenewal
Adaptations
- [TV drama] Father Returns (1994)
Golden Bat
1995 Autobiographical novelAn autobiographical work drawing on his experiences with the Tokyo Kid Brothers troupe.
theatreyouthself-reflection
Bibliography
- The Story of a Vaudeville Performer
- Lately, Quite a Love Letter
- New Showa '30s Dispatches
- Tokyo Date Drift
- Tokyo Love Affairs
- Anniversary Song
- A Great Hot-Blooded Illness Chronicle
- Golden Bat
- The Ragged Three Musketeers
Adaptations
- Father Returns (TV drama adaptation by NHK)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Plain, approachable proseA narrative voice blending humor and pathos
- Recurring Motifs
- adult romancesalaryman lifeillness and recoveryurban life
Health
-
Cerebral hemorrhage1989〜1990（初回発症と回復期）Caused right-side paralysis and aphasia; after rehabilitation he resumed writing.
-
Brainstem hemorrhage (recurrent)2000（再発・入院）Suffered a recurrent hemorrhage in 2000 and died while hospitalized.
Legacy
Known for works depicting middle-aged romance and salaryman life, and for his candid illness memoir. His work was adapted for television and his final novel was completed by his wife, contributing to a reputation for an approachable, humane voice.
In Popular Culture
- Increased recognition from the NHK TV adaptation 'Father Returns'
Trivia
- Birth name was Kyoichi Nagakura.
- Did not join a planned Taiwan trip with friends (including Kuniko Mukoda); those friends died in the Far East Airlines Flight 103 crash while Nagakura avoided the trip.
- Late in life he changed the orthographic spelling of his pen name to use the older character 萬.
- His wife, Yuko, completed the latter part of his posthumous work 'The Ragged Three Musketeers'.