Bungei Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 39 (2002) award
Kou Nakamura
なかむら こう
Nakamura Kou
Pen Names:
Nakamura Kou (NAKAMURAKOU)（Pen name used for children's books and some serializations）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1969-11-23 （Ogaki, Gifu, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Ogaki, Gifu, Japan → Tokyo, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Lyricist, Music producer, Entrepreneur, VTuber agency representative
- Active Years
- 2002-
- Affiliations
- Mi→RiSE (VTuber agency), Steki Contents LLC
- Influenced By
- Makoto Shiina, Haruki Murakami, Banana Yoshimoto, Kaori Ekuni, Mitsuyo Kakuta
- Nominations
- Akutagawa Prize candidate ('Natsuyasumi' / 129th), Akutagawa Prize candidate ('Guruguru Mawaru Suberidai' / 130th)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shibaura Institute of Technology | Faculty of Engineering | Department of Industrial Management | — | — | Japan |
Shibaura Institute of Technology
Faculty of Engineering
/ Department of Industrial Management
Country:
Japan
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Bungei Prize | Rirekisho | — | Bungei (literary prize) | 受賞 |
| 2004 | Noma Literary New Face Prize | Guruguru Mawaru Suberidai | — | Noma Literary Award Committee | 受賞 |
Bungei Prize
2002
Work:
Rirekisho
Organization:
Bungei (literary prize)
Result:
受賞
Noma Literary New Face Prize
2004
Work:
Guruguru Mawaru Suberidai
Organization:
Noma Literary Award Committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Noma Literary Newcomer Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 26 (2004) award
Works
Major Works
Rirekisho
2002 FictionDebut work; a linked set of stories with autobiographical elements, recognized as his first major publication.
youthmemory and identity
Natsuyasumi (Summer Vacation)
2003 Short/novellaA novella exploring youth and family relationships; was a candidate for the Akutagawa Prize.
familycoming-of-age
Guruguru Mawaru Suberidai
2004 FictionOne of his early notable works; delicately depicts everyday life and subtle human relationships.
everyday lifeinterpersonal relationships
100 Times to Cry
2005 NovelA novel about love and loss; one of his representative works later adapted into a film.
romanceloss
Adaptations
- [Film] 100 Times to Cry / 廣木隆一 (2013)
Trigirl!
2012 Youth fictionA youth novel about college students, daily life and romance; later adapted into a film.
youthfriendshipaspiration
Adaptations
- [Film] Trigirl! / 英勉 (2017)
Devikuro-kun's Love and Magic
2013 NovelA love story with magical elements; adapted into a film and attracted attention.
lovemiracle
Adaptations
- [Film] MIRACLE: Devikuro-kun's Love and Magic / 犬童一心 (2014)
Toshishita no Sensei (Younger Teacher)
2016 FictionA romance novel themed around an age-gap relationship.
romanceage-gap
The Invincible Pair
2017 Non-fiction novelA non-fiction-style novel based on figures associated with a boxing gym.
sportshuman drama
Sabbatical
2019 FictionA novel about relationships and new beginnings surrounding a sabbatical/leave.
renewalrest
Under the Big Onion
2024 FictionA recent novel; announced for film adaptation scheduled in 2025.
familyeveryday life
Adaptations
- [Film] Under the Big Onion / 草野翔吾 (2025)
Bibliography
- Rirekisho (2002)
- Natsuyasumi (2003)
- Guruguru Mawaru Suberidai (2004)
- 100 Times to Cry (2005)
- Absolutely, The Strongest Love Song (2006)
- I Want You Here (short stories, 2007)
- Devikuro-kun's Love and Magic (2013)
- Trigirl! (2012)
- We Haven't Fallen in Love Yet! (2013)
- The Invincible Pair (2017)
- Sabbatical (2019)
- Under the Big Onion (2024)
Adaptations
- 100 Times to Cry (film 2013, dir. Ryuichi Hiroki)
- MIRACLE: Devikuro-kun's Love and Magic (film 2014, dir. Isshin Inudo)
- Trigirl! (film 2017, dir. Hidetsugu?)
- Oni Girl!! (film 2020, dir. Genki Takigawa)
- Under the Big Onion (film planned 2025, dir. Shogo Kusano)
Translations by Author
- The Wizard of Oz (edited/translated, 2018)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- slice-of-life character portrayalslight, conversational prosetone combining humor and warmth
- Recurring Motifs
- youthmusic and bandsfamily and memorysmall miracles in everyday life
Legacy
Kou Nakamura gained popularity as a writer in the 2000s and became a figure connecting literary fiction and popular media (anime, games, music). Through projects like BanG Dream!, he has worked across story development and songwriting in media-mix productions.
Archives
- National Diet Library (Japan) holdings/authority data
- VIAF / ISNI and other authority records
In Popular Culture
- BanG Dream! (original story/staff, lyricist)
- From ARGONAVIS (original story/lyricist)
- D4DJ (story concept and lyricist)
Quotes
-
Originally I was someone with experience in songwriting who began writing novels. So for the BanG Dream! project, it's sometimes closer to say a lyricist is writing novels rather than a novelist writing lyrics.
Source: Interview (remarks about the project) (2019) -
He compares his characters to 'members of a troupe'; though names and genders vary across works, their core remains the same.
Source: Author profile / interview (2013)
Trivia
- He played in bands as a teenager and has experience in songwriting and composition.
- Some children's books are published under the pen name 'NAKAMURAKOU'.
- He founded Steki Contents LLC as a publishing/production base.
- Served as representative of VTuber agency Mi→RiSE (from 2021).
- Many of his book covers feature illustrations by artist Kazuaki Miyao.