Japanese Literary Awards

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Masamoto Nasu

なす まさもと

Nasu Masamoto

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1942-06-06 （Koi, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan）
Died
2021-07-22 （Hōfu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan） age 79
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Koi, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan → Hōfu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan (resident from 1978 until later life)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Children's author, Novelist
Active Years
1972-2021
Affiliations
Yamaguchi Prefectural University (formerly Yamaguchi Women's University) — part-time lecturer (children's literature)
Memberships
Japan Association of Children's Literature Authors (President, 15th), Akukan (co-founder of the children's literature collective 'Akukan')
Influenced By
Kenji Miyazawa, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Education

Shimane Agricultural College (now Shimane University)
Faculty of Bioresource Sciences (Department of Forestry) / Department of Forestry
Degree: 学士（農学）
Country: Japan
Graduation thesis on natural enemies of the pine shoot borer; specialized in forest entomology.

Awards

Gakken Children's Literature Award (Honorable Mention)
1972
Work: Treasure of the Headless Jizo
Organization: Gakken
Result: winner
Ehon Nippon Award
1989
Organization: Ehon Nippon Award Committee
Result: winner
Rohbo no Ishi Literary Award
1994
Work: The Sky of the Con Artists
Organization: Rohbo no Ishi Award Committee
Result: winner
Japan Association of Children's Literature Authors Award
1995
Organization: Japan Association of Children's Literature Authors
Result: winner
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award
1996
Organization: Sankei Shimbun
Result: winner
Iwaya Sazanami Literary Award
1999
Organization: Iwaya Sazanami Award Committee
Result: winner
Noma Children's Literature Award
2000
Work: Zukkoke Trio: Back to the Future
Organization: Noma Cultural Foundation
Result: winner
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award
2004
Organization: Sankei Shimbun
Result: winner
Japan Association of Children's Literature Authors Award (Special Prize)
2005
Organization: Japan Association of Children's Literature Authors
Result: winner
Japan Association of Children's Literature Authors Award
2012
Organization: Japan Association of Children's Literature Authors
Result: winner
JXTG Children's Culture Award
2019
Organization: JXTG
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Go! The Zukkoke Trio

1978 Children's literature (series)

A children's adventure series started in 1978 about a trio of elementary-school friends who get involved in mysteries and adventures; the series enjoyed long-running popularity.

friendshipadventurecoming-of-age
Adaptations
  • [TV drama] Zukkoke Trio (TV drama) (1985)
  • [TV anime] Zukkoke Trio (anime) (2004)

A Distant Journey in the Attic

1975 Children's literature (parallel world / alternate history)

A challenging work that sends children into a parallel world where Japan won the Pacific War; intended to provoke thought about war as an ongoing potential reality.

warethicsre-examining history

We Head to the Sea

1980 Children's literature

A story of boys' summer adventures and friendships; regarded as one of Nasu's ambitious works.

adventurefriendshipgrowth

The Sky of the Con Artists

1994 Children's literature

A socially conscious children's book that won the Rohbo no Ishi Literary Award in 1994.

social issueshuman relationships

Bibliography

  • Treasure of the Headless Jizo (1972)
  • A Distant Journey in the Attic (1975)
  • Go! The Zukkoke Trio (1978–2004, series)
  • We Head to the Sea (1980)
  • The Sky of the Con Artists (1994)

Adaptations

  • TV drama adaptation (Kansai TV etc., 1985)
  • TV anime adaptation (2004)
  • NHK-E TV drama adaptation (1999)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lively narrationhumor and entertainmentoccasionally incorporates social themes
Recurring Motifs
friendship and camaraderieadventure and detective storiesmemories of the atomic bombing and war (treated seriously in some works)

Health

  • Emphysema
    2021
    Collapsed at home and was transported to hospital; died due to emphysema in 2021.

Legacy

Bestknown for the long-running 'Zukkoke Trio' series, Nasu was one of Japan's most popular children's authors, with millions of copies sold for the series; he contributed to diversification of children's literature and influenced later writers.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Association of Children's Literature Authors

Archives

  • Japan Association of Children's Literature Authors (recipient of Nasu's copyrights)

In Popular Culture

  • Numerous media adaptations of the 'Zukkoke Trio' series, including TV dramas and an anime

Quotes

  • After all, a writer must persistently keep writing. It is precisely because I kept writing that I have reached today.
    Source: Acceptance comment / interview

Trivia

  • Reportedly exposed to the Hiroshima atomic bombing at age 3 (based on his accounts)
  • Bequeathed copyrights of his works to the Japan Association of Children's Literature Authors
  • Once called himself the 'king without a crown' referring to long period without awards