Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Taku Noguchi

のぐち たく

Noguchi Taku

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1944-01-01 （Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Scriptwriter, Entertainment critic, Writer
Active Years
1970-
Nominations
19th Nakayama Yoshihide Literary Prize nominee (2013) — 'Asobi Bugyō'

Education

Ritsumeikan University
Faculty of Letters / Department of Geography
Degree: 中退
Period: 在籍（中退）
Country: Japan
Attended Department of Geography; did not complete degree (dropped out)

Awards

Kikuchi Kan Drama Award
1993
Work: Kaze no Tami (The People of the Wind)
Result: Winner
History & Period Fiction Writers Club Award (Newcomer Prize)
2012
Work: Shamo Samurai
Category: 新人賞
Organization: History & Period Fiction Writers Club
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Shamo Samurai

2011 Historical novel

A historical novel set in the Edo period that portrays human relationships centered on swordsmanship and duty. This is Noguchi's debut work in period fiction and the first in a series.

SwordsmanshipDuty and human emotionRevengeComing of age

Asobi Bugyō (Play Magistrate)

2012 Historical novel (spin-off)

A spin-off from the Shamo Samurai series that interweaves the subtleties and daily life of Edo commoners with humor in a novella-style long work.

Commoner lifeHuman relationshipsHumor

Sharaku, the Daimyō's Painter

2018 Historical fiction

A historical novel focused on the ukiyo-e artist Sharaku and Edo-period painters, exploring the intersections of art, power, and commerce.

Art historyArt and powerCraftsmen's world

The Retired Gentleman (series)

2015 Historical fiction / Human interest

A series of linked stories about an elderly protagonist who becomes involved in neighbors' problems and local incidents, depicting human warmth and everyday subtleties.

Human sympathyEveryday lifeLocal community

Artisans Supporting the Stage: And the Opera Curtain Rises

2003 Criticism / Essay

An essay and interview collection focusing on the craftsmen and technicians working behind the scenes, conveying insights from the world of stage arts.

Performing arts critiqueBehind the scenesCraftsmanship

Learn Speaking from Rakugo and Memorable Lines: Praise, Woo, Deceive, Escape

2005 Criticism / Guide

A practical critical guide explaining speaking techniques and expressions learned from classic rakugo stories, focusing on communication skills.

RakugoOratoryExpressive techniques

Bibliography

  • Artisans Supporting the Stage: And the Opera Curtain Rises
  • Classic Rakugo Masterpieces Read by Synopsis
  • Continued: Classic Rakugo Masterpieces Read by Synopsis
  • The Interesting Dictionary of Names
  • Learn Speaking from Rakugo and Memorable Lines: Praise, Woo, Deceive, Escape
  • 80 Classic Rakugo Stories to Learn by Excerpts
  • Betting Techniques for the Intelligent
  • One Rakugo Tale a Day: Living a Year with Masterpieces (366 Days)
  • The Magic of Shakespeare
  • Scary Rakugo, Frightening Rakugo
  • Shamo Samurai
  • Dassai: Shamo Samurai 2
  • Flight: Shamo Samurai 3
  • Leaving the Water: Shamo Samurai 4
  • The Return to Sonose: Shamo Samurai 5
  • Crisis: Shamo Samurai 6
  • Asobi Bugyō
  • Master and Disciple: New Shamo Samurai 1
  • Family: New Shamo Samurai 2
  • Metamorphosis: New Shamo Samurai 3
  • Time of Succession: New Shamo Samurai 4
  • Handwriting Guidance Office 'Kunpūdō'
  • Three Daughters: Handwriting Guidance Office 'Kunpūdō' 2
  • Ripples: Handwriting Guidance Office 'Kunpūdō' 3
  • Light and Dark: Handwriting Guidance Office 'Kunpūdō' 4
  • The Retired Gentleman 1
  • Mirror of the Heart: The Retired Gentleman 2
  • The Dog's Testimony: The Retired Gentleman 3
  • A Sudden Thought: The Retired Gentleman 4
  • The Sixty-Year-Old Cat: The Retired Gentleman 5
  • Expectant Thoughts: The Retired Gentleman 6
  • What a Guy: Yorozu Consulting Shop Prosperity Record 1
  • No Way, No Way: Yorozu Consulting Shop Prosperity Record 2
  • That's Not It: Yorozu Consulting Shop Prosperity Record 3
  • You Have to Try: Yorozu Consulting Shop Prosperity Record 4
  • Carefree: Yorozu Consulting Shop Prosperity Record 5
  • What a Wife: Husband-and-Wife Consulting Shop Struggle Record 1
  • One After Another: Husband-and-Wife Consulting Shop Struggle Record 2
  • A Friend of a Friend Is a Friend: Husband-and-Wife Consulting Shop Struggle Record 3
  • Disheveled Sleeping Figure: Husband-and-Wife Consulting Shop Struggle Record 4
  • The Garden Where the Owl Comes: Husband-and-Wife Consulting Shop Struggle Record 5
  • The Wind Blows: Husband-and-Wife Consulting Shop Struggle Record 6
  • The Dark Black Cat: Kitamachi Bugyōsho Kutsuki Group 1
  • Hidden Cloak: Kitamachi Bugyōsho Kutsuki Group 2
  • The Cat's Bowl
  • 19 Gisaku Journey
  • Sharaku, the Daimyō's Painter
  • Mechanical Sharaku: Tsutaya Jūzaburō, the Last Gamble
  • Namida (Tears) — coauthored

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Clear and accessible narrationDetailed historical and geographic depictionBlends humor with human-interest elements
Recurring Motifs
Swordsmanship and schoolsDuty and human sentimentEdo commoner lifeInner life of craftsmen and artists

Legacy

A writer who moved into period fiction after experience in radio and scriptwriting. His debut period novel 'Shamo Samurai' earned recognition; he is noted for broadening the range of historical fiction with a contemporary narrative style.

Trivia

  • Attended Ritsumeikan University Faculty of Letters (Department of Geography) but dropped out.
  • Won the Kikuchi Kan Drama Award in 1993 for the one-man play 'Kaze no Tami'.
  • Received the History & Period Fiction Writers Club Award (Newcomer Prize) for 'Shamo Samurai' (2012).
  • 'Asobi Bugyō' was shortlisted for the Nakayama Yoshihide Literary Prize in 2013.
  • Has a background in scripts, radio drama, and performance criticism in addition to novel writing.