Japanese Literary Awards

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Susumu Nomura

のむら すすむ

Nomura Susumu

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1956-07-07 （Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Tokyo, Japan → Manila, Philippines → Saipan

Career

Occupations
non-fiction writer, journalist, university professor
Active Years
1981-2025
Affiliations
Japan PEN Club (Standing Committee member), Takasuki University, Faculty of International Studies (Professor), Asahi Shimbun (served as book review committee member)
Influenced By
Katsuichi Honda, Ryuzo Saki
Nominations
Nominated for the 19th Oya Soichi Nonfiction Prize (Homeland at the Edge of the Sea)

Education

Tokyo Metropolitan Kunitachi High School
Period: 1972-1975
Year of Graduation: 1975
Country: Japan
Graduated high school
Sophia University
Faculty of Foreign Studies / Department of English
Period: 1975-1978
Country: Japan
Dropped out of the Department of English

Awards

Oya Soichi Nonfiction Prize
1997
Work: Journey through the Korean World
Organization: Oya Soichi Nonfiction Prize Committee
Result: winner
Kodansha Nonfiction Award
1997
Work: Journey through the Korean World
Organization: Kodansha
Result: winner
Asia Pacific Award
1999
Work: New Stories of Asia
Organization: Asia Pacific Awards Committee
Result: winner
Omoto/Iwami Kagura Research Prize
2018
Organization: Omoto/Iwami Kagura Research Association
Result: winner
Oya Soichi Nonfiction Prize (nominated)
1987
Work: Homeland at the Edge of the Sea
Organization: Oya Soichi Nonfiction Prize Committee
Result: nominated

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

With the New People's Army in the Philippines

1981 non-fiction (reportage)

A firsthand account based on the author's time accompanying the New People's Army in the Philippines, documenting daily life and interactions with guerrillas.

politicsguerrilla warfarefield reporting

Ten Thousand Days in Japanese Saipan

2005 non-fiction (oral history)

A long-term reportage compiling oral histories of Japanese immigrants in Saipan. Originally published as 'Homeland at the Edge of the Sea' and later revised and retitled.

immigrationpostwar historylocal communities

Journey through the Korean World

1996 non-fiction (reportage)

A reportage exploring zainichi Koreans from a global perspective, tracing lives and histories of Korean communities across countries and regions.

Korean diasporaidentityculture and history

Liberated Elders: The Rich Experiential World of Dementia

2015 non-fiction (medical/welfare reportage)

A reportage that approaches dementia from a perspective of 'salvation' rather than solely loss, emphasizing the richness of sufferers' experiential worlds.

dementiamedicinewelfare

Research Techniques, Writing Techniques

2008 practical (journalism/writing guide)

A practical guide to research, investigation, and writing; used as training material for new reporters at newspapers and broadcasters.

reporting techniqueswriting skillseducation

Bibliography

  • With the New People's Army in the Philippines
  • Homeland at the Edge of the Sea: Japanese Seeking Paradise on Southern Islands
  • Ten Thousand Days in Japanese Saipan
  • Geniuses
  • Scenes of Japan: Ten Contemporary Cases
  • Journey through the Korean World
  • New Stories of Asia
  • Research Techniques, Writing Techniques
  • Liberated Elders: The Rich Experiential World of Dementia
  • Gods Everywhere: Walking the Unknown Izumo World
  • Tetsuro Tamba: A Remarkable Life

Style & Themes

Literary Style
on-site reportagefact-checking–oriented nonfictionclear, explanatory prose
Recurring Motifs
migration and diasporamedical and emergency caresocial observation through individual stories

Legacy

A non-fiction writer known for meticulous long-term reportage. Influential both as a writer and an educator in media training.

Academic Societies

  • Japan PEN Club

Trivia

  • As an exchange student in college he traveled to the Philippines and accompanied the New People's Army for reporting.
  • Studied violin for 12 years from childhood; has long been a boxing enthusiast and participated in magazine roundtables since high school.
  • Involved in a public controversy during the 2011–12 Kodansha Nonfiction Award selection (the Ishii Kota controversy).