Naoki Sanjugo Award
1 appearances
Akiyuki Nosaka
のさか あきゆき
Nosaka Akiyuki
Aliases:
阿木 由起夫 / クロード 野坂 / 立川 天皇
Pen Names:
Aki Yukio (Agi Yukio)（Pen name used for broadcast writing and some scripts）,
Claude Nosaka（Stage name used as a chanson singer）,
Tatekawa Tennō（Alternate name used in rakugo / stage contexts）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1930-10-10 （Komachi, Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan）
- Died
- 2015-12-09 （Tokyo, Japan (hospital)） age 85
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Kamakura, Kanagawa (birthplace) → Kobe, Hyōgo (foster family) → Niigata Prefecture → Tokyo (base of activities)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Lyricist, Singer, Broadcast writer, Television personality, Politician
- Active Years
- 1955-2015
- Memberships
- Norainu-kai (group of maverick writers)
- Influenced By
- Postwar social conditions and his experience of the aftermath of air raids
- Influenced
- Subsequent postwar writers and social commentators in Japan
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waseda University, Faculty of Letters, First Department | Faculty of Letters, First Department | Department of French Literature | — | 1950-1956 (中退) | Japan |
Waseda University, Faculty of Letters, First Department
Faculty of Letters, First Department
/ Department of French Literature
Period:
1950-1956 (中退)
Country:
Japan
Entered to study French literature; left university before graduation.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Japan Record Awards — Lyricist Award | Omocha no Cha-Cha-Cha (lyrics) | 作詞賞 | Japan Record Awards / Awarding committee | 受賞 |
| 1967 | Naoki Prize | Grave of the Fireflies / America Hijiki (collected works) | — | Naoki Prize selection committee | 受賞 |
| 1985 | Kodansha Essay Award | Waga Tōsō (essay collection) | — | Kodansha | 受賞 |
| 1997 | Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Prize | Dōshinen (Concentric Circles) | — | Yoshikawa Eiji Prize Committee | 受賞 |
| 2002 | Izumi Kyōka Literary Prize | For his body of literary work and contributions | — | Izumi Kyōka Prize Committee | 受賞 |
| 2009 | Ango Prize (Niigata City Special Award) | — | 特別賞 | Niigata City | 受賞 |
Japan Record Awards — Lyricist Award
1963
Work:
Omocha no Cha-Cha-Cha (lyrics)
Category:
作詞賞
Organization:
Japan Record Awards / Awarding committee
Result:
受賞
Naoki Prize
1967
Work:
Grave of the Fireflies / America Hijiki (collected works)
Organization:
Naoki Prize selection committee
Result:
受賞
Kodansha Essay Award
1985
Work:
Waga Tōsō (essay collection)
Organization:
Kodansha
Result:
受賞
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Prize
1997
Work:
Dōshinen (Concentric Circles)
Organization:
Yoshikawa Eiji Prize Committee
Result:
受賞
Izumi Kyōka Literary Prize
2002
Work:
For his body of literary work and contributions
Organization:
Izumi Kyōka Prize Committee
Result:
受賞
Ango Prize (Niigata City Special Award)
2009
Category:
特別賞
Organization:
Niigata City
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Kodansha Essay Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (1985) award
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 31 (1997) award
Izumi Kyoka Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 30 (2002) award
Works
Major Works
Grave of the Fireflies
1967 Short story / War literatureA short story about a brother and sister struggling to survive during wartime; reflects the author's wartime experiences, guilt and loss.
Horrors of warFamilyGuiltSurvival
Adaptations
- [Animated film] Grave of the Fireflies / 高畑勲 (1988)
Translations
- Grave of the Fireflies
Ero Jijitachi (The Eroticians)
1963 Novel (debut)An early novel with themes of eroticism and postwar social life; based partly on the author's experiences.
SexualityUrban moresSatire
America Hijiki
1967 Short fiction / Social novelWorks depicting the occupation-era social climate with humor and critical perspective.
Occupied JapanChaos and recoverySatire
Concentric Circles
1996 NovelOne of his later major works, depicting contemporary society and personal history from layered perspectives.
Personal historySocial critiqueMemory
Bibliography
- Ero Jijitachi (1963)
- Grave of the Fireflies (1967)
- America Hijiki (1967)
- Concentric Circles (1996)
- Bundan (2002)
Adaptations
- Grave of the Fireflies (animated film, 1988, dir. Isao Takahata)
- Ero Jijitachi (film adaptation, 1960s)
Translations by Author
- Music for Chameleons (Truman Capote) — translation by Nosaka
Translations of Works
- Grave of the Fireflies — English translation
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Direct, conversational narrationBlack humorSocial satire
- Recurring Motifs
- War and postwar ruinsLoss of familyUrban / black market scenesSex and desire
Health
-
Cerebral infarction (stroke)2003-2015After suffering a stroke in 2003 he underwent rehabilitation, reduced public appearances and continued writing.
Legacy
A prolific postwar Japanese writer known for works reflecting wartime experience and wide-ranging media activity. 'Grave of the Fireflies' became internationally known via its animated film adaptation.
Archives
- NHK Archives (appearances and lecture records)
- Publishers' archives (Shinchosha, Bungeishunjū etc.)
In Popular Culture
- Grave of the Fireflies (1988 animated film directed by Isao Takahata)
- Influence as lyricist of the children's song 'Omocha no Cha-Cha-Cha'
Trivia
- Used the pen name Aki Yukio (阿木由起夫) as a broadcast writer.
- Performed as a chanson singer under the name Claude Nosaka.
- Served briefly as a member of the House of Councillors in 1983.
- Won the Naoki Prize in 1967; 'Grave of the Fireflies' is among his best-known works.