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Hisashi Nozawa

のざわ ひさし

Nozawa Hisashi

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1960-05-07 （Nagoya, Aichi, Japan）
Died
2004-06-28 （Yakumo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan） age 44
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Screenwriter, Mystery novelist
Active Years
1985-2004
Influenced By
So Kuramoto, Don Siegel, William Friedkin, Sidney Lumet, Arthur Penn, Sam Peckinpah
Nominations
Japan Academy Prize — Best Screenplay nomination (Shudan Sasen)

Education

Aichi Prefectural Showa High School
Country: Japan
Nihon University College of Art
College of Art / Film Studies
Country: Japan
Graduated from Nihon University Film Department; contemporaries included Sunao Katabuchi and Yō Adachi.

Awards

Kido Prize (Honorable Mention)
1983
Work: V. Madonna Wars
Organization: Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan
Result: Honorable Mention
Edogawa Rampo Prize
1997
Work: Hasen no Maris
Organization: Edogawa Rampo Prize
Result: Winner
The Television Drama Academy Awards — Screenplay Award
1997
Work: Aoi Tori (Blue Bird)
Category: 脚本賞
Organization: The Television Drama Academy Awards
Result: Winner
Shima Kiyoshi Love Literature Prize
1997
Work: Ren'ai Jidai (Love Era)
Organization: Shima Kiyoshi Love Literature Prize
Result: Winner
The Television Drama Academy Awards — Screenplay Award
1998
Work: Nemureru Mori (The Sleeping Forest)
Category: 脚本賞
Organization: The Television Drama Academy Awards
Result: Winner
TV LIFE Annual Drama Awards — Screenplay
1998
Work: Nemureru Mori (The Sleeping Forest)
Category: 脚本賞
Organization: TV LIFE
Result: Winner
Mukōda Kuniko Prize
1999
Work: Nemureru Mori / Kekkon Zenya
Organization: Mukōda Kuniko Prize
Result: Winner
The Television Drama Academy Awards — Screenplay Award
1999
Work: Kōri no Sekai (World of Ice)
Category: 脚本賞
Organization: The Television Drama Academy Awards
Result: Winner
The Television Drama Academy Awards — Screenplay Award
2001
Work: Suiyōbi no Jōji (Wednesday's Affair)
Category: 脚本賞
Organization: The Television Drama Academy Awards
Result: Winner
Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for New Writers
2001
Work: Shinku (Deep Crimson)
Organization: Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for New Writers
Result: Winner
Art Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)
2002
Work: Hanran no Voyage (Rebellion Voyage)
Organization: Art Encouragement Prize
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Hasen no Maris

1997 Mystery novel

His debut novel that won the Edogawa Rampo Prize. A long-form mystery intertwining enigmatic incidents and characters' pasts.

past and secretsfamilyrevelation of truth
Adaptations
  • [Film] Hasen no Maris (film adaptation) (2000)

Shinku (Deep Crimson)

2000 Novel / Mystery

Winner of the Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for New Writers. A story centered on revenge and human relationships.

revengehuman relationshipsethics
Adaptations
  • [Film] Shinku (film adaptation) (2005)

Nemureru Mori (The Sleeping Forest)

1998 TV drama (serial)

A high-rating Fuji TV serial drama. An ensemble piece where multiple characters' lives intersect.

human relationshipspast tiesfate
Adaptations
  • [Novelization] Nemureru Mori (novelization) (1999)

Detective Conan: The Phantom of Baker Street

2002 Theatrical animation

He wrote the screenplay for the Conan theatrical film, which at the time recorded the highest box office in the series.

mysteryadventuretechnology and modernity

Hanran no Voyage (Rebellion Voyage)

2001 Television single-episode drama (screenplay)

A TV Asahi single-episode drama for which he won the Art Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology).

social issueshuman conflict

The Man Who Was Violent (Sono Otoko, Kyōbō ni Tsuki)

1989 Film (screenplay)

A film initially developed with Kinji Fukasaku; eventually directed by Takeshi Kitano. Nozawa praised the finished film despite significant changes to his script.

violenceidentitycreative conflict

Bibliography

  • V. Madonna Wars
  • Stay Gold
  • I Want to Meet Marilyn
  • Dear Those I Love
  • What a Wonderful Life
  • Blue Bird
  • Kekkon Zenya (The Night Before Marriage)
  • Nemureru Mori (The Sleeping Forest)
  • Kōri no Sekai (World of Ice)
  • Hasen no Maris
  • Shinku (Deep Crimson)
  • Hanran no Voyage
  • Wednesday's Affair
  • Embracing Sleepless Nights
  • Toride Naki Mono (Those Without a Fortress)

Adaptations

  • Nemureru Mori (TV drama, 1998) — novelization (1999)
  • Detective Conan: The Phantom of Baker Street (film, 2002) — notable box office
  • Hasen no Maris (novel → film 1997 → 2000)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Cinematic, filmic descriptionsPlotting based on detailed character biographies ("resumes")Modern-dramatic dialogue with layered foreshadowing
Recurring Motifs
family and secretspast guilt and atonementviolence lurking beneath everyday life

Legacy

A highly regarded screenwriter and novelist active in both TV drama and fiction. Known for his unique plotting method using detailed character "resumes" and for engaging directly with viewers; he also publicly criticized production-side script alterations and credit disputes. He died by suicide in 2004, and his work continues to influence later screenwriters and novelists.

Archives

  • Nozawa Hisashi Official Website (archive)
  • National Diet Library holdings (Nozawa Hisashi)

In Popular Culture

  • Detective Conan: The Phantom of Baker Street recorded the highest box office for the series at the time
  • Nemureru Mori achieved high ratings and became one of his representative TV dramas

Quotes

  • Until the very end I failed to grasp the true nature of you viewers. You remained an enigma.
    Source: Toride Naki Mono (drama script), Scenario magazine, April 2004 issue (2004)
  • On a drama level, I am God; I place characters from above and put them on a train to run along the tracks of fate.
    Source: Interview (TPIS No.364, etc.) (1995)

Trivia

  • His father was biologist Ken Nozawa (Professor Emeritus at Kyoto University).
  • Graduate of Nihon University College of Art, Film Department.
  • Debuted as a novelist by winning the Edogawa Rampo Prize in 1997.
  • Died by suicide (hanging) at his office apartment in 2004.