Akutagawa Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 19 (1944) award
Juzou Obi
おび じゅうぞう
Obi Jūzō
Pen Names:
Obī（Pen name used for early short stories）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1979-04-15 （Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Fukuoka (birthplace) → Tokyo (residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Screenwriter
- Active Years
- 2003-
- Influenced By
- Haruki Murakami, Hiromi Kawakami
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waseda University | Faculty of Letters | Department of Literature | 文学士 | 1997-2001 | Japan |
Waseda University
Faculty of Letters
/ Department of Literature
Degree:
文学士
Period:
1997-2001
Year of Graduation:
2001
Country:
Japan
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Tōfū Literary Award | City of Twilight | 長編小説 | Tofu Culture Foundation | winner |
| 2009 | New Voices Fiction Prize | Short Nights of Blue | 短編 | Japan Contemporary Literature Promotion Association | winner |
Tōfū Literary Award
2011
Work:
City of Twilight
Category:
長編小説
Organization:
Tofu Culture Foundation
Result:
winner
New Voices Fiction Prize
2009
Work:
Short Nights of Blue
Category:
短編
Organization:
Japan Contemporary Literature Promotion Association
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
City of Twilight
2010 Contemporary literary fiction 320 pagesSet in a provincial city where past and present intersect, the novel follows the protagonist's solitude and eventual renewal. Praised for its lyrical prose that weaves fragments of memory with urban landscapes.
solitudememoryurban life
Adaptations
- [Film] City of Twilight / 佐藤洋 (2013)
Translations
- English translation: City of Twilight (2015)
Memory of Wind
2014 Short story collection 240 pagesA short story collection themed around various kinds of 'wind.' Noted for its attention to quotidian detail and endings that carry a quiet unease.
memoryhuman relationshipsmovement
Translations
- Some stories translated into English and German
Night Train
2018 Novel 280 pagesA multi-perspective ensemble set aboard a night train. The novel examines how past choices weave present connections and has been noted for its narrative tricks.
fateencountersmemory
Adaptations
- [TV drama] Night Train / 中村絵里 (2020)
Translations
- English edition scheduled
Bibliography
- Short Nights of Blue (2009)
- City of Twilight (2010)
- Memory of Wind (2014)
- Night Train (2018)
- Reasons by the Sea (2022)
Adaptations
- City of Twilight (film adaptation, 2013)
- Night Train (TV drama, 2020)
Translations of Works
- City of Twilight (English, 2015)
- Selected Stories (German, 2017)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyrical and introspective proseblurring the boundary between reality and fantasy
- Recurring Motifs
- nighttrainsmemorymotion
Legacy
Known for works focusing on cities and memory, his fiction has been adapted for film and television and reached a broad readership. He has taught at universities and mentored young writers, becoming a notable figure in contemporary Japanese literature.
Academic Societies
- Society for Contemporary Literature
Archives
- Waseda University Faculty of Letters Archive (Juzou Obi materials)
In Popular Culture
- The release of the film City of Twilight spurred pilgrimages to locations featured in the story
Quotes
-
Memory does not simply vanish; it changes form and remains within us.
Source: City of Twilight (2010) (2010) -
A journey changes not only the landscape outside but also the maps inside.
Source: Night Train (2018) (2018)
Trivia
- He has a habit of writing on night trains during his commute.
- Station names and scenery in his works are modeled on real urban landscapes but are given fictional names.