Art Encouragement Prize for Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
1 appearances
-
Edition 14 (1964) award
Akira Omote
おもてあきら
Omote Akira
Pen Names:
Omote Kage（Pen name used for poetry and tanka）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1980-04-12 （Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese, English
- Residence History
- Shinjuku, Tokyo (birth–2002) → Kyoto (2004–2008) → Yokohama (2009–present)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Poet, Editor
- Active Years
- 2003-
- Affiliations
- Editorial board of the literary magazine 'Kobo'
- Influenced By
- Haruki Murakami, Yasunari Kawabata, T. S. Eliot
- Influenced
- Misaki Sato, Wataru Takahashi
- Nominations
- Nominated for Japan Short Story Prize (2014)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waseda University | Faculty of Letters | Department of Japanese Literature | 文学士 | 1998-2002 | Japan |
Waseda University
Faculty of Letters
/ Department of Japanese Literature
Degree:
文学士
Period:
1998-2002
Year of Graduation:
2002
Country:
Japan
Active in literary magazines and circles during studies; contributed and edited
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | New Generation Literature Prize | Voices of Dawn | 小説部門 | New Generation Literature Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2013 | Young Writer Award | Memories of the Sea | 短編集 | Japan Literary Promotion Association | 受賞 |
New Generation Literature Prize
2016
Work:
Voices of Dawn
Category:
小説部門
Organization:
New Generation Literature Foundation
Result:
受賞
Young Writer Award
2013
Work:
Memories of the Sea
Category:
短編集
Organization:
Japan Literary Promotion Association
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Voices of Dawn
2016 Novel 320 pagesSet against the decline and revival of a regional town, the novel quietly depicts the conflicts and reconciliation of three generations of a family.
RebirthFamilyMemoryRegional identity
Adaptations
- [Film] Voices of Dawn / 中村久雄 (2019)
Translations
- English translation 'Voices of Dawn' translated by James Smith (2018)
Memories of the Sea
2013 Short story collection 180 pagesA collection of linked short stories set in a seaside town, thematically focused on loss and nostalgia.
LossNostalgiaSea
Adaptations
- [TV Drama] Tides of Memory / 佐々木亮 (2015)
Translations
- Some stories translated into English and other languages
Sound by the Window
2009 Novella 120 pagesA novella that quietly traces fragments of memory, depicting personal loss and the gaps in everyday life.
MemoryLossTime
Bibliography
- Sound by the Window (2009)
- Memories of the Sea (2013)
- Voices of Dawn (2016)
- Shadows and Light (tanka collection, 2020)
Adaptations
- Voices of Dawn — film adaptation (2019)
- Tides of Memory (short story) — TV drama adaptation (2015)
Translations of Works
- Voices of Dawn — English edition (2018)
- Memories of the Sea — Selected stories in English (2016)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Lyrical, introspective narrationConcise prose interwoven with metaphor
- Recurring Motifs
- SeaDawnMemoryTime
Health
-
Insomnia2018-2019Temporarily affected writing pace but contributed depth to his work.
Legacy
A writer who brought new perspectives to contemporary Japanese literature through portrayals of regionality and memory. His work has attracted international readers through film adaptations and translations.
Museums
- Akira Omote Memorial Room Waseda University, Waseda Campus, Tokyo, Japan Opened in 2022
Academic Societies
- The Society for Contemporary Japanese Literature
Archives
- Waseda University Library, Modern Literature Collection
In Popular Culture
- The 2019 film adaptation broadened recognition among mainstream audiences
Quotes
-
A novel is an act of gently embracing the past.
Source: Voices of Dawn (Foreword) (2016)
Trivia
- Always drinks a cup of coffee before writing
- Keeps a cat named 'Hikari' (Light)
- Graduate of Waseda University