Japanese Literary Awards

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Otsuji Katsuhiko

おつじ かつひこ

Otsuji Katsuhiko

Aliases: 赤瀬川原平 / 赤瀬川 克彦 / Akasegawa Genpei / Akasegawa Katsuhiko
Pen Names: Akasegawa Genpei（Pen name used primarily for art and essays）, Otsuji Katsuhiko（Pen name used for literary fiction (e.g., Akutagawa Prize–winning 'Father Disappeared')）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1937-03-27 （Honmoku, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan）
Died
2014-10-26 （Machida, Tokyo, Japan） age 77
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Honmoku, Yokohama, Kanagawa (birthplace) → Oita City, Oita Prefecture (childhood) → Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture (high school) → Tokyo (later life; medical care)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Essayist, Artist, Manga artist, Photographer
Active Years
1958-2014
Affiliations
Musashino Art University (Visiting Professor)
Memberships
Neo-Dadaism Organizers, Hi-Red Center, Street Observation Society (Rojō Kansatsu Gakkai), Leica League (Raika Dōmei)
Influenced By
Nam June Paik, Yoko Ono, Takamatsu Jiro, Nakanishi Natsuyuki
Influenced
Minami Shinbo, Fujimori Terunobu, Kusumi Masayuki, Watanabe Kazuhiro

Education

Aichi Prefectural Asahigaoka High School
Art Department / Art (Oil painting)
Degree: 高等学校卒業
Period: 高校時代
Country: Japan
Studied oil painting
Musashino Art School (now Musashino Art University)
Oil painting department / Oil painting
Period: 在学中に中退
Country: Japan
Left before graduation due to financial reasons

Awards

Akutagawa Prize
1981
Work: Father Disappeared
Organization: Bungeishunju
Result: 受賞
Noma Literary New Face Award
1983
Work: Yukino
Organization: Noma Cultural Foundation
Result: 受賞
Chuo Koron Newcomer Prize
1979
Work: Hadazawari
Organization: Chuokoron-Shinsha
Result: 受賞
Kodansha Essay Award
1987
Work: Tokyo Street Exploration
Organization: Kodansha
Result: 受賞
Japan Academy Prize (Screenplay)
1989
Work: Rikyu (screenplay)
Category: 脚本賞
Organization: Japan Academy Prize Association
Result: 受賞
JTB Travel Literature Award
1993
Work: Sennin's Cherry, Commoner's Cherry
Organization: JTB Publishing
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Father Disappeared

1980 Short story

A short story depicting fragments of family and memory through the relationship between father and narrator. Published under the Otsuji pen name and winner of the Akutagawa Prize.

father-child relationshipmemoryfamily

Yukino

1983 Novel / Short novel

A work centered on family and character depiction; it led to receiving the Noma Literary New Face Award.

character studyfamily

Tokyo Street Exploration

1986 Essay / Observational writing

An essay collection focused on walking and observing Tokyo's streets. Winner of the Kodansha Essay Award.

street observationurban studies

The Mystery of 'Shinkai-san'

1996 Essay / Humour

An essay styled reading of the 'Shinmeikai' dictionary from a personal perspective; it drew public attention.

language playhumor

Elder Power (Rojin-ryoku)

1998 Essays

An essay collection proposing a new viewpoint on aging called 'Elder Power'. It became a bestseller and a popular buzzword candidate.

agingsocial commentaryhumor

Bibliography

  • Hadazawari
  • Father Disappeared
  • Yukino
  • Tokyo Street Exploration
  • Elder Power
  • The Mystery of 'Shinkai-san'
  • Leica League
  • The Universe of Cats
  • Akasegawa Genpei's Famous Paintings Exploration
  • Tomason Illustrated Encyclopedia
  • Full Confession!
  • Staring Diary

Adaptations

  • Rikyu (film; co-writer)
  • Gohime (film; co-writer)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Humorous, essay-like proseObservational writing that captures everyday detailUses irony and parody
Recurring Motifs
street observation / Tomasonfather-child relationshipsecondhand goods and fragments of daily lifeaging and 'elder power'

Health

  • Duodenal ulcer
    1959（手術）
    Underwent surgery; thereafter had difficulty eating fatty foods, among other effects
  • Gastric cancer
    2011（胃全摘手術）以降
    Underwent total gastrectomy in 2011 and subsequently was in extended medical care
  • Sepsis / complications including cerebral hemorrhage and pneumonia
    2014（死去）
    Died of sepsis in 2014; complications such as cerebral hemorrhage and pneumonia were reported

Legacy

Akasegawa Genpei (Otsuji Katsuhiko) bridged avant-garde art and literature, popularizing concepts such as Tomason and street observation and influencing contemporary Japanese cultural and urban studies. 'Elder Power' became a bestseller and entered popular culture.

Museums

  • Nagoya City Art Museum (Akasegawa Genpei exhibition) Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
  • Chiba City Museum of Art (Akasegawa Genpei: Art Theory exhibition) Chiba, Chiba Prefecture, Japan

Academic Societies

  • Street Observation Society
  • Associations related to the Bigaku School (Bigaku-kō)

Archives

  • Chikuma Shobo archives (publishing materials, etc.)
  • Exhibition materials held by regional art museums

In Popular Culture

  • 'Elder Power' became a bestseller and was nominated as a new popular phrase in 1998, permeating general culture
  • The concept of 'Tomason' became a recognized term in urban observation

Quotes

  • The moment of death is when you think, 'Ah, so that was it.'
    Source: Interview / essay (source: cited in Wikipedia article) (2014)

Trivia

  • Popularized the concept of 'Tomason'
  • Known as an ardent fan of the Yomiuri Giants baseball team
  • Had a 'Nira House' (roof with leeks) designed by architect Fujimori Terunobu
  • Wrote final essays while ill; his last pieces were reprinted in memorial issues