Ekinaka Bookstore Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 15 (2024) grand prize
pha
ふぁ
pha
Pen Names:
pha（Pen name used for blog and publications）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1978-12-31 （Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Osaka City (birthplace) → Kyoto (lived in Kumano Dormitory) → Bangkok, Thailand (moved in 2006) → Tokyo (Machida, Minamimachida, Higashi-Nihonbashi, Toshimaen, Taito, Asakusabashi, Asagaya etc.) → Atami, Shizuoka (bought a cheap secondhand condo, later sold)
Career
- Occupations
- Blogger, Writer, Essayist, Drummer, Bookstore staff
- Active Years
- 2012-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyoto University, Faculty of Integrated Human Studies | Faculty of Integrated Human Studies | — | 学士 | 1997–2003 | Japan |
Kyoto University, Faculty of Integrated Human Studies
Faculty of Integrated Human Studies
Degree:
学士
Period:
1997–2003
Year of Graduation:
2003
Country:
Japan
Lived in Kumano Dormitory during university; briefly joined the tanka club
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 15th Ekinaka Bookstore Award | I Want to Go Somewhere, Anywhere | — | Ekinaka Bookstore Award Committee | 受賞 |
15th Ekinaka Bookstore Award
2024
Work:
I Want to Go Somewhere, Anywhere
Organization:
Ekinaka Bookstore Award Committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
How a NEET Walks: Using the Internet to Live Happily Without Money
2012 Essay / Non-fictionAn essay collection drawing on his experiences as a self-described NEET and using the internet to build a livable life on limited means.
NEET lifeInternet useMinimalismWays of living
The Theory of Happiness Without Possessions: Don't Want to Work, Don't Make a Family, Don't Be Bound by Money
2015 Essay / Non-fictionAn essay collection arguing for lives less bound by ownership and conventional employment, rethinking work and happiness.
Work stylesHappinessMinimal living
I Want to Go Somewhere, Anywhere
2020 Travel writing / EssayA travel-essay collection celebrating travel for its own sake, often describing enjoyment of stays at business hotels and movement itself.
TravelTime in transitMinimal living
Things of the Night
2020 Short story collectionA short story collection originally self-published in limited form and later revised for general release, containing pieces that explore night and interior life.
NightSolitudeFragments of daily life
After the Party Ends, Middle Age Begins
2024 EssayEssays reflecting on entering middle age, discussing changes in life phases and practical thoughts on living through them.
Middle ageLifestyleNew beginnings
Bibliography
- How a NEET Walks (2012)
- The Theory of Happiness Without Possessions (2015)
- The List of Things Not to Do (2016)
- I Like Time in Transit (e-book, 2017)
- Don't Stay Indoors / retitled I Want to Go Somewhere, Anywhere (2017 / 2020)
- Knowledge Organization for a More Spacious Life (2017)
- Practice of Not Trying Too Hard (2019)
- Things of the Night (2020)
- Reading That Forms Life's Foundation (2021)
- After the Party Ends, Middle Age Begins (2024)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Personal essay stylePlain, approachable proseFragmentary elements with tanka influences
- Recurring Motifs
- Share houses and communal livingExploration of NEET lifestyleJoy of travel and movementMinimal living
Legacy
An essayist who influenced contemporary ways of living in the internet age through practice of shared living spaces and blogging. After running share houses and blogging, he has moved into fiction and tanka in recent years.
Quotes
-
The atmosphere where people can drop by without a purpose is important for a place where people gather.
Source: Interviews (e.g. SUUMO Town) (2016)
Trivia
- Lived in Kyoto University's Kumano Dormitory.
- Once called himself "Japan's most famous NEET."
- Plays drums in the rock band "Elites."
- Works as staff at Koenji bookstore "Kani Books."