Japanese Literary Awards

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Tamaki Saito

さいとう たまき

Saito Tamaki

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1961-09-24 （Kitakami, Iwate, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
psychiatrist, critic, university professor
Active Years
1986-
Affiliations
University of Tsukuba — Social Mental Health (School of Health and Nursing), Youth Health Center (advisory position), Open Dialogue Network Japan (co-representative)
Memberships
Japan Society for Pathography, Open Dialogue Network Japan
Influenced By
Lacan, Gregory Bateson

Education

University of Tsukuba
School of Medicine (undergraduate) / Department of Medicine
Degree: 医学士
Period: 1980-1986
Year of Graduation: 1986
Country: Japan
University of Tsukuba
Graduate School of Medical Sciences / Doctoral program (medical/psychiatric research)
Degree: 医学博士
Period: 1986-1990
Year of Graduation: 1990
Country: Japan
Supervised by Hiroshi Inamura

Awards

Kadokawa Foundation Gakugei Prize
2013
Work: If the World Were Saturday Night's Dream
Organization: Kadokawa Cultural Promotion Foundation
Result: winner
Kobayashi Hideo Prize
2020
Work: Should You Not Become Mentally Ill? Prescriptions for a Depressive Society (co-authored with Jun Yonaha)
Organization: Kobayashi Hideo Prize Committee
Result: winner
98th Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Readers' Award)
2025
Work: Film Gaze: Transference (Kinema Junpo column)
Organization: Kinema Junpo
Result: winner
Japan Society for Pathography Prize
Organization: Japan Society for Pathography
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Social Hikikomori: The Unending Adolescence

1998 psychiatry / social commentary

Analyzes hikikomori from psychiatric and social perspectives, discussing the difficulties faced by contemporary Japanese youth.

hikikomoriadolescencesocial psychopathology

Psychoanalysis of the Combat Cute Girl

2000 cultural criticism / psychoanalysis

Interprets representations of fighting 'cute girl' characters through psychoanalysis, examining subculture and subjectivity.

subculturecharacter theorypsychoanalysis

If the World Were Saturday Night's Dream: Yankees and Psychoanalysis

2012 social criticism / psychoanalysis

Links 'yankee' culture and popular aggression with psychoanalysis to examine modern Japanese social structures.

aggressionneed for recognitionsocial structure

Bibliography

  • Context Disease — Lacan/Bateson/Maturana (1998)
  • Social Hikikomori: The Unending Adolescence (1998)
  • Psychoanalysis of the Combat Cute Girl (2000)
  • The Disease Around Recognition (2013)
  • Open Dialogue and the Opening of Psychiatric Care (2019)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
analytic, psychoanalytic-informed argumentative stylepopular-cultural criticism referencing subculture and pop culture
Recurring Motifs
hikikomorirecognition-seekingcharacters and subjectivityissues of borderline identity

Legacy

Known for influential perspectives on adolescent psychopathology and subcultural criticism, bridging clinical practice and public intellectual commentary.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Society for Pathography

In Popular Culture

  • Mentions in subculture magazines and film criticism; influence on pop culture through dialogues with musician Susumu Hirasawa

Quotes

  • In the case of the new type called 'dysthymia-affinitive depression', one cannot perform public duties but may appear active and energetic in private.
    Source: Bungei Shunju (2008) (2008)

Trivia

  • Fan of P-MODEL and Susumu Hirasawa; has held a public dialogue with Hirasawa.
  • Criticized the 'game brain' thesis for basic scientific errors.
  • Active in promoting Open Dialogue approaches in Japan and served as co-representative of ODNJP.