Subaru Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 7 (1983) award
Shogo Sato
さとう しょうご
Sato Shōgo
Pen Names:
Shogo Sato（Pen name used as author）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1955-08-25 （Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan → Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan (attended Hokkaido University)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Essayist, Writer
- Active Years
- 1983-
- Influenced By
- Kuninobu Noro
- Nominations
- Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize (nominated) - Kojin Kyōju (Private Tutor)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nagasaki Prefectural Sasebo Kita Junior & Senior High School | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| Hokkaido University | Faculty of Letters | Department of Japanese Literature | — | 中退 | Japan |
Nagasaki Prefectural Sasebo Kita Junior & Senior High School
Country:
Japan
Graduated high school and went on to attend Hokkaido University
Hokkaido University
Faculty of Letters
/ Department of Japanese Literature
Period:
中退
Country:
Japan
Dropped out during studies and began writing
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Subaru Literary Prize | Eien no 1/2 (Half of Eternity) | — | Shueisha (Subaru) | 受賞 |
| 2015 | Yamada Fūtarō Award | Hato no Gekitaihō (How to Repel Pigeons) | — | Yamada Fūtarō Award Committee | 受賞 |
| 2017 | Naoki Prize | The Phases of the Moon | — | Naoki Prize Selection Committee | 受賞 |
Subaru Literary Prize
1983
Work:
Eien no 1/2 (Half of Eternity)
Organization:
Shueisha (Subaru)
Result:
受賞
Yamada Fūtarō Award
2015
Work:
Hato no Gekitaihō (How to Repel Pigeons)
Organization:
Yamada Fūtarō Award Committee
Result:
受賞
Naoki Prize
2017
Work:
The Phases of the Moon
Organization:
Naoki Prize Selection Committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Yamamoto Shugoro Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 2 (1989) nominee
Yamada Futaro Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 6 (2015) award
Naoki Sanjugo Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 157 (2017) award
Works
Major Works
Eien no 1/2 (Half of Eternity)
1984 NovelDebut novel. A long-form work depicting youth, loss, and family relationships; motifs such as keirin (cycle racing) and local culture appear.
youthlossfamilykeirin (cycle racing)
Adaptations
- [Film] Eien no 1/2 / 根岸吉太郎 (1987)
Revolver
1985 Mystery / CrimeA crime-centered work that examines human frailty and desire.
crimerevengehuman psychology
Adaptations
- [Film] Revolver / 藤田敏八 (1988)
Private Tutor
1988 RomanceA long-form novel depicting relationships, ethics, and the vicissitudes of love.
loveethicsrelationships
Y
1998 RomanceOne of his bestsellers. Explores the subtleties of human relationships and love.
loveregretloneliness
Jump
2000 RomanceA story about young love and renewal; became a bestseller.
loverenewalyouth
Adaptations
- [Film] Jump / 竹下昌男 (2004)
Hato no Gekitaihō (How to Repel Pigeons)
2014 Novel with elements of mysteryA novel with a distinctive structure addressing relationships, revenge, and past wounds. Winner of the Yamada Fūtarō Award.
revengeshadows of the pastrelationships
Adaptations
- [Film] Hato no Gekitaihō / タカハタ秀太 (2021)
The Phases of the Moon
2017 Romance / Contemporary literatureWinner of the Naoki Prize. A work that treats themes of love, guilt, and forgiveness.
loveguiltatonement
Adaptations
- [Film] The Phases of the Moon / 廣木隆一 (2022)
Bibliography
- Eien no 1/2
- The King's Marriage
- Revolver
- Because
- Counting Love
- The Virgin's Tale
- Private Tutor
- A Record of Dissipation
- All That There Is to Know About Her
- Handle With Care
- Y
- Jump
- 5
- Under Report
- Childhood Friends
- Life Stories
- Hato no Gekitaihō
- The Phases of the Moon
- A Child Is Born in Winter
Adaptations
- Eien no 1/2 (Film, 1987)
- Revolver (Film, 1988)
- Jump (Film, 2004)
- All That There Is to Know About Her (Film, 2012)
- Hato no Gekitaihō (Film, 2021)
- The Phases of the Moon (Film, 2022)
- Michiru the Bookseller: Life Stories (NHK drama, 2013)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- clear, restrained prosenarrative emphasizing psychological depiction
- Recurring Motifs
- lovelossinterior life of everyday peoplekeirin (cycle racing)
Legacy
Since his debut in 1983, he has been supported by a wide readership and is an important figure in contemporary Japanese literature with many screen adaptations. He has won major awards including the Naoki Prize and the Yamada Fūtarō Award, and is recognized for works that explore love and human psychology.
Archives
- National Diet Library (NDL): author identifier available
In Popular Culture
- Numerous film and TV adaptations (Eien no 1/2, Revolver, Jump, Hato no Gekitaihō, The Phases of the Moon, etc.)
Quotes
-
The pen name 'Shogo' was inspired by the noon siren of the local fire station in Sasebo — he developed the habit of starting to write at noon.
Source: Shogo Sato official profile / interview (archived) (2012)
Trivia
- He has long enjoyed keirin (cycle racing) as a hobby, and several works use keirin as a subject.
- The pen name 'Shogo' originates from the noon siren of the local fire station.
- Attended Hokkaido University (Faculty of Letters, Department of Japanese Literature) but dropped out before debuting as a writer.
- Made his debut with Eien no 1/2, which won the Subaru Literary Prize in 1983.
- Won the 157th Naoki Prize in 2017 for The Phases of the Moon.