Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Shibukawa Gyo

しぶかわ ぎょう

Shibukawa Gyo

Aliases: 山崎武雄 / Yamazaki Takeo
Pen Names: Shibukawa Gyo（Pen name used as an author; real name Yamazaki Takeo.）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1905-03-01 （Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan）
Died
1993-01-24 age 87
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Fukuoka City (birthplace) → Tokyo (residence and base of activities)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Literary critic
Active Years
1930-1993
Nominations
7th Akutagawa Prize candidate (for 'Ryugenji', 1938)

Education

Tokyo Imperial University (now University of Tokyo)
Department of Ethics
Country: Japan
Graduated from the Department of Ethics.

Awards

Akutagawa Prize
1938
Work: Ryugenji
Result: nominated

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Ryugenji

1938 Short story collection

A collection of short stories dealing with human interiority and often evoking nostalgia.

psychological introspectionnostalgiahuman relationships

Asase

1939 Fiction

Published in 1939; includes short and mid-length fiction that foregrounds nature and human relationships.

nature depictioninterpersonal relations

Tarukiri Lake

1940 Fiction

A 1940 publication portraying life and psychology of the prewar period.

prewar lifepsychology

Yamasuzume Nichisuzume

1943 Fiction

Published in 1943; contains short pieces depicting human figures during wartime.

wartime humanitytension in daily life

Meiryu

1944 Fiction

Published in 1944; includes short works representative of the author's early style.

early stylepsychological introspection

Shibabue

1946 Short stories

A 1946 short story collection exploring human relationships against the backdrop of the postwar situation.

postwar Japanhuman relationships

Afterglow

1948 Fiction

Published in 1948; a set of works representing aspects of postwar literature.

postwar societymemory

Reminiscences of Uno Koji (editor, with others)

1963 Edited volume / reminiscences

An edited volume of reminiscences about Uno Koji, compiling memories from several writers.

reminiscenceliterary history

Mori Ogai — The Writer and His Works

1964 Literary criticism

A critical study of Mori Ogai, offering interpretations and evaluations of his works.

studies of literary masterstextual interpretation

On Uno Koji

1974 Literary research / criticism

A research-based critical study on Uno Koji, discussing the author and his works.

author studiesmodern Japanese literature

Departure

1982 Fiction

Published in 1982; contains short and mid-length works reflecting the author's late style.

late-career perspectivememory

Glass Picture

1984 Fiction

Published in 1984; includes image-centered short pieces.

visual imagerymemory

Silver Tracks

1987 Fiction

Published in 1987; possibly contains works themed on railways and travel.

travelpassage of time

Acanthus Flower

1990 Fiction

Published in 1990; a late-career collection.

late-career perspectivenature

Intertidal Zone (Volumes 1–4)

1992 Series of novels / linked long fiction

A four-part series published 1992–93, a linked work that uses the sea and intertidal zones as motifs.

seamemorynature and humanity

The Carrel of the Stacks

1997 Essays / criticism (posthumous collection)

Published posthumously in 1997; an edited selection of posthumous writings and reflections on libraries.

librariesbibliographyreminiscence

Bibliography

  • Ryugenji (Short story collection) - Takemura Shobo, 1938
  • Asase - Akatsuka Shobo, 1939
  • Tarukiri Lake - Shunyodo, 1940
  • Yamasuzume Nichisuzume - Yakumo Shobo, 1943
  • Meiryu - Hajime Shobo, 1944
  • Shibabue - Chikuma Shobo, 1946
  • Afterglow - Seikatsusha, 1948
  • Reminiscences of Uno Koji (editor, with others) - Chuo Koronsha, 1963
  • Shimazaki Toson - Chikuma Shobo, 1964
  • Mori Ogai: The Writer and His Works - Chikuma Library Series, 1964
  • Chairman Socrates - Chikuma Shobo, 1965
  • Kuronampu - Chikuma Shobo, 1966
  • On Uno Koji - Chuo Koronsha, 1974
  • Departure - Aotogi Shobo, 1982
  • Glass Picture - Aotogi Shobo, 1984
  • Silver Tracks - Aotogi Shobo, 1987
  • Acanthus Flower - Aotogi Shobo, 1990
  • Intertidal Zone (Vols. 1–4) - Aotogi Shobo, 1992–1993
  • The Carrel of the Stacks: Writers and Libraries - Seisaku Doinsha, 1997

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Lyrical, introspective proseNarrative centered on short fiction
Recurring Motifs
nostalgialonelinesssea / intertidal zones

Legacy

A novelist and critic active from the prewar through postwar periods. He contributed to Japanese literary studies through short fiction and criticism, was once a candidate for the Akutagawa Prize, and continued publishing into his later years.

Trivia

  • Real name: Yamazaki Takeo.
  • Candidate for the 7th Akutagawa Prize (for 'Ryugenji', 1938).
  • Graduated from the Department of Ethics at Tokyo Imperial University.
  • Also active as a literary critic after World War II.
  • Posthumous collections were published, including a 1997 volume.