Yamamoto Shugoro Award
2 appearances
-
Edition 8 (1995) nominee
-
Edition 12 (1999) award
Kiyoshi Shigematsu
しげまつ きよし
Shigematsu Kiyoshi
Pen Names:
Akira Tamura（Pen name used early in career for novelizations and ghostwriting）,
Koshirou Okada（Another ghostwriting pen name）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1963-03-06 （Kume Town, Kume District, Okayama Prefecture (now Tsuyama), Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Kume Town (now Tsuyama), Okayama Prefecture → Yamaguchi Prefecture (middle and high school years) → Tokyo (after moving to the city)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Freelance writer
- Active Years
- 1991-
- Affiliations
- Waseda University, School of Culture, Media and Society (Visiting/Fixed-term Professor, from 2017)
- Nominations
- Teinen Gojira (Naoki Prize nominee), Kakashi no Natsuyasumi (Naoki Prize nominee)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waseda University, Faculty of Education | Faculty of Education | Department of Japanese Language and Literature | — | — | Japan |
Waseda University, Faculty of Education
Faculty of Education
/ Department of Japanese Language and Literature
Country:
Japan
Enrollment/graduation year varies among sources; left unspecified here.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Tsubota Jōji Literature Prize | Knife | — | Organization(s) of the Tsubota Jōji Prize | Winner |
| 1999 | Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize | Age | — | Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize Selection Committee | Winner |
| 2001 | Naoki Prize (Naoki Sanjūgo Prize) | Vitamin F | — | Selection committee of the Naoki Prize | Winner |
| 2010 | Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Award | Jūjika (The Cross) | — | Yoshikawa Eiji Award Selection Committee | Winner |
| 2014 | Mainichi Publishing Culture Award | Zetsumetsu Shōnen (Extinction Boy) | — | Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd. | Winner |
Tsubota Jōji Literature Prize
1999
Work:
Knife
Organization:
Organization(s) of the Tsubota Jōji Prize
Result:
Winner
Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize
1999
Work:
Age
Organization:
Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize Selection Committee
Result:
Winner
Naoki Prize (Naoki Sanjūgo Prize)
2001
Work:
Vitamin F
Organization:
Selection committee of the Naoki Prize
Result:
Winner
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Award
2010
Work:
Jūjika (The Cross)
Organization:
Yoshikawa Eiji Award Selection Committee
Result:
Winner
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award
2014
Work:
Zetsumetsu Shōnen (Extinction Boy)
Organization:
Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd.
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Tsubota Joji Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 14 (1998) award
Naoki Sanjugo Award
1 appearances
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 44 (2010) award
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 68 (2014) award
Works
Major Works
Knife
1997 Novel / Youth fictionA novel exploring youth, violence and coming-of-age through intersecting characters; examines family and friendship conflicts.
Coming-of-ageFamilyBullying
Adaptations
- [Stage / TV adaptation (stories adapted)] Stories from Knife collection adapted (2022)
Vitamin F
2000 Short story collection / linked storiesA linked collection that highlights family issues hidden in everyday life, told from multiple perspectives.
FamilyEveryday lifeParent-child relationships
Adaptations
- [Television drama] Vitamin F (TV adaptation on NHK) (2002)
The Cross
2009 NovelA novel about family bonds, wounds and forgiveness; the past and present of characters intertwine.
FamilyForgivenessSin and atonement
Adaptations
- [Film] The Cross (film) / 五十嵐匠 (2016)
Tonbi
2008 Family novelA moving story of the bond between father and son, focusing on family memory and renewal across time.
Father-son relationshipMemoryRenewal
Adaptations
- [TV drama / Film] Tonbi (adapted for TV by NHK/TBS and later film adaptations) / 瀬々敬久 (2022)
Ryūsei Wagon (Shooting Star Wagon)
2002 Novel / with fantasy elementsFollows a middle-aged man confronting his life and past; explores family and choices with poignant depth.
Life choicesFamilyTime
Adaptations
- [Television drama] Ryūsei Wagon (TV adaptation on TBS) (2015)
Bibliography
- Before Run (debut)
- Knife
- Age
- Vitamin F
- The Cross
- Zetsumetsu Shōnen
- Tonbi
- Ryūsei Wagon
Adaptations
- Many works adapted to TV dramas, films and stage (e.g. Vitamin F, Tonbi, Kimi no Tomodachi, Ryūsei Wagon)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Clear, accessible proseRealistic depiction of everyday detailsSubtle depiction of emotional nuance
- Recurring Motifs
- FamilyGrowth (youth)Memory and lossContrast between rural upbringing and urban lifeCultural motifs such as baseball and music
Health
-
Stuttering少年時代Childhood stuttering influenced themes in later works
Legacy
Widely regarded in contemporary Japanese literature for novels about family and everyday life. Many works have been adapted to screen and stage and are read by wide generations.
In Popular Culture
- Significant popular influence through numerous TV and film adaptations
Trivia
- Worked as a ghostwriter using pen names such as Akira Tamura early in his career
- Avid fan of Eikichi Yazawa
- Wrote sub-scenarios for the Xbox 360 game Lost Odyssey
- Wrote lyrics for the NHK National School Music Contest middle-school piece 'Meguriai'