Art Encouragement Prize for Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
1 appearances
-
Edition 23 (1973) award
Genyo Takahashi
たかはし げんよう
Takahashi Gen'yō
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1929-03-24 （Matsue, Shimane, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Matsue, Shimane, Japan → Hiroshima, Japan → Pyongyang (then in Korea) → Busan (then in Korea) → Sinuiju (then in Korea) → Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan → Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- screenwriter, playwright, broadcast writer, novelist, essayist, lyricist
- Active Years
- 1954-
- Affiliations
- New Japan Broadcasting (now Mainichi Broadcasting System), Nihon Educational Television (now TV Asahi), Gekidan Shinpa (Shinpa Theatre Company), Japan Theatre Association (served as office secretary)
- Influenced By
- Hojo Shuji, His cousin, who inspired his interest in literature
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onomichi Junior College | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| Waseda University | Faculty of Letters I | Department of Japanese Literature | — | — | Japan |
Onomichi Junior College
Country:
Japan
Attended Onomichi Junior College before entering Waseda University.
Waseda University
Faculty of Letters I
/ Department of Japanese Literature
Year of Graduation:
1954
Country:
Japan
Graduated from Waseda University, Department of Japanese Literature in 1954.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Arts Festival Encouragement Award | Kizuato (Scars) | — | Agency for Cultural Affairs (Arts Festival) | 受賞 |
| 1962 | Arts Festival Encouragement Award | Shoki | — | Agency for Cultural Affairs (Arts Festival) | 受賞 |
| 1964 | Kubota Mantaro Prize | Inochi Aru Hi wo (Life's Days) | — | — | 受賞 |
| 1992 | Medal with Purple Ribbon | — | — | Japanese Government | 受章 |
| 1999 | Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays | — | — | Japanese Government | 受章 |
Arts Festival Encouragement Award
1960
Work:
Kizuato (Scars)
Organization:
Agency for Cultural Affairs (Arts Festival)
Result:
受賞
Arts Festival Encouragement Award
1962
Work:
Shoki
Organization:
Agency for Cultural Affairs (Arts Festival)
Result:
受賞
Kubota Mantaro Prize
1964
Work:
Inochi Aru Hi wo (Life's Days)
Result:
受賞
Medal with Purple Ribbon
1992
Organization:
Japanese Government
Result:
受章
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays
1999
Organization:
Japanese Government
Result:
受章
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Inochi Aru Hi wo (Life's Days)
1965 TV drama / novelA series known from the POLA Masterpiece Theater; a human drama about family and life.
familylife and deathhuman relationships
Adaptations
- [Book] Inochi Aru Hi wo: Ai no Sho (1965)
- [Book] Inochi Aru Hi wo: Akane no Sho / Moe no Sho (1966)
Hanketsu (Judgment)
1964 TV drama (courtroom drama)A hard-hitting courtroom drama that tackled social issues and justice; a popular serial on NET.
law and justicesocial issuesatomic bomb aftermathpollution
Adaptations
- [Publication] Hanketsu (publication related to the series) (1978)
Mayuko Hitori
1972 Asadora (NHK morning drama)An NHK morning drama series that achieved very high ratings; a family-centered story.
familyeveryday lifehuman sympathy
San'nan Sanjo Muko Ippiki
1976 Home dramaA long-running home drama depicting warm family relationships; broadcast on TBS.
familydaily lifehumor
Nonoura Hospital Story
1981 Medical drama / home dramaA drama set in a hospital exploring human relationships; a popular TBS production.
medical carehuman relationshipsworkplace
Toki no Haka (The Grave of the Toki)
1970 TV dramaA 1970 NHK broadcast exploring postwar life and regional circumstances to depict human experiences.
postwarlocal communityrecovery
Black Rain: My Niece's Marriage
1983 TV specialA TV special broadcast as part of Nippon TV's 24-hour charity program, dealing with the atomic bombing and family.
atomic bombfamilymemory
Bibliography
- Inochi Aru Hi wo: Ai no Sho
- Inochi Aru Hi wo: Akane no Sho
- Inochi Aru Hi wo: Moe no Sho
- Garasu no Nami
- The Woman Called Shitsu
- Practical Methods for TV Drama
- Three Sisters
- Summer Shadow
- San'nan Sanjo Muko Ippiki
- That Person Now...
- Eighth Block's Useless Dad! (editor)
- Holding Hands
- Watershed
- The Woman Who Saw the Wind
- Hanketsu (related publication)
- Winter of the Butterflies
- Looking at Flowers: A Biography of Kobayashi Wazaku
- The Woman Waiting for the Wind
- Artificial Tree Plantation
- Evening Glow Angel: The Mystery of the Sand Dune Murder
- Very Interesting
- Techniques of TV Drama
- Fireworks: Collected Works
- Good Living, Good Writing: Beautiful Writing Techniques
- How to Write with a Shining Sensibility: Good Living and Good Writing
- My Showa: People I Met
Adaptations
- Hanketsu (TV drama)
- Mayuko Hitori (NHK Asadora)
- Inochi Aru Hi wo (book adaptations)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- hard-edged, socially conscious realismwarm home-drama style depicting family and everyday lifenarrative constructions conscious of TV ratings and popular appeal
- Recurring Motifs
- atomic bombing and its aftermathpollution and social problemsfamily and recoverylocal towns and human sympathy
Legacy
Genyo Takahashi is a prominent postwar Japanese screenwriter and playwright who produced many hit works ranging from socially conscious dramas to warm home dramas. He achieved very high ratings for works such as NHK's Asadora and was nicknamed a "ratings magician." He received honors including the Medal with Purple Ribbon and the Order of the Rising Sun; a memorial room is maintained at Onomichi University's library, reflecting his local ties.
Museums
- Genyo Takahashi Memorial Room (Onomichi University Library) Onomichi University Library (Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan)
Academic Societies
- Japan Theatre Association
Archives
- Onomichi University Library — holdings of the Genyo Takahashi Memorial Room
In Popular Culture
- Often called a "ratings magician" for repeatedly achieving very high TV audience ratings.
Trivia
- His radio drama entry "Mother's Resume," which won a prize around his 1954 graduation from Waseda University, launched his career as a scriptwriter.
- In the 1960s he established a hard-edged social-dramatic style with works like "Hanketsu," and later produced many hit home dramas depicting families.
- The 1972 Asadora "Mayuko Hitori" reportedly recorded an episode rating as high as 55.2%.
- On August 6, 1945, he was doing labor service on the outskirts of Hiroshima and took part in rescue efforts in the city on the day of the atomic bombing.
- He was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1992 and the Order of the Rising Sun (small rays) in 1999.
- From around 1960 he lived in Tokorozawa, Saitama, and served as chair of the committee drafting the city's civic charter.
- His father worked at the Onomichi city office and acted as the location coordinator for the 1953 Onomichi shoot of Yasujiro Ozu's film "Tokyo Story."
- At his peak he is said to have written as many as 100 TV drama scripts in a single year, reflecting his prolific output.