All Yomimono Newcomer Award
1 appearances
Shinji Takamori
たかもり しんじ
Takamori Shinji
Pen Names:
S. Takamori（Abbreviated pen name used for short fiction）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1976-04-12 （Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Fukuoka, Japan → Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan → London (short-term stay)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Writer, Visiting Lecturer
- Active Years
- 2000-
- Affiliations
- Visiting Lecturer, Faculty of Letters, Waseda University
- Memberships
- Japan PEN Club
- Influenced By
- Haruki Murakami, Kobo Abe, Hiromi Kawakami
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waseda University | Faculty of Letters | Department of Japanese Literature | 学士 | 1994-1998 | Japan |
Waseda University
Faculty of Letters
/ Department of Japanese Literature
Degree:
学士
Period:
1994-1998
Year of Graduation:
1998
Country:
Japan
Published short stories in doujinshi while attending.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Akutagawa Prize | Ark of the Night | — | Bungeishunju | Winner |
| 2008 | Noma Literary New Face Prize | Azure Spiral | — | Noma Cultural Foundation | Winner |
Akutagawa Prize
2010
Work:
Ark of the Night
Organization:
Bungeishunju
Result:
Winner
Noma Literary New Face Prize
2008
Work:
Azure Spiral
Organization:
Noma Cultural Foundation
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Azure Spiral
2008 Short story collection 240 pagesA debut collection of short stories that revolve around cities and memory. Poetic fragments follow people who brush against lost time.
memorycitysolitude
Translations
- Azure Spiral (English translation)
Ark of the Night
2010 Short story 48 pagesA nocturnal tale told from the perspective of a young man searching for his missing sister. Its blend of fantasy and reality earned it the Akutagawa Prize.
nightlosssearch
Adaptations
- [Film] Ark of the Night / 佐々木浩之 (2012)
Translations
- Ark of the Night (English translation by Jane Doe)
Memory of the Sea
2013 Novel 320 pagesA novel about family pasts and secrets tied to the sea. Traversing a wide temporal space, it depicts intergenerational conflict and reconciliation.
familyseamemory
Adaptations
- [TV drama] Memory of the Sea / 中村望 (2016)
Translations
- Memory of the Sea (English translation)
Bibliography
- Azure Spiral (short story collection, 2008)
- Ark of the Night (short story, 2010)
- Memory of the Sea (novel, 2013)
- Beyond the Window (novella collection, 2017)
- Holding the Light (essays, 2020)
Adaptations
- Ark of the Night (film, 2012)
- Memory of the Sea (TV drama, 2016)
Translations of Works
- Ark of the Night — English translation: Ark of the Night (trans. Jane Doe, 2014)
- Memory of the Sea — English translation: Memory of the Sea (trans. John Smith, 2018)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- introspective, poetic prosenarration rich in metaphor
- Recurring Motifs
- seanightmemoryloneliness
Legacy
Known in contemporary Japanese literature for introspective works revolving around memory and the sea. He has influenced younger writers and had several works adapted for screen.
Academic Societies
- Japan Association of Modern Literature
Archives
- Held in the Modern Literature Collections, Waseda University Library
In Popular Culture
- The film adaptation of 'Ark of the Night' broadened recognition among the general public
Quotes
-
"Memory is like a wave that laps the shore: touch it and it fades, then returns again."
Source: Ark of the Night (short story, 2010) (2010)
Trivia
- Traveled across Europe as a backpacker during university.
- Often writes in coffee shops.