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Koji Takazawa

たかざわ こうじ

Takazawa Koji

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1947-06-05 （Osaka Prefecture, Japan）
Died
2022-07-06 age 75
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
journalist, editor, freelance journalist, author
Active Years
2022
Influenced By
Tamiya Takamaro, Keiko Arimoto

Education

Kanto Gakuin University
Country: Japan

Awards

Kodansha Nonfiction Prize
1999
Work: Shukumei (Destiny) — The Secret Operations of the Yodogo Defectors
Organization: Kodansha
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Shukumei (Destiny): The Secret Operations of the Yodogo Defectors

1998 Non-fiction

An investigative non-fiction work documenting the Yodogo group's ties to North Korea and related abduction issues.

abductionsNorth KoreaNew Left movements

Photographic Report: The Real Faces of North Korea

1994 Reportage / Photo-report

A photo-reportage presenting images and commentary on life in North Korea.

photojournalismNorth Koreaon-the-ground reporting

Darkness of the Soldiers

1982 Non-fiction

Investigative reporting on issues surrounding soldiers and military life.

militarysocial issues

Okinawa: Time of Journey — To the Islands of the Southern Wind

1981 Travelogue

A travelogue exploring Okinawa's culture and landscapes.

Okinawaregional culturetravel

Youth in Haste

1984 Essays / Non-fiction

A collection of essays reflecting on youthful experiences and the Zengakuto student movement.

student movementsmemoirpolitics

Bibliography

  • Okinawa: Time of Journey — To the Islands of the Southern Wind (1981)
  • Darkness of the Soldiers (1982)
  • Youth in Haste (1984)
  • Journey to the Ryukyu Archipelago (1987)
  • Cambodia Now: The Land of Civil War and the Khmer Rouge (1993)
  • Tokyo, Beijing, Pyongyang: Reflecting on Zengakuto Experiences (1994)
  • Photographic Report: The Real Faces of North Korea (1994)
  • Farewell 'Yodogo'! 25 Years of Its Trajectory (1996)
  • The New Left as History (1996)
  • Shukumei (Destiny): The Secret Operations of the Yodogo Defectors (1998)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
reportage-style, investigative prosephoto-and-text combined reportagecalm, testimony-focused narration
Recurring Motifs
North KoreaabductionsNew Left and student movementsregional reporting (Okinawa, Cambodia, etc.)

Health

  • aspiration pneumonia
    2022
    Died in 2022 due to aspiration pneumonia.

Legacy

Left a body of investigative reportage on North Korea, the New Left, and regional issues; donated his collection to the University of Hawaii, now open as the Takazawa Library.

Museums

  • Takazawa Library (University of Hawaii at Manoa) Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Archives

  • Takazawa Library (held at University of Hawaii at Manoa)

Trivia

  • Donated his personal collection to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, now available as the Takazawa Library.
  • Participated in the Zengakuto (student protest) movement during his university years.