Japanese Literary Awards

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Taku Hasegawa

はせがわ たく

Hasegawa Taku

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1949 （Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan）
Died
2020-11-04 age 71
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Novelist
Active Years
1980-2020

Education

Waseda University Graduate School
Department of Theatre Studies
Degree: 修士
Country: Japan
Completed graduate studies in theatre

Awards

Gunzo New Writers' Award
1980
Work: Day and Night
Organization: Gunzo (literary magazine)
Result: Winner
Kadokawa Haruki Novel Prize
2000
Work: Blood Route: Nanryo Nanatsuya Chronicle
Organization: Kadokawa Haruki Office
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Day and Night

1980 Historical fiction (jidaigeki)

Award-winning work that presents human drama set against historical backdrops; a short/medium-length piece typical of his early style.

justicehuman relationshipshistorical setting

The Man Who Attracted Fortune: A Novel of Tokugawa Yoshimune

1994 Historical fiction

A historical novel centered on Tokugawa Yoshimune; blends factual background with character-driven storytelling.

leadershippowerhuman nature

Blood Route: Nanryo Nanatsuya Chronicle

2001 Historical fiction

Prize-winning novel portraying bloodshed, intrigue, and clan conflicts in a historical setting.

revengefamily and clanpolitical intrigue

Gakujin (series)

2004 Historical fiction (series)

A long-running series centered on the Gakujin saga; features Edo-period adventure and swordplay.

bushidoadventureloyalty

Yagyū Seven-Star Sword

2003 Historical fiction

A historical novel focusing on Yagyū swordsmanship and family sagas, told in a jidaigeki style.

swordsmanshipfamily successionhonor

Modoribune Doshin

2007 Historical fiction

A detective-style jidaigeki work, part of a series depicting magistrates and police officers in Edo.

crime and investigationhuman compassionEdo life

Bibliography

  • The Man Who Attracted Fortune: A Novel of Tokugawa Yoshimune
  • Blood Route: Nanryo Nanatsuya Chronicle
  • The Field of Death: Nanryo Nanatsuya Chronicle
  • Yagyū Seven-Star Sword
  • Yagyū Twin-Dragon Sword
  • Yagyū Mysterious Sword
  • Gakujin: Shinpu (3 volumes)
  • Reverse Crossing (Gakujin Tales)
  • Gakujin, Vol.1 (Silver Crossing)
  • Gakujin, Vol.2 (Gold at the Lake Bottom)
  • Gakujinden: Musaka
  • Gakujinden: The Lone Monkey
  • Gakujinden: Demon's Wail
  • Gakujinden: Blood Route
  • Gakujinden: The Field of Death
  • Gakujinden: Wind Flowers
  • Ready to Die: The Novel of Captain Usubuchi
  • Dance of the Wind Blade: North Magistrate's Detective Stories
  • The Black Tachi: North Magistrate's Detective Stories
  • Empty Boat: North Magistrate's Detective Stories
  • Poison Bug: North Magistrate's Detective Stories
  • Swallow in the Rain: North Magistrate's Detective Stories
  • Cold Crossroads: North Magistrate's Detective Stories
  • The Akayashiki Watch: North Magistrate's Detective Stories
  • Jisuke of the Bandits: North Magistrate's Detective Stories
  • Hyakumanako: Takatsumimi Patrol Constable Records
  • Inume: Takatsumimi Patrol Constable Records 2
  • Mememen: Takatsumimi Patrol Constable Records 3
  • Modoribune Doshin (Gakken M Bunko)
  • Evening Calm: Modoribune Doshin
  • Twilight Hour: Modoribune Doshin
  • Late Night Moon: Modoribune Doshin
  • Father and Son: New Modoribune Doshin 1
  • Snow at Koshiyabashi: New Modoribune Doshin 2
  • The Raingiver's Saoyoshi Detective Tales
  • Fox Forest: The Raingiver's Saoyoshi Detective Tales
  • Private Rain: Minezō Detective Seasonal Chronicles
  • Warrior Chronicles: The Battle of Komono Hansuke
  • Abe no Seimei and Onmyodo (co-authored)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Detailed historical research combined with entertainment-focused storytellingStrong depictions of swordplay and detective-style plots
Recurring Motifs
loyaltysamurai ethosfamily and clan conflict

Legacy

Taku Hasegawa wrote many series of jidaigeki novels, combining entertainment with historical authenticity. He won the Gunzo New Writers' Award and the Kadokawa Haruki Novel Prize, and left a recognized mark on late-20th and early-21st-century Japanese historical fiction.

Trivia

  • Completed graduate studies in theatre at Waseda University.
  • Won the 23rd Gunzo New Writers' Award in 1980 for 'Day and Night'.
  • Won the 2nd Kadokawa Haruki Novel Prize in 2000 for 'Blood Route: Nanryo Nanatsuya Chronicle'.
  • Authored many serialized works in the historical fiction genre.