Japanese Literary Awards

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Seiken Tamukai

たむかい せいけん

Tamukai Seiken

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1936-09-27 （Tokyo, Japan）
Died
2010-03-05 age 73
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Screenwriter, Assistant director, Film director
Active Years
1961-2010
Influenced By
, Keisuke Kinoshita
Influenced
Taichi Yamada

Education

Tokyo Metropolitan Fukagawa High School
Country: Japan
Meiji University
Faculty of Letters
Year of Graduation: 1961
Country: Japan

Awards

Arts Festival Grand Prize
1982
Work: Relax - Matsubara Katsumi's Everyday Life
Organization: Arts Festival (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
Result: Winner
Kuniko Mukoda Prize
1987
Work: Come to the Bridge
Organization: Tokyo News Service
Result: Winner
Medal with Purple Ribbon
2000
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: Awarded

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Don't Stop Me, Mom

1969 Film

A 1969 film written and directed by Tamukai. A family ensemble drama that showcased his directorial skills.

familyintergenerational relationships

Keme-ko's Song

1968 Film

A 1968 film for which he wrote the screenplay; one of his early screenwriting works.

youthfamily

Kumo no Juutan

1976 Asadora (morning drama)

An NHK morning drama broadcast in 1976 that became a hit; one of Tamukai's representative works after moving to television.

familypersonal growth

Relax - Matsubara Katsumi's Everyday Life

1982 TV drama

A 1982 TV drama portraying everyday life; it won the Arts Festival Grand Prize.

everyday lifecharacter study

Takeda Shingen

1988 Taiga drama

An NHK Taiga drama broadcast in 1988. It used the device of characters serving as narrators and became a major hit; its narration and distinctive dialogue were notable.

Sengoku periodpower and human nature

Come to the Bridge

1987 TV drama

A 1987 NHK drama noted for its detailed human portrayals; it won the Kuniko Mukoda Prize.

familyrelationships

Romance

1984 Asadora (morning drama)

A 1984 Asadora that gained attention for being the first morning drama to feature a young male lead.

film industryyouth

Nobunaga: KING OF ZIPANGU

1992 Taiga drama

A 1992 NHK Taiga drama focusing on Oda Nobunaga; a large-scale historical production.

Sengoku periodambition

Tokugawa Yoshinobu

1998 Taiga drama

A 1998 NHK Taiga drama depicting Tokugawa Yoshinobu and dramatizing the transition from the Bakumatsu to the Meiji era.

modernizationpolitics

Bibliography

  • Keme-ko's Song (1968) - Screenplay
  • Don't Stop Me, Mom (1969) - Screenplay & Director
  • Fuyu no Tabi (1970) - TV
  • Kumo no Juutan (1976) - Asadora
  • Relax - Matsubara Katsumi's Everyday Life (1982) - TV
  • Takeda Shingen (1988) - Taiga drama
  • Come to the Bridge (1987) - TV
  • Nobunaga: KING OF ZIPANGU (1992) - Taiga drama
  • Tokugawa Yoshinobu (1998) - Taiga drama
  • Hachiro - Mother's Poem, Father's Poem (2005) - TV

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Use of characters as narratorsConcise dialogue often omitting particles
Recurring Motifs
family and everyday liferecalling the film industryhuman portraits of historical figures

Health

  • Colorectal cancer
    2010年に死去するまで罹患
    He suffered from colorectal cancer and died in 2010.

Legacy

A screenwriter who left a distinctive mark on TV drama—introducing character narration in Taiga dramas and a unique dialogue style. He authored many hit Asadora and Taiga dramas and influenced subsequent screenwriters.

In Popular Culture

  • In 'Takeda Shingen' the closing line by Lady Oi—"今宵はここまでに致しとうござりまする"—became a popular catchphrase.

Quotes

  • Tonight we shall end here.
    Source: NHK Taiga drama 'Takeda Shingen' (1988)

Trivia

  • Wrote 'Romance' (1984), an Asadora notable for being the first to cast a young male lead.
  • Had unusual career background for a TV screenwriter, having worked as an assistant director at Shochiku Ofuna Studio.