Japanese Literary Awards

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Noboru Tsujihara

つじはら のぼる

Tsujihara Noboru

Aliases: 村上 博
Pen Names: Noboru Tsujihara（Pen name used as a novelist. His real name is Murakami Hiroshi. The pen name was borrowed from Tsujihara Hiroichi, who was a political rival in his father's electoral district.）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1945-12-15 （Inami, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Inami, Wakayama Prefecture (birthplace) → Hodogaya Ward, Yokohama (residence)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, University Professor, Museum Director
Active Years
1985-
Affiliations
Tokai University (former professor), Kanagawa Museum of Modern Literature (Director / Chair), Japan Art Academy (member), Kansai University (visiting professor)
Memberships
Japan Art Academy
Influenced By
Marcel Proust, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki

Education

Bunka Gakuin
Faculty of Letters
Degree: 専門士
Country: Japan
Completed specialized course (senmonka)
Osaka Kyoiku University Affiliated High School, Tennoji Campus
Country: Japan
High school graduate

Awards

Akutagawa Prize
1990
Work: The Name of the Village
Organization: Bungei Shunjū
Result: 受賞
Yomiuri Literary Prize
1999
Work: Fly, Kirin
Organization: Yomiuri Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Tanizaki Jun'ichirō Prize
2000
Work: Yūdōtei Enboku
Result: 受賞
Kawabata Yasunari Literary Award
2005
Work: Blue Flame Among the Fallen Leaves
Result: 受賞
Osaragi Jiro Prize
2006
Work: Flowers Are Cherry Trees
Result: 受賞
Mainichi Art Award
2010
Work: The Unforgiven
Organization: Mainichi Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Arts Selection (Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award)
2011
Work: The Depths of Darkness
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs
Result: 受賞
Shiba Ryōtarō Prize
2012
Work: The Tartar Horse
Result: 受賞
Ito Sei Literary Award
2013
Work: Winter Journey
Result: 受賞
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award (Book Review Prize)
2013
Work: Hot Reading, Cold Reading (new edition)
Category: 書評賞
Organization: Mainichi Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Japan Art Academy Prize & Imperial Award
2016
Organization: Japan Art Academy
Result: 受賞
Medal with Purple Ribbon
2012
Category: 叙勲
Organization: Government of Japan (decoration)
Result: 受章
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays
2024
Category: 叙勲
Organization: Government of Japan (decoration)
Result: 受章

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Name of the Village

1990 Novella

A novella set in the interior of China that weaves in memories of the author's native Wakayama and motifs drawn from local prominent families; the protagonist's name echoes local surnames.

hometownmemoryChina / foreign lands

Fly, Kirin

1998 Novel

A novel with historical elements tracing characters' trajectories against the backdrop of postwar Japanese society.

historyfamilyrenewal

Yūdōtei Enboku

1999 Linked short stories

A collection of linked short stories sharing recurring characters and themes across the pieces.

human relationshipsmemorynuances of daily life

Blue Flame Among the Fallen Leaves

2005 Short story

A collection that includes stories portraying former professional baseball team players; contains tales revolving around baseball and hometowns.

baseballnostalgiahuman drama

Flowers Are Cherry Trees

2006 Novel

Winner of the Osaragi Jiro Prize; a novel that portrays family histories and stories spanning generations.

familygenerationshistory

The Unforgiven

2009 Novel

A novel addressing social darkness and atonement; recipient of the Mainichi Art Award.

atonementsocial issuesmorality

The Depths of Darkness

2010 Novel

A novel exploring inner darkness and human conflicts; awarded the Arts Selection (MEXT) prize.

interiorityconflictethics

Winter Journey

2013 Novel

A novel centered on journeys and reminiscence; winner of the Ito Sei Literary Award.

journeyrecollectionsolitude

Bibliography

  • Inu kakete (Debut; 1985)
  • The Name of the Village (1990)
  • Heart of Lily (1990)
  • Forest Book (1994)
  • Fly, Kirin (1998)
  • Yūdōtei Enboku (1999)
  • Fever (2001)
  • Yakusoku yo (2002)
  • Jasmine (2004)
  • Blue Flame Among the Fallen Leaves (2005)
  • Flowers Are Cherry Trees (2006)
  • Letter from a Dream (2006)
  • Enchō Theatre Story: The Ghostly Couple (2007)
  • The Unforgiven (2009)
  • The Depths of Darkness (2010)
  • The Tartar Horse (2011)
  • Winter Journey (2013)
  • Hunting on a Lonely Hill (2014)
  • Tree of Y (2015)
  • The Caged Parrot (2016)
  • Manji Domoe (2020)
  • Hidden Woman Koharu (2022)
  • Pitfall: The Youth of Mutsu Munemitsu (2024)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Detailed, descriptive proseUse of historical and regional settingsCharacter-driven psychological depiction
Recurring Motifs
hometown / nostalgiajourneysfamily karmabaseball (ties to regional history)

Legacy

Noboru Tsujihara is regarded as a significant postwar Japanese writer, having received the Akutagawa Prize and many other literary honors. He has contributed to literary education and regional literary preservation as a university professor and museum director.

Museums

  • Kanagawa Museum of Modern Literature Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Academic Societies

  • Japan Art Academy

Archives

  • Materials held by the Kanagawa Museum of Modern Literature (related holdings)

Trivia

  • His pen name 'Tsujihara Noboru' is borrowed from Tsujihara Hiroichi, a political rival in his father's electoral district; his real name is Murakami Hiroshi.
  • Debut work: the novella 'Inu kakete' (1985).
  • He worked for a trading company and a computer company before becoming a full-time writer; he left his company in 1992 to devote himself to writing.
  • He taught at Tokai University and later served as director/chair of the Kanagawa Museum of Modern Literature.