Japanese Literary Awards

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Tsuka Kohei

つか こうへい

Tsuka Kohei

Aliases: 金原 峰雄 / 金 峰雄 (김봉웅)
Pen Names: Tsuka Kohei（Pen name used for playwriting, direction and other publications (written in hiragana)）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1948-04-24 （Kaho Town, Kaho District, Fukuoka Prefecture (now Kama City), Japan）
Died
2010-07-10 （Kamogawa, Chiba Prefecture (Kameda General Hospital), Japan） age 62
Nationality
South Korea
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Grew up in Chikuho, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan → Kita Ward, Tokyo (primary residence and activity base) → Kamogawa, Chiba Prefecture (hospitalization and death)

Career

Occupations
Playwright, Director, Novelist, Lyricist, Screenwriter
Active Years
1970-2010
Affiliations
Tsuka Kohei Office, ★☆ Kita Ward Tsuka Kohei Theatre Company, Oita City Tsuka Kohei Theatre Company
Influenced By
Tetsuya Chiba (manga artist), Traditional popular theatre directing methods, Oku Kohei (name origin influence)
Influenced
Shinobu Otake, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Hiroshi Abe, Numerous theatre companies and younger actors/screenwriters

Education

Keio University
Faculty of Letters / Department of Philosophy
Period: 入学～3年次中途退学
Country: Japan
Left in third year without completing degree

Awards

Kishida Kunio Drama Award
1974
Work: Atami Murder Case
Organization: Kishida Kunio Drama Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Golden Arrow Awards (Theatre)
1976
Work: Stripper Monogatari; Atami Murder Case (stage)
Category: 演劇賞
Organization: Golden Arrow Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Kinokuniya Theatre Award (Group Award)
1980
Work: Tsuka Kohei Office (Atami Murder Case; Itsumo Kokoro ni Taiyo o; The Kamata March)
Organization: Kinokuniya Theatre Award Committee
Result: 受賞（団体）
Naoki Prize
1982
Work: The Kamata March
Organization: Naoki Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Japan Academy Prize (Best Screenplay)
1983
Work: The Kamata March (film)
Category: 脚本賞
Organization: Japan Academy Prize Association
Result: 最優秀脚本賞
Yomiuri Literary Prize
1990
Work: Hiryu-den '90: The Autumn of Slaughter
Organization: Yomiuri Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Medal with Purple Ribbon
2007
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 受章
Order of the Rising Sun, Small Order (posthumous)
2010
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 追贈

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Atami Murder Case

1975 Play

One of his signature plays. A forceful drama staged with minimal sets and intense emotion; repeatedly revised in successive revivals to reflect contemporary issues.

ViolenceFamily relationshipsFiction vs. reality on stage
Adaptations
  • [Film (adaptation)] Atami Murder Case (film and other adaptations) / 高橋和男 (1986)
Translations

The Kamata March

1981 Novel / Play (depending on edition)

A work adapted into a hugely successful film; a human drama reflecting the theatrical world and culture surrounding troupe life.

Show businessHuman relationshipsDreams and setbacks
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Kamata March (film) / 深作欣二 (1982)
Translations

Hiryu-den (including related works)

1977 Play / Novel

A series of works addressing social themes; exists in multiple versions and revisions.

PoliticsViolenceIndividual vs. collective

Bakumatsu Junjoden

1988 Play / Screenplay

A play with historical elements drawing on figures and events of the Bakumatsu period.

HistoryJusticePersonal passion
Adaptations
  • [Film] Bakumatsu Junjoden (film) / 薬師寺光幸 (1991)

The Second Generation is Christian

1985 Play / Novel

A drama about family and faith; also adapted into film.

FaithFamilyIdentity
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Second Generation is Christian (film) / 井筒和幸 (1985)

Bibliography

  • Atami Murder Case (Shinchosha, 1975)
  • The Kamata March (Kadokawa, 1981)
  • Hiryu-den (Kadokawa Bunko, etc.)
  • Talking to My Daughter About the Homeland (Kobunsha, 1990)

Adaptations

  • The Kamata March (film adaptation, 1982)
  • Atami Murder Case (multiple stage revivals and film adaptations)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Colloquial, energetic dialogueStaging that emphasizes improvisation and continual revision during rehearsals
Recurring Motifs
FamilyViolence and revengeBoundary between stage and realityEntertainment and spectacle

Health

  • Lung cancer
    2009-2010
    Underwent chemotherapy and continued to guide productions; died in 2010.

Legacy

A playwright and director who profoundly influenced Japanese theatre from the 1970s onward. Known for provocative staging that engaged audiences and for numerous hit works, he influenced many actors and companies.

Museums

  • Tsuka Kohei Theatre Museum

Archives

  • Archives held by Tsuka Kohei Office

In Popular Culture

  • Frequent revivals and film adaptations of works such as Atami Murder Case; broad influence across TV and film.

Quotes

  • Theatre is like an F1 race. If you err by 0.01 seconds you die — it's a deadly serious contest.
    Source: Remarks in rehearsal/interviews (citation needed)

Trivia

  • Blood type: A.
  • Daughter Mika Aihara (Aihara Mika) is a former Takarazuka Revue Snow Troupe top musumeyaku.
  • At the end of 2009 he accepted his illness and left a final message dated 2010-01-01 to be disclosed after his death.