Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Yo Tsumoto

つもと よう

Tsumoto Yō

Pen Names: Torayoshi Tsumoto（Birth name）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1929-03-23 （Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan）
Died
2018-05-26 （Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan） age 89
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Religion
Jodo Shinshu (Pure Land Buddhism)
Residence History
Wakayama City, Wakayama, Japan → Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan

Career

Occupations
Novelist
Active Years
1966-2018
Affiliations
Honorary President and Advisor, History/Jidai Fiction Writers Club
Memberships
History/Jidai Fiction Writers Club

Education

Wakayama Prefectural Toin Middle School (prewar)
Country: Japan
Attended prewar middle school; later attended Osaka College (now Kinki University) before enrolling at Tohoku University.
Kinki University (formerly Osaka College)
Country: Japan
Attended the former Osaka College (now Kinki University) for a period.
Tohoku University
Faculty of Law
Degree: 学士（法学）
Period: 卒業 1951年
Year of Graduation: 1951
Country: Japan
Graduated from Tohoku University Faculty of Law in 1951.

Awards

Naoki Prize
1978
Work: 深重の海
Organization: Naoki Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Wakayama Prefecture Cultural Prize
1993
Organization: Wakayama Prefecture
Result: 受賞
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Award
1995
Work: 夢のまた夢
Organization: Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Medal with Purple Ribbon
1997
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 受章
Order of the Rising Sun (Gold and Silver Rays)
2003
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 受章
Kikuchi Kan Prize
2005
Organization: Kikuchi Kan Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
History/Jidai Fiction Writers Club Prize (Special Merit Award)
2012
Category: 特別功労賞
Organization: History/Jidai Fiction Writers Club
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

深重の海

1978 Historical novel

A historical novel set in Wakayama, based on extensive research; written in heavy, concise prose.

HometownSengoku periodHuman drama

下天は夢か

1989 Historical novel

A long novel centered on Oda Nobunaga, serialized in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and later a bestseller.

Oda NobunagaPowerReform

明治撃剣会

1982 Short story collection / Swordmaster fiction

A short story collection depicting swordsmanship exhibitions, drawing on the author's knowledge of martial arts.

SwordsmanshipMartial artsSword masters

柳生十兵衛七番勝負

2004 Historical novel

A work about the swordmaster Yagyu Jubei of the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, with detailed depictions of technique and lineage.

Sword mastersMartial schoolsBushido

雑賀六字の城

1984 Historical novel

A novel about the Saiga clan of Kii and their use of matchlock firearms; notable for detailed discussion of firearms tactics.

Matchlock firearmsLocal warrior clansTactics

弥陀の橋は 親鸞聖人伝

2002 Biographical novel / Religious history

A biographical work on Shinran Shonin, portraying the life and doctrines of Jodo Shinshu.

ReligionJodo ShinshuBiography

Bibliography

  • 深重の海 (1978)
  • 蟻の構図 (1979)
  • 恋の涯 (1979)
  • 土地相続人 (1979)
  • 南海綺譚 (1980)
  • 明治撃剣会 (1982)
  • 塚原卜伝十二番勝負 (1983)
  • 薩南示現流 (1983)
  • 雑賀六字の城 (1984)
  • 下天は夢か (1989)
  • 夢のまた夢 (1993)
  • 武田信玄 (1993)
  • 弥陀の橋は 親鸞聖人伝 (2002)
  • 八月の砲声 ノモンハンと辻政信 (2005)
  • Collected Historical Novels by Yo Tsumoto (1998, 28 vols)
  • 剣豪血風録 (2007)
  • 孤塁の名人 Aiki Master Sagawa Yukiyoshi (2008)
  • True Record of Sanada Yukimura's Siege of Osaka (2015)
  • Rebel's Spine: Life of Mutsu Munemitsu (2016)

Adaptations

  • G-Men '75 episode 273 adapted from the short story 'The Hour of the Demon' in 'Nankai Kitan'
  • Satsunan Shigen-ryu manga adaptation (by Tomi Shinzō)
  • Yagyu Hyogonosuke manga adaptation (by Tomi Shinzō)
  • Saiga Rokuji no Shiro manga adaptation (by Oono Junji)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Heavy, concise prose that avoids sentimentalityDocumentary, research-based approach using extensive historical sources
Recurring Motifs
Sword mastersWarlords of the Sengoku periodBushidoMatchlock firearmsAiki and martial arts

Health

  • Aspiration pneumonia
    2018年5月
    Died of aspiration pneumonia on May 26, 2018.

Legacy

Yo Tsumoto was a prominent author of historical fiction focusing on sword masters and Sengoku warlords, known for his heavy, concise prose and meticulous documentary research. He won the Naoki Prize, the Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Award and other honors, and incorporated deep knowledge of martial arts into his works. His career also included controversies over alleged plagiarism.

Academic Societies

  • History/Jidai Fiction Writers Club

In Popular Culture

  • G-Men '75 episode 273—TV drama adapted from the short story 'The Hour of the Demon' (from 'Nankai Kitan')

Quotes

  • His style is characterised by heavy, concise prose that avoids sentimentality.
    Source: Wikipedia: Yo Tsumoto

Trivia

  • He held a 3rd dan in kendo and a 5th dan in battodo, and his deep knowledge of martial arts is reflected in his works.
  • He faced multiple accusations of plagiarism; in 2005 his publisher apologized over passages in 'August's Cannon Fire'.
  • Major works include '深重の海', '下天は夢か', and '柳生十兵衛七番勝負'.