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Eisuke Wakamatsu

わかまつ えいすけ

Wakamatsu Eisuke

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1968 （Itoigawa, Niigata, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Religion
Catholicism Baptized in 1968
Residence History
Itoigawa, Niigata, Japan → Tokyo, Japan

Career

Occupations
critic, literary critic, essayist, poet, university professor
Active Years
1990-
Affiliations
Professor, Institute of Liberal Arts, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Reading Panel, Yomiuri Shimbun, Former executive roles at Pigeon and Quality of Life Co., Ltd., Former editor-in-chief, Mita Bungaku
Influenced By
Kobayashi Hideo, Toshihiko Izutsu, Atsuko Suga, Shūsaku Endō, Michiko Ishimure

Education

Keio University
Faculty of Letters / Department of French Literature
Degree: 学士
Period: 1986–1991
Year of Graduation: 1991
Country: Japan

Awards

Mita Bungaku Newcomer Award
2007
Work: Ochi Yasuo and His Era: Literature in Search of Truth
Category: 評論部門
Organization: Mita Bungaku (Mita Literature)
Result: winner
Nishiwaki Junzaburo Academic Prize
2016
Work: The Poetics of Wisdom: Kobayashi Hideo and Toshihiko Izutsu
Organization: Nishiwaki Junzaburo Academic Prize
Result: winner
Poetry and Literature Museum Prize
2018
Work: Invisible Tears
Organization: Museum of Modern Poetry
Result: winner
Kadokawa Cultural Foundation Arts Award
2018
Work: Kobayashi Hideo: Beautiful Flowers
Organization: Kadokawa Cultural Promotion Foundation
Result: winner
Rennyo Prize
2019
Work: Kobayashi Hideo: Beautiful Flowers
Organization: Rennyo Prize Selection Committee
Result: winner
Gakudō Book of the Year 2021
2022
Work: Politics of Life
Organization: Yukio Ozaki Memorial Foundation
Result: selected

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Invisible Tears

2017 Poetry collection

A collection of poems exploring loss, prayer, and faith.

lossprayerfaithlove

The Poetics of Wisdom: Kobayashi Hideo and Toshihiko Izutsu

2015 Critical study

A comparative study of Kobayashi Hideo and Toshihiko Izutsu that develops a poetics of wisdom.

exploration of wisdomcomparative literaturephilosophy

Kobayashi Hideo: Beautiful Flowers

2017 Biographical criticism

A biographical-critical exploration of critic Kobayashi Hideo's work and aesthetics.

criticismaestheticsbiography

The Life of Jesus

2015 Religious biography

A modern re-examination of the life of Jesus and its significance.

religionbiographyfaith

Politics of Life

2021 Political thought (dialogue)

A dialogue discussing political and ethical issues surrounding life.

bioethicspoliticsdialogue

Beyond the Mist: Atsuko Suga

2020 Critical biography

A critical biography tracing the life and work of writer-translator Atsuko Suga.

translationauthor studymemory

Bibliography

  • Invisible Tears (Aki Shobo, 2017)
  • On Happiness (Aki Shobo, 2018)
  • Burning Droplets (Aki Shobo, 2019)
  • On Love (Aki Shobo, 2020)
  • Caring for the Soul (Aki Shobo, 2021)
  • Beautiful Times (Aki Shobo, 2022)
  • The Poetics of Wisdom: Kobayashi Hideo and Toshihiko Izutsu (Keio UP, 2015)
  • The Life of Jesus (Chūōkōron-shinsha, 2015)
  • Kobayashi Hideo: Beautiful Flowers (Bungeishunjū, 2017)
  • Kanzo Uchimura: Apostle of Sorrow (Iwanami Shinsho, 2018)
  • Politics of Life (Shueisha International, 2021)
  • The Secret Meanings of Life (Aki Shobo, 2022)
  • Indigo Gospel (Kodansha, 2023)
  • Soetsu Yanagi: The Religious Philosopher Who Lived Beauty (NHK Books, 2025)

Translations by Author

  • Medical Herb Safety Handbook (translation)
  • Mitchell May: The Man Who Fused 'Spirituality' and 'Business' (translation/edited)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
essays and criticism from religious and philosophical perspectivesplain yet poetic diction
Recurring Motifs
loss and healingfaith and prayerthe power of wordsreading and encounter

Legacy

Eisuke Wakamatsu is known for criticism, essays, and poetry that cross religion, philosophy, and literature. Through his critical works, poetry, and broadcasting texts he has broadly influenced contemporary Japanese readers.

In Popular Culture

  • Contributor and guest on NHK's '100 Minutes de Meicho' program (texts and lectures)
  • Contributor to NHK Radio 'Religion Time' texts
  • Active on X (formerly Twitter) as @yomutokaku

Trivia

  • Born in Itoigawa, Niigata Prefecture.
  • A Catholic who received infant baptism at 40 days old.
  • Has a background serving in executive roles at companies such as Pigeon.
  • Served as editor-in-chief of the literary magazine Mita Bungaku.
  • Has written texts for and frequently appeared on NHK educational programs.