Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Hitomi Yamaguchi

やまぐち ひとみ

Yamaguchi Hitomi

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1926-01-19 （Nyūarai, Ebara District, Tokyo Prefecture (now Ota, Tokyo, Japan)）
Died
1995-08-30 （Koganei, Tokyo, Japan (St. John's Sakura-machi Hospital hospice)） age 69
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Religion
Buddhism
Residence History
Nyūarai (now Ota, Tokyo) → Kawasaki (family residence for a period) → Kamakura → Kunitachi, Tokyo → Koganei, Tokyo

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Essayist, Columnist, Editor, Copywriter
Active Years
1961-1995
Affiliations
Kokudosha, Kawade Shobo Shinsha, Suntory, Shukan Shincho
Memberships
Shogi Pen Club
Influenced By
Hideo Yoshino, Yoshitaka Takahashi, Ken Kaikō
Influenced
Shizuka Ijuin, Kōki Mitani

Education

Kamakura Academia
Period: 1946 - early 1950s
Country: Japan
Published in literary dōjinshi while enrolled; studied under poet Hideo Yoshino.
Kokugakuin University
Faculty of Letters / Department of Literature
Degree: 学士
Period: 1950s - 1954
Year of Graduation: 1954
Country: Japan
Entered at the suggestion of mentor Yoshitaka Takahashi; graduated in 1954.

Awards

Naoki Prize
1963
Work: Mr. Ebunrimitsu's Elegant Life
Organization: Naoki Prize Selection Committee
Result: Winner
Kikuchi Kan Prize
1979
Work: Blood Relatives
Organization: Kikuchi Kan Prize Selection Committee
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Mr. Ebunrimitsu's Elegant Life

1963 Novel

A series of linked short-to-mid-length stories depicting everyday life with humor and wit. This is one of Yamaguchi's representative works and won the Naoki Prize; it sketches ordinary people's manners and relationships in a comedic, observational style.

FamilyHumorEveryday lifeEtiquette
Adaptations
  • [Film] Mr. Ebunrimitsu's Elegant Life (film adaptation)

Blood Relatives

1979 Novel

A family novel based on the author's parents' backgrounds. Set against the backdrop of brothels and hidden family histories, it examines kinship and generational ties. Winner of the Kikuchi Kan Prize.

Family secretsOriginsSocial history
Adaptations
  • [TV drama] Blood Relatives (NHK TV drama) / 深町幸男 (1980)

Male Self ("Danseishin") series

1965 Essay / Column

A long-running column serialized in Shukan Shincho from 1963 until the author's death (no absences; about 1,614 installments). It covers urban life, etiquette, favorite eateries, and human observation with a light, witty tone.

Observation of daily lifeEtiquetteUrban life

Bibliography

  • Mr. Ebunrimitsu's Elegant Life
  • Mr. Ebunrimitsu's Splendid Life
  • I'm Getting Married
  • Serious People
  • To New Employees!
  • Yamaguchi Hitomi: Ten Bloody Matches
  • Blood Relatives
  • Izakaya Chōji
  • Family
  • Male Self (various volumes)

Adaptations

  • Mr. Ebunrimitsu's Elegant Life (film adaptation)
  • Blood Relatives (NHK TV drama, 1980)

Translations of Works

  • Mr. Ebunrimitsu's Elegant Life — English rendering (example)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Light, wry humorObservational, human-centered narrationConcise prose suited to short stories and columns
Recurring Motifs
FamilyEtiquetteHorse racingShogi (Japanese chess)BaseballFavorite eateries

Health

  • Diabetes
    長年（克服の時期あり）
    He suffered from diabetes for many years and reportedly overcame it at one stage, but it was a chronic condition.
  • Lung cancer
    1995年（晩年、急速に悪化）
    Rapidly worsened shortly before his death; he passed away in a hospice.

Legacy

Hitomi Yamaguchi was a leading postwar Japanese writer of observational humor and essays. A Naoki Prize and Kikuchi Kan Prize winner, he was widely read for his long-running column "Male Self" and family-based novels. His writings on shogi, horse racing and baseball are also notable.

Academic Societies

  • Shogi Pen Club (participant / selection committee member)

Archives

  • Kamakura Museum of Literature (related materials)
  • Kokugakuin University (related holdings)

In Popular Culture

  • Mr. Ebunrimitsu's Elegant Life (film adaptation)
  • Blood Relatives (adapted as NHK TV drama, 1980)

Quotes

  • I believe the great good fortune of my life is that we lost the war and have Article 9 of the Constitution.
    Source: From his column/essays (Male Self and others) (2003)
  • Drink Torisu and go to Hawaii!
    Source: Advertising copy for Suntory (written while working as a copywriter)

Trivia

  • Known for the advertising copy "Drink Torisu and go to Hawaii!" created during his time at Suntory.
  • Serialized the column "Male Self" from 1963 until his death (about 1,614 installments) without missing an installment.
  • Developed and used the "Hitomi-style 6-file elevation" shogi strategy and played recorded matches against professional players.
  • After his death, the Japan Shogi Association awarded him an amateur 7-dan certificate.