Japanese Literary Awards

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Yumi Yamaguchi

やまぐち ゆみ

Yamaguchi Yumi

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1962-09-15 （Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
travel essayist, non-fiction writer, freelance journalist
Active Years
1994-
Affiliations
Japan–Papua New Guinea Association (member)

Education

Kanrei Shirayuri Gakuen (kindergarten–middle school)
Country: Japan
Attended kindergarten, elementary and middle school at this institution
Keio Girls Senior High School
Country: Japan
Completed high school at Keio Girls Senior High School
Keio University, Faculty of Law
Faculty of Law / Department of Law
Degree: Bachelor of Law
Country: Japan
Graduated from Keio University Faculty of Law

Awards

Shogakukan Nonfiction Award
2013
Work: Eugene Smith: The Photographer Who Dedicated 1100 Days to Minamata
Organization: Shogakukan
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Story of Hakone Fujiya Hotel

1994 travel / hotel history

An essayistic report tracing the history of the Hakone Fujiya Hotel and the culture cultivated there.

hotel historylocal historytourism culture

Eugene Smith: The Photographer Who Dedicated 1100 Days to Minamata

2013 non-fiction

A detailed nonfiction account of photographer Eugene Smith's days and work in Minamata.

photographypollutionhuman stories

Papua New Guinea: The Country Closest to the Stone Age

2014 travel / non-fiction

A travel essay focusing on the culture, nature, and daily life of the people of Papua New Guinea.

ethnic culturenature observationfieldwork

Hotels and the Japanese: Tracing Japan's Hotel History in 35 Stories

2008 history / essays

Explores Japan's hotel history through 35 short stories, examining the relationship between Japan and hotels.

hotel historysocial historycultural analysis

Bibliography

  • The Story of Hakone Fujiya Hotel
  • The Mystery of the Imperial Hotel's Wright Wing: The Genius Architect and the Japanese
  • Hakone Guide for Hakone People
  • Hotel Classics: Japan's Hotel History Woven in Thirty-five Stories
  • The World's Most Obsessive Travel
  • Treasure Chest Under the Equator: Traveling Papua New Guinea
  • The Reasons for Traveling
  • The Magic of Fiji (co-authored)
  • Hotels and the Japanese: Tracing Japan's Hotel History in 35 Stories
  • The Missing Guestbooks: Hotels Telling the Memories of War
  • From the Travel Window: Wild and Luxury
  • Glover House in Nagasaki: Two Generations
  • A Century of Dignity: How to Walk Classic Hotels
  • The Aman Legend: Founder Adrian Zecha and the Resort Revolution
  • Eugene Smith: The Photographer Who Dedicated 1100 Days to Minamata
  • Papua New Guinea: The Country Closest to the Stone Age

Style & Themes

Literary Style
reportage-style essays based on on-site observationnon-fiction style weaving historical facts with character portrayalaccessible, essayistic prose
Recurring Motifs
travelhotels and hospitalitylocal communities and traditionsthe Pacific / southern islandsphotography and memory

Legacy

A writer with a distinctive perspective in travel essays and hotel history, contributing to the uncovering of local culture and tourism history; also recognized for nonfiction on photography.

Trivia

  • Her father, Yuuji Yamaguchi, served as general manager of the Hakone Fujiya Hotel.
  • She descends from the family of Sennosuke Yamaguchi, founder of the Hakone Fujiya Hotel.
  • In 2013 she won the Shogakukan Nonfiction Award for 'Eugene Smith: The Photographer Who Dedicated 1100 Days to Minamata.'