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Koichi Yamano

やまの こういち

Yamano Koichi

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1939-11-27 （Minato-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan）
Died
2017-07-20 （Tokyo, Japan） age 77
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Horse racing critic, Screenwriter, Manga author, Critic
Active Years
1964-2017
Memberships
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan
Influenced
Shūji Terayama

Education

Kwansei Gakuin University
Faculty of Law
Period: 1959 - 1962 (中退)
Country: Japan
Entered but dropped out
Osaka Prefectural Sumiyoshi High School
Country: Japan

Awards

Japan SF Grand Prize (Achievement Award)
2017
Category: 功績賞
Organization: Japan SF Award Committee
Result: 受賞
JRA Horse Culture Award
1990
Work: The Birth of the Thoroughbred
Category: 馬事文化賞
Organization: Japan Racing Association (JRA)
Result: 受賞
NAR Grand Prix (Special Award)
2017
Category: 特別賞
Organization: NAR Grand Prix Selection Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Let's Take the X Train

1965 Science Fiction

Debut work. A collection centered on urban and machine themes. First appeared in a SF doujinshi and was widely reprinted, marking his literary debut.

urbanitymachinesexistential themes
Adaptations
  • [OVA] X Train (OVA) (1987)

Encyclopedia of Thoroughbred Pedigrees

1977 Horse racing / Pedigree analysis

A landmark reference on thoroughbred pedigrees. Extremely successful for a horse-racing title and became a foundational work in pedigree analysis.

pedigreehistory of racingevaluation systems

Flowers, Machines and Gestalt

1981 Novel (SF)

A New Wave–influenced novel blending avant-garde SF elements with character-driven storytelling.

New Waveidentitymachines

Bibliography

  • X Train (Shinshokan) 1965
  • Where Do the Birds Fly Now? (Hayakawa) 1971
  • Encyclopedia of Thoroughbred Pedigrees (Futami Shobo) 1977
  • The Birth of the Thoroughbred (Asahi Shimbun) 1990

Adaptations

  • X Train (OVA, 1987)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
New Wave–influenced avant-garde SFessayistic critical prose
Recurring Motifs
urban environmentsmachines/technologypedigree and lineage

Health

  • Esophageal cancer
    晩年 - 2017年
    Battled the disease in his final years and died in 2017. Creative activity was limited during his illness.

Legacy

Recognized both as a New Wave SF figure and as a leading authority on thoroughbred pedigrees. Posthumously honored with the Japan SF Grand Prize (Achievement Award), his contributions are celebrated across literature and horse-racing circles.

Academic Societies

  • Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan

Archives

  • National Diet Library (catalog of works)

In Popular Culture

  • Known for the OVA adaptation of 'X Train' and other media references
  • Widely known in horse-racing circles for his books and columns

Trivia

  • Student film 'Delta' was broadcast on television.
  • Was a part-owner (syndicate) of racehorses including Stay Gold.
  • 'Encyclopedia of Thoroughbred Pedigrees' sold exceptionally well for a racing book.