Japanese Literary Awards

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Koichi Yasuda

やすだ こういち

Yasuda Koichi

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1964-09-28 （Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Chiba Prefecture, Japan

Career

Occupations
freelance journalist, reporter, author, editor
Active Years
2001-
Affiliations
Editor, Rodo Joho (Labor Information) (former)
Influenced By
Shinichi Sano, Seiji Fujii, Kei Kamada

Education

—
Degree: 高等学校卒業
Country: Japan
States in his own book that he is a high school graduate

Awards

Japan Congress of Journalists Award (JCJ)
2012
Work: Net and Patriotism: Chasing the 'Darkness' of Zaitokukai
Organization: Japan Congress of Journalists
Result: 受賞
Kodansha Non-Fiction Award
2012
Work: Net and Patriotism: Chasing the 'Darkness' of Zaitokukai
Organization: Kodansha
Result: 受賞
Oyake Soichi Nonfiction Award (Magazine Category)
2015
Work: Report: Foreign 'Enslaved' Workers (G2 vol.17)
Category: 雑誌部門
Organization: Oyake Soichi Nonfiction Award
Result: 受賞
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award (Special Prize)
2024
Work: Earthquakes and Massacres 1923-2024
Category: 特別賞
Organization: Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd.
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Net and Patriotism: Chasing the 'Darkness' of Zaitokukai

2012 reportage / non-fiction

A reportage tracing the activities and realities of Net-Right groups such as Zaitokukai and documenting discriminatory discourse online and offline.

hate speechnet-right wing movementsdiscriminationcivic movements

Report: Foreign 'Enslaved' Workers

2014 reportage / investigative journalism

A series of reports documenting the working conditions and exploitation of foreign workers (including pieces published in G2).

foreign workerslabor issuesexploitation

Earthquakes and Massacres 1923-2024

2024 non-fiction / history

Investigates historic earthquake disasters and associated violence and massacres, re-examining the relationship between disasters and discrimination/violence.

historydisastersviolencehuman rights

Bibliography

  • Accusation! The Depths of Arrest Dramas: New Challenges in the Ready-Mix Concrete SMEs Movement (2005)
  • Report: Discrimination and Poverty of Foreign Workers (2010/2023)
  • Net and Patriotism: Chasing the 'Darkness' of Zaitokukai (2012)
  • Hate Speech: The Hatred and Violence of 'Patriots' (2015)
  • Earthquakes and Massacres 1923-2024 (2024)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
reportage-style, investigative reportingon-the-ground field reportingclear, accessible prose
Recurring Motifs
discrimination and exclusionworkplace realitiesinternet and public discourseanalysis of nationalism

Legacy

Recognized for in-depth reportage on net-right movements, hate speech, and foreign labor issues in contemporary Japan; recipient of multiple journalism awards and engaged with civic and labor movements.

Quotes

  • "The idea of 'special privileges for Zainichi' is now at the level of an urban legend."
    Source: Interview / quoted remark (2013)

Trivia

  • Active on X (formerly Twitter) as @yasudakoichi
  • Born in the hot-spring region of the Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka
  • States in his own book that he graduated from high school