Kikuchi Kan Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 20 (1966) award
Yojiro Ishizaka
いしざか ようじろう
Ishizaka Yojiro
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1900-01-15 （Daikancho, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan）
- Died
- 1986-10-07 （Ito, Shizuoka, Japan） age 86
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan (birthplace) → Yokote, Akita, Japan (worked as teacher) → Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan (villa, summer residence) → Denenchōfu, Tokyo, Japan (former residence) → Ito, Shizuoka, Japan (final residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Writer, Teacher, Essayist
- Active Years
- 1927-1977
- Influenced By
- Zenzō Kasai
- Influenced
- Kōji Ishizaka (actor; stage name derived from Ishizaka's pen-name surname)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hirosaki Shōyō Elementary School | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| Aomori Prefectural Hirosaki Middle School (now Hirosaki High School) | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| Keio University | Faculty of Letters | Department of Japanese Literature | — | — | Japan |
Hirosaki Shōyō Elementary School
Country:
Japan
Aomori Prefectural Hirosaki Middle School (now Hirosaki High School)
Country:
Japan
Attended predecessor middle school before entering Keio
Keio University
Faculty of Letters
/ Department of Japanese Literature
Country:
Japan
Final academic qualification: Graduated from Keio University, Faculty of Letters, Department of Japanese Literature
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | Mita Bungaku Award | Young People (Wakai Hito) | — | Mita Bungaku (literary magazine) | Winner |
| 1966 | Kikuchi Kan Prize | Literary achievement | — | Kikuchi Kan Prize Committee | Winner |
Mita Bungaku Award
1936
Work:
Young People (Wakai Hito)
Organization:
Mita Bungaku (literary magazine)
Result:
Winner
Kikuchi Kan Prize
1966
Work:
Literary achievement
Organization:
Kikuchi Kan Prize Committee
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Young People (Wakai Hito)
1933 Novel (serial/long-form)A serial work that introduced Ishizaka to the literary world, depicting the lives and inner struggles of young people in provincial Japan; focuses on youth, conflict and coming-of-age.
youthcoming-of-agerural societyeducation
Wheat Does Not Die
1936 NovelPublished in 1936, this work examines family and life, portraying human resilience and vulnerability.
familylifecommunity
Aoi Sanmyaku (Blue Mountain Range)
1947 Coming-of-age / Youth novelSerialized in the Asahi Shimbun and famously adapted into a hit film, this representative postwar novel depicts youth, love and friendship against the backdrop of Japan's recovery.
youthromancefriendshippostwar reconstruction
Adaptations
- [Film] Aoi Sanmyaku
The Sunny Slope
1956 NovelPublished in 1956–57, this novel explores human relationships and the subtleties of family life.
familyeveryday lifehuman relationships
He and I
1961 NovelPublished in 1961; focuses on interpersonal relations, exploring personal psychology and bonds.
relationshipspsychologyfamily
The Shining Sea
1963 NovelPublished in 1963; a human drama set against the sea and natural surroundings.
naturehuman dramanostalgia
Bibliography
- Short Stories by Yojiro Ishizaka
- Goldfish
- Wheat Does Not Die
- Young People
- Weed Garden
- Aoi Sanmyaku (Blue Mountain Range)
- Chorus at Dawn
- The Chronicle of Mr. Ishinaka
- A Woman's Face
- Beyond the Mountains
- He and I
- The Shining Sea
- Notes of Old Age
- Smoke of Mayon
Adaptations
- Many works adapted into films and TV dramas
- Aoi Sanmyaku (film adaptation sparked a nationwide boom)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- clear, accessible prosepopular, approachable narrative voice
- Recurring Motifs
- youth and coming-of-agefamily and everyday lifeprovincial communitiespostwar reconstruction
Health
-
dementia1978-1986Symptoms began around 1978; wandering and inability to recognize relatives developed, and regular writing activity was greatly reduced.
-
cardiomegaly and hypertension (related to obesity)1970s-1986Obesity-related heart disease and hypertension worsened; in 1982 physicians gave a limited prognosis and his overall health declined.
Legacy
A widely popular postwar author of youth fiction and serialized newspaper novels, whose many adaptations earned him the epithet "writer of a million readers." While beloved by the public, critical assessment has at times been mixed due to his popular appeal.
Museums
- Yojiro Ishizaka Literature Museum Yokote, Akita, Japan Opened in 1988
Archives
- Yojiro Ishizaka Literature Museum (archives/collections)
- Holdings in the National Diet Library and other national collections
In Popular Culture
- Cultural boom following the film adaptation of Aoi Sanmyaku
- Actor Kōji Ishizaka's stage name was taken from Ishizaka's surname
Quotes
-
I have been awarded this prize because my works are said to be wholesome and sensible, but just as a beautiful rose's roots may hide in dark, damp soil, the foundation of my works may lie in unexpected gloom. No flower thrives in clean, dry, sandy soil.
Source: Remarks at the Kikuchi Kan Prize award party (1966)
Trivia
- Official register lists his birth as July 25, but his actual birthdate is considered to be January 15 (see notes).
- Buried at Tama Cemetery (Tama Reien), plot 21-1-1-1.
- Aoi Sanmyaku was serialized in the Asahi Shimbun and its film adaptation brought nationwide popularity.
- A literary monument on Yokote Castle site bears a passage from Young People.