Shosetsu Gendai Long-form Newcomer Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 5 (2010) encouragement award
Nagaharu Yoshikawa
よしかわ ながはる
Yoshikawa Nagaharu
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1968-06-10 （Tokyo, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Author, Former company employee
- Active Years
- 2010-
- Memberships
- Mystery Writers of Japan
- Nominations
- 2012: 'Gishi Sangokushi: My Spear is the Wing of Conquest' — Candidate for the 33rd Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award, 2013: 'Jigen no Maboroshi' — Candidate for the 19th Nakayama Yoshihide Literary Prize, 2015: 'Homare no Aka' — Candidate for the 36th Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award, 2015: 'Homare no Aka' — Candidate for the 4th Rekishi Jidai Sakka Club Award (Work Prize), 2017: 'Ura Sekigahara' — Candidate for the 23rd Nakayama Yoshihide Literary Prize
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yokohama National University | Faculty of Business Administration | — | — | — | Japan |
Yokohama National University
Faculty of Business Administration
Country:
Japan
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 5th Shosetsu Gendai Long-form Newcomer Prize (Encouragement Prize) | Gishi Sangokushi: Who Pulls My Thread | 奨励賞 | Shosetsu Gendai (magazine) | 受賞 |
| 2016 | Nomura Kodo Literary Award | Toki: Saitō Hajime | — | Nomura Kodo Literary Award | 受賞 |
| 2022 | 11th Japan Historical Novel Writers Association Award (Work Prize) | Taka ku Tobe: Kaisho Kii-no-kuniya Bunzaemon | 作品賞 | Japan Historical Novel Writers Association | 受賞 |
5th Shosetsu Gendai Long-form Newcomer Prize (Encouragement Prize)
2010
Work:
Gishi Sangokushi: Who Pulls My Thread
Category:
奨励賞
Organization:
Shosetsu Gendai (magazine)
Result:
受賞
Nomura Kodo Literary Award
2016
Work:
Toki: Saitō Hajime
Organization:
Nomura Kodo Literary Award
Result:
受賞
11th Japan Historical Novel Writers Association Award (Work Prize)
2022
Work:
Taka ku Tobe: Kaisho Kii-no-kuniya Bunzaemon
Category:
作品賞
Organization:
Japan Historical Novel Writers Association
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award
2 appearances
-
Edition 33 (2012) nominee
-
Edition 36 (2015) nominee
Nakayama Gishu Literary Award
2 appearances
-
Edition 19 (2013) nominee
-
Edition 23 (2017) nominee
Nomura Kodo Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 4 (2016) literary award
Works
Major Works
Gishi Sangokushi: Who Pulls My Thread
2011 Historical novelA long historical novel drawing on the Three Kingdoms motif, focusing on character portrayals and power struggles.
Three KingdomsPower strugglesHistorical characters
Gishi Sangokushi: My Spear is the Wing of Conquest
2011 Historical novelThe second work in the series, presenting an ensemble tale centered on arms and strategy.
WarStrategyAllies and rivalry
Gishi Sangokushi: What My Land Nurtures
2012 Historical novelA concluding volume of the series, depicting relationships between land and people and multigenerational stories.
LandClanSuccession
Jigen no Maboroshi (Phantom of Time)
2012 Period novelA period novel about historical mysteries and characters' fates. Retitled in paperback as 'Dokuganryu and the Lord of Aizu'.
FateMysteryHistorical character study
Yoshinaka: Herein Lies
2013 Historical novelA biographical historical novel focusing on Minamoto no Yoshinaka, portraying heroic elements and personal conflicts.
BiographyHeroismInner conflict
The Red of Honor
2014 Historical novelA long work centered on samurai honor and pride. It was a candidate for the Yoshikawa Eiji Newcomer Award.
HonorBushidoTrials
Toki: Saitō Hajime
2015 Historical novel / Biographical fictionA work centered on Saitō Hajime of the Shinsengumi. Its character portrayals and period depiction were praised; it won the Nomura Kodo Literary Award.
ShinsengumiLoyaltySamurai
The Foundation of Jibu
2016 Historical novelA historical novel on Ishida Mitsunari, weaving factual history and interior portraiture.
Ishida MitsunariPoliticsIntrigue
The Dragon's Right Eye: Biography of Date Narishige
2017 Biographical historical novelA biographical historical novel about Date Narishige, depicting human relationships and martial life.
BiographySengoku warlordsLoyalty
Sharaku and Okise
2019 Historical novelA story centered on Toshusai Sharaku, told from the perspectives of those connected to the artist.
ArtBiographical historyEdo period
Poisonous Fangs: Yoshiaki and Mitsuhide
2019 Historical novelA historical drama focusing on Ashikaga Yoshiaki and Akechi Mitsuhide, dealing with power and betrayal.
Power strugglesBetrayalSengoku period
Flowers in a Sorrowful Night
2020 Historical novelA shorter historical novel blending character interiority and period background.
MelancholyEveryday lifeHistory
The Old Samurai
2018 Historical novelThrough the figure of an aging samurai, it depicts societal change and the individual's way of life.
AgingSamuraiSocietal change
Dragon of Thundercloud: Roaring in Aizu
2021 Historical novelA long novel set in Aizu, portraying battles and human relationships.
AizuBattleRegional history
Zeni-zamurai
2021 Historical novelA period novel depicting human stories revolving around money and economy.
EconomyMerchantsHuman relationships
New Chronicle: The Creation of Japan
2021 Historical novelAn ambitious work depicting the formative periods of Japanese history on a grand scale.
CreationState formationHistorical epic
The Man Who Witnessed Turmoil: Yamana Toyokuni
2021 Biographical historical novelA biographical work about Yamana Toyokuni, portraying the life of a man who endured turbulent times.
Turbulent timesBiographySengoku period
The Reason of Hitokiri Izo
2024 Historical novelA work focused on Hitokiri Izo, exploring his life and underlying motives.
AssassinIdeologyLate-Edo period
Bibliography
- Gishi Sangokushi: Who Pulls My Thread (Kodansha, 2011)
- Gishi Sangokushi: My Spear is the Wing of Conquest (Kodansha, 2011)
- Gishi Sangokushi: What My Land Nurtures (Kodansha, 2012)
- Jigen no Maboroshi (Gentosha, 2012)
- Yoshinaka: Herein Lies (Kodansha, 2013)
- The Red of Honor (Kodansha, 2014)
- Toki: Saitō Hajime (NHK Publishing, 2015)
- Bake-fuda (Kodansha, 2015)
- The Foundation of Jibu (Kodansha, 2016)
- The Dragon's Right Eye: Biography of Date Narishige (Kadokawa Haruki Office, 2017)
- Sharaku and Okise (NHK Publishing, 2019)
- Poisonous Fangs: Yoshiaki and Mitsuhide (KADOKAWA, 2019)
- Flowers in a Sorrowful Night (Chuokoron-Shinsha, 2020)
- The Old Samurai (Kodansha, 2018)
- Dragon of Thundercloud: Roaring in Aizu (Kodansha, 2021)
- Zeni-zamurai (Asahi Shimbun Publications, 2021)
- New Chronicle: The Creation of Japan (Kodansha, 2021)
- The Man Who Witnessed Turmoil: Yamana Toyokuni (Kadokawa Haruki Office, 2021)
- The Reason of Hitokiri Izo (Chuokoron-Shinsha, 2024)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Rich, historically grounded narrativeFocus on interior psychological portrayal of charactersDetail-oriented, research-driven descriptions
- Recurring Motifs
- LoyaltyPower and ambitionBetrayal and revengeWar and its aftermath
Legacy
Since the 2010s he has established a presence in contemporary historical fiction centered on the Sengoku and late-Edo periods, earning recognition through multiple literary awards.
Academic Societies
- Japan Historical Novel Writers Association
- Mystery Writers of Japan
Archives
- NDL Authority ID: 01230158
- VIAF ID: 257993617
- Library of Congress Authorities ID: no2018172789
Trivia
- Born June 10, 1968 in Tokyo.
- Graduated from Yokohama National University, Faculty of Business Administration; worked as a company employee before debuting as a writer.
- Won the 5th Shosetsu Gendai Long-form Newcomer Prize (Encouragement Prize) in 2010 for 'Gishi Sangokushi: Who Pulls My Thread' and debuted the following year.
- Maintains an official website and an X (formerly Twitter) account (@nagaharu0610).