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Gōzō Yoshimasu

よします ごうぞう

Yoshimasu Gōzō

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1939-02-22 （Asagaya, Tokyo (formerly Tokyo-fu)）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Asagaya, Tokyo (birthplace) → Fussa, Tokyo (raised) → Tokyo

Career

Occupations
poet, photographic artist, performance reader, visiting university professor
Active Years
1964-2025
Affiliations
Josai International University (Visiting Professor), Waseda University (lecturer), University of São Paulo (Visiting Professor)
Memberships
Member of the Japan Art Academy
Influenced By
Takaaki Yoshimoto
Influenced
Kiwao Nomura, Masayuki Kishida, Hideo Furukawa, Takaki Horikomi (Kirinji), Mariko Asabuki

Education

Keio University
Faculty of Letters / Department of Japanese Literature
Period: 1957-1963
Year of Graduation: 1963
Country: Japan
Graduation thesis on Matsuo Bashō

Awards

Takami Jun Award
1970
Work: Kogane Shihen (Golden Poems)
Result: winner
Fujimura Memorial Rekitei Prize
1979
Work: A Thousand Steps (Netsufū)
Result: winner
Gendai Shi Hanatsubaki Prize
1984
Work: Osiris, Ishi no Kami
Result: winner
Shiika Bunka-kan Prize
1990
Work: Rasenka (Spiral Song)
Organization: Shiika Bunka-kan
Result: winner
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Art Encouragement Prize
1998
Work: ‘Island of Snow’ or ‘Emily's Ghost’
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan)
Result: winner
Purple Ribbon Medal
2003
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: recipient
Mainichi Art Award
2009
Work: Omote-gami (Cover)
Organization: The Mainichi Newspapers
Result: winner
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays
2013
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: recipient
Person of Cultural Merit
2013
Organization: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan)
Result: honoree
Japan Art Academy Prize and Imperial Award
2015
Organization: Japan Art Academy
Result: winner
Japan Media Arts Festival (exhibition)
2017
Work: Yoshimasu Gōzō Exhibition: 'Fire Embroidery - Beyond Ishikari Sheets'
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan)
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Departure

1964 poetry collection

Early collection including poems composed while a student at Keio.

departuresearch for selflinguistic experimentation

Kogane Shihen (Golden Poems)

1970 poetry collection

One of his acclaimed major works, showing the early fast-paced style with repeated exclamation marks.

passionexperimental poetryphysicality

Osiris, Ishi no Kami

1984 poetry collection

A key mid-period work that pursues polyphonic structures in poetry.

mythmemorypolyphony

Rasenka (Spiral Song)

1990 poetry collection

A representative later work featuring layered rhythms and complex structures.

circulationtimepoetry of voice

Omote-gami (Cover)

2008 poetry collection

A major late-career collection; it received the Mainichi Art Award.

paper and expressionlayers of memory

Kaibutsu-kun (Monster)

2016 poetry collection

A recent collection composed of distinctive voice and imagery, resembling a long-form poem.

monstrositythe bodynarration

The Other Voice

2002 poetry collection

A collection presented with an English title, reflecting translation and international presentation.

other voicetranslatability

Bibliography

  • Departure (1964)
  • Kogane Shihen (1970)
  • Tower of the Mind (1971)
  • Kingdom (1973)
  • A Thousand Steps (1979)
  • Osiris, Ishi no Kami (1984)
  • Rasenka (1990)
  • ‘Island of Snow’ or ‘Emily's Ghost’ (1998)
  • Omote-gami (2008)
  • Kaibutsu-kun (2016)

Adaptations

  • Maboroshi o Miru Hito (Documentary film, 2018)
  • Ajisai Narai (1985, appearance)

Translations of Works

  • The Other Voice (English edition/title, 2002)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
polyphonic structuresfrequent use of punctuation and leadersexperimental manipulation of languagevoice-centered poetry intended for reading
Recurring Motifs
memorynature/landscapethe bodymythic imagery

Legacy

Regarded as one of Japan's leading avant-garde poets of the postwar era, he influenced subsequent poets through interdisciplinary practice — readings, photography, and objects — and maintained an active international presence through readings and exhibitions.

Museums

  • The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (exhibition 'Seinoma', 2016) Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan Opened in 2016
  • Hokkaido Museum of Literature (Yoshimasu-related exhibition, 2008) Hokkaido, Japan Opened in 2008

Academic Societies

  • Mita Bungaku (literary organization; involvement)

Archives

  • National Diet Library (holdings)

In Popular Culture

  • Readings and performances at international festivals drew popular attention
  • Collaborative object exhibitions with artists such as Isamu Wakabayashi

Quotes

  • There are three poets in Japan who can be called professional: Tamura Ryūichi, Tanikawa Shuntaro, and Gōzō Yoshimasu.
    Source: Takaaki Yoshimoto (Toshoshinbun, 1997) (1997)

Trivia

  • His wife is the Brazilian-born singer Marília.
  • Known as a pioneer of poetry reading performances.