Mikiro Sasaki
Encyclopedia
Mikirō Sasaki , also Mikio Sasaki, (b. 20 October 1947) is a Japanese
poet
and travel author
, winner of the 2003 Yomiuri Prize
for travel essays. Sasaki won the award for his book Ajia kaidō kikō: umi wa toshi de aru (A Travel Journal of the Asian Seaboard, 2002). He has published more than a score of poetry collections and travel books. His Demented flute: selected poems, 1967-1986 was published in English in 1988. Sasaki now lives in a mountain lodge in Nara Prefecture
.
Sasaki was born in Minamikawachi District
, Osaka
, Japan
. He grew up in Fujiidera
, attending Fujiidera Elementary School, Osaka Municipal Hannan Junior High School, and Osaka Municipal Senior High School. He was enrolled at Doshisha University
in Kyoto
, majoring in philosophy
. While there he wrote for the college poetry magazine Moby Dick, and his first collection of poems was published in 1970 while he was still in college. However, he dropped out before completing his degree.
In 1976, Sasaki wrote a script for independent film
producer, Cinema NESANSU, about the friendship of the poet Chūya Nakahara and the critic Hideo Kobayashi
. It was called Honey Sleep and was directed by Wataru Hisashi Iwasa. Since then he has written a number of screenplay
s, including a 1990 script for NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)
television which won a special award at the Golden Prague International Television Festival (Mezinárodni Televizni Festival Zlatá Praha).
Sasaki has travelled widely. In 1984 he was a visiting poet at Michigan State University
and in Auckland
. In 1988, he travelled to Nepal, Tibet and Shanghai
. His travelogue
s and poetic style introduced many in Japan to both the wonders of the Himalayas
, and the modern, and very different, culture of the largest city in China.
Professionally, he was the senior editor of the collected works of Chūya Nakahara, which were published 2000-2004, and he lectured at various liberal arts and music colleges and universities through 2007. Sasaki sat for several years on the selection committee for the Suntory
Foundation's Chuya Nakahara Prize. He is also an accomplished photographer.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
poet
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and travel author
Travel literature
Travel literature is travel writing of literary value. Travel literature typically records the experiences of an author touring a place for the pleasure of travel. An individual work is sometimes called a travelogue or itinerary. Travel literature may be cross-cultural or transnational in focus, or...
, winner of the 2003 Yomiuri Prize
Yomiuri Prize
The is a prestigious literary award in Japan. The prize was founded in 1948 by the Yomiuri Shinbun Company to help form a "cultural nation". The winner is awarded one million Japanese yen and an inkstone.-Award categories:...
for travel essays. Sasaki won the award for his book Ajia kaidō kikō: umi wa toshi de aru (A Travel Journal of the Asian Seaboard, 2002). He has published more than a score of poetry collections and travel books. His Demented flute: selected poems, 1967-1986 was published in English in 1988. Sasaki now lives in a mountain lodge in Nara Prefecture
Nara Prefecture
is a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture....
.
Sasaki was born in Minamikawachi District
Minamikawachi District, Osaka
Minamikawachi is a district located in Osaka, Japan.As of 2009, the district has an estimated population of 37,695 and a density of 491 persons per km²...
, Osaka
Osaka Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He grew up in Fujiidera
Fujiidera, Osaka
is a city located in Osaka, Japan.-History:In 1959 the townships of Fujiidera-cho and Domyoji-cho merged to create Fujiidera-Domyoji-cho. A year later, the town was renamed Misasagi-cho...
, attending Fujiidera Elementary School, Osaka Municipal Hannan Junior High School, and Osaka Municipal Senior High School. He was enrolled at Doshisha University
Doshisha University
, or is a prestigious private university in Kyoto, Japan. The university has approximately 27,000 students on three campuses, in faculties of theology, letters, law, commerce, economics, policy, and engineering...
in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, majoring in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. While there he wrote for the college poetry magazine Moby Dick, and his first collection of poems was published in 1970 while he was still in college. However, he dropped out before completing his degree.
In 1976, Sasaki wrote a script for independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
producer, Cinema NESANSU, about the friendship of the poet Chūya Nakahara and the critic Hideo Kobayashi
Hideo Kobayashi
was a Japanese author, who established literary criticism as an independent art form in Japan.-Early life:Kobayashi was born in the Kanda district of Tokyo. He studied French literature at Tokyo Imperial University and graduated in 1927...
. It was called Honey Sleep and was directed by Wataru Hisashi Iwasa. Since then he has written a number of screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
s, including a 1990 script for NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
television which won a special award at the Golden Prague International Television Festival (Mezinárodni Televizni Festival Zlatá Praha).
Sasaki has travelled widely. In 1984 he was a visiting poet at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
and in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. In 1988, he travelled to Nepal, Tibet and Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. His travelogue
Travel literature
Travel literature is travel writing of literary value. Travel literature typically records the experiences of an author touring a place for the pleasure of travel. An individual work is sometimes called a travelogue or itinerary. Travel literature may be cross-cultural or transnational in focus, or...
s and poetic style introduced many in Japan to both the wonders of the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
, and the modern, and very different, culture of the largest city in China.
Professionally, he was the senior editor of the collected works of Chūya Nakahara, which were published 2000-2004, and he lectured at various liberal arts and music colleges and universities through 2007. Sasaki sat for several years on the selection committee for the Suntory
Suntory
is a Japanese brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan. Its business has expanded to other fields, and the company now offers everything from soft drinks to sandwich chains...
Foundation's Chuya Nakahara Prize. He is also an accomplished photographer.
Awards
- 1988 the 10th Suntory Foundation "Cultural Award" for his work on Chūya Nakahara
- 1990 special award for screenplay at Grand Prix Golden Prague
- 1992 the 22nd Sunao Takami Award for his collection of poems entitled The Honey-Hole, published the previous year
- 2003 the 55th Yomiuri Literature PrizeYomiuri PrizeThe is a prestigious literary award in Japan. The prize was founded in 1948 by the Yomiuri Shinbun Company to help form a "cultural nation". The winner is awarded one million Japanese yen and an inkstone.-Award categories:...
in travel literature for A Travel Journal of the Asian Seaboard