Ramo Nakajima
Encyclopedia
Ramo Nakajima was a respected Japan
ese cult
novel
writer
, essayist, copywriter, and also appeared frequently on Japanese TV as an actor
. He was born in Amagasaki City
, Hyōgo Prefecture
.
He received 8th place in his entrance exam to the illustrious Nada Junior High School, and continued on to the Osaka University of Arts
, where he graduated from the school of broadcasting. He then worked for a publishing company for 5 years, where he became famous for his catchy advertisements and commercials. He was given his own advice column
in Asahi Shinbun, called the "Lighthearted Worry Column," which highlighted his strange and unique sense of humor and made him a household name. He began to work as a freelance copywriter in 1987, and in his free time, wrote the novels that would give him his cult following in Japan, as well as a variety of rakugo
, essay
s, scripts and short stories. His best-known work includes the novels "Tonight, from Every Bar in Town" (13th Eiji Yoshikawa New Author Prize), "The Pigs of Gadara" (Mystery Writers of Japan Award
), and "The Night of Human Models" (Naoki Prize).
After his success in novels, he then expanded into theater, producing "Laugh-to-Death Lilliput Army", as well as creating his own rock band, "PISS", of which he was the lead singer and guitar player. After the band dissolved, he then formed "Ramo and the Mother's Boys", where he played rhythm guitar and sang.
Nakajima was known for his wild lifestyle and his constant use of drugs and alcohol. His appearances on television in the late 1990s and early 2000s were always an audience draw because of his slurred speech--probably from years of alcohol
and drug abuse
)--and humorous personality. He was arrested and convicted of marijuana possession in 2003; he was sentenced to five years incarceration. He was put into a mental hospital for a brief period, and then served his 10-month sentence, with a suspended sentence of 5 years. He then released an essay about his trials in prison called "The Prison Diet".
After his release, he plunged back into alcoholism. On July 15, 2004, after drinking late at a bar, he fell down a staircase and suffered serious head injuries. He never recovered, dying on July 26, 2004.
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...
ese cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, essayist, copywriter, and also appeared frequently on Japanese TV as an actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He was born in Amagasaki City
Amagasaki, Hyogo
is an industrial city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1916. Its population is around 460,000, below its peak of over 554,000 in 1971.-History:...
, Hyōgo Prefecture
Hyogo Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
.
He received 8th place in his entrance exam to the illustrious Nada Junior High School, and continued on to the Osaka University of Arts
Osaka University of Arts
is a private arts university located in Kanan, Minamikawachi District, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The university was founded in 1945 as , changing its name to in 1957, and then to in 1964...
, where he graduated from the school of broadcasting. He then worked for a publishing company for 5 years, where he became famous for his catchy advertisements and commercials. He was given his own advice column
Advice column
An advice column is a column in a magazine or newspaper written by an advice columnist . The image presented was originally of an older woman providing comforting advice and maternal wisdom, hence the name "aunt"...
in Asahi Shinbun, called the "Lighthearted Worry Column," which highlighted his strange and unique sense of humor and made him a household name. He began to work as a freelance copywriter in 1987, and in his free time, wrote the novels that would give him his cult following in Japan, as well as a variety of rakugo
Rakugo
is a Japanese verbal entertainment. The lone sits on the stage, called the . Using only a paper fan and a small cloth as props, and without standing up from the seiza sitting position, the rakugo artist depicts a long and complicated comical story...
, essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
s, scripts and short stories. His best-known work includes the novels "Tonight, from Every Bar in Town" (13th Eiji Yoshikawa New Author Prize), "The Pigs of Gadara" (Mystery Writers of Japan Award
Mystery Writers of Japan Award
The are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of Japan. They honor the best in crime fiction and critical/biographical work published in the previous year.- MWJ Award for Best Novel winners :...
), and "The Night of Human Models" (Naoki Prize).
After his success in novels, he then expanded into theater, producing "Laugh-to-Death Lilliput Army", as well as creating his own rock band, "PISS", of which he was the lead singer and guitar player. After the band dissolved, he then formed "Ramo and the Mother's Boys", where he played rhythm guitar and sang.
Nakajima was known for his wild lifestyle and his constant use of drugs and alcohol. His appearances on television in the late 1990s and early 2000s were always an audience draw because of his slurred speech--probably from years of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
)--and humorous personality. He was arrested and convicted of marijuana possession in 2003; he was sentenced to five years incarceration. He was put into a mental hospital for a brief period, and then served his 10-month sentence, with a suspended sentence of 5 years. He then released an essay about his trials in prison called "The Prison Diet".
After his release, he plunged back into alcoholism. On July 15, 2004, after drinking late at a bar, he fell down a staircase and suffered serious head injuries. He never recovered, dying on July 26, 2004.
External links
- Ramo Nakajima on IMDb