Shuhei Fujisawa
Encyclopedia
was a Japan
ese author. His real name is Tomeji Kosuge (小菅留治). Over fifty of his books were published, including both full-length novels and short story anthologies through the course of his lifetime. The focus of his writing was historical fiction
. Before he became an author, he had been a journalist.
are
Japan (1603-1867) and depict the lives of people from all walks of life, but revolve mainly around samurai
characters. The Edo Period (1603-1867) was a period of over 250 years of lasting peace in Japanese history. This historical period was full of political upheaval and intrigue, rivalry and betrayals. During this period, the samurai struggled to retain their sense of pride and meaning in life as they attempt to settle into mundane jobs and family life. This struggle can be seen throughout The Bamboo Sword and Other Samurai Tales and other works by Fujisawa Shuhei.
Fujisawa focused on the humanity of his characters in his stories. Through his stories, the reader comes to understand Japanese history and culture in a more real sense.
in 1994.
The Twilight Samurai
(2002), was in part based on the title story, The Bamboo Sword, won the 2003 Japanese Academy Awards
. It was also nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film
category.
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 author. His real name is Tomeji Kosuge (小菅留治). Over fifty of his books were published, including both full-length novels and short story anthologies through the course of his lifetime. The focus of his writing was historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
. Before he became an author, he had been a journalist.
Published works
Over 23 million of his paperbacks have been printed. His work has been adapted for both television and film. Five recent full-length films have been based on his work. Three of them directed by Yoji YamadaYoji Yamada
is a Japanese film director best known for his Otoko wa Tsurai yo series of films and his Samurai Trilogy ....
are
- The Twilight SamuraiThe Twilight SamuraiThe Twilight Samurai or is a 2002 Japanese film directed by Yoji Yamada. Set in mid-19th century Japan, a few years before the Meiji Restoration, it follows the life of Seibei Iguchi, a low-ranking samurai employed as a bureaucrat. Poor, but not destitute, he still manages to lead a content and...
(2002) - The Hidden BladeThe Hidden Bladeis a 2004 film, set in 1860s Japan, directed by Yoji Yamada. The plot revolves around several samurai during a time of change in the ruling and class structures of Japan. The film was written by Yamada with Yoshitaka Asama and, like its predecessor The Twilight Samurai, based on a short story by...
(2004) - Love and HonorLove and Honoris a 2006 film set in Japan of the Edo period. It is the final film in Yoji Yamada's acclaimed Samurai Trilogy .-Plot:Shinnojo, a low level samurai, lives with his pretty, dutiful and loyal wife Kayo...
(2006).
Historical setting
The Bamboo Sword and Other Samurai Tales, a collection of eight short stories, is a work of historical fiction. The stories are set in Edo periodEdo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
Japan (1603-1867) and depict the lives of people from all walks of life, but revolve mainly around samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
characters. The Edo Period (1603-1867) was a period of over 250 years of lasting peace in Japanese history. This historical period was full of political upheaval and intrigue, rivalry and betrayals. During this period, the samurai struggled to retain their sense of pride and meaning in life as they attempt to settle into mundane jobs and family life. This struggle can be seen throughout The Bamboo Sword and Other Samurai Tales and other works by Fujisawa Shuhei.
Fujisawa focused on the humanity of his characters in his stories. Through his stories, the reader comes to understand Japanese history and culture in a more real sense.
Awards
In 1973, Fujisawa received the Naoki Award for Ansatsu No Nenrin (Annals of Assassination), establishing himself as a leading author of period stories. He would go on to win six further prestigious literary awards. For example he won the Asahi PrizeAsahi Prize
The Asahi Prize is a prize awarded by the Japanese newspaper the Asahi shimbun for achievement in scholarship or the arts that has made a contribution to culture or society. It was established in 1929. Many recipients of this prize have later been honoured with a Nobel Prize...
in 1994.
The Twilight Samurai
The Twilight Samurai
The Twilight Samurai or is a 2002 Japanese film directed by Yoji Yamada. Set in mid-19th century Japan, a few years before the Meiji Restoration, it follows the life of Seibei Iguchi, a low-ranking samurai employed as a bureaucrat. Poor, but not destitute, he still manages to lead a content and...
(2002), was in part based on the title story, The Bamboo Sword, won the 2003 Japanese Academy Awards
Japanese Academy Awards
The , often called the Japan Academy Awards or the Japanese Academy Awards, is a series of awards given annually since 1978 by the Nippon Academy-shō Association for excellence in Japanese film...
. It was also nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
category.
Sources
- http://www.jlpp.jp/english/list/works21/main.html - Japanese Literature Publishing Project
- http://www.shochikufilms.com/film/detail.php?product_code=269