Shōtarō Yasuoka
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese writer.
Japan in Kōchi, Kōchi
, but as the son of a veterinary corpsman in the Imperial Army
, he spent most of his youth moving from one military post to another. In 1944, he was conscripted and served briefly overseas. After the war, he became ill with spinal caries, and it was "while he was bedridden with this disease that he began his writing career."
for Inki na tanoshimi (A Melancholy Pleasure, 1953) and Warui nakama (Bad Company, 1953); Kaihen no kōkei (A View by the Sea, 1959) won him the Noma Literary Prize
; and his Maku ga orite kara (After the Curtain Fell, 1967) won the Mainichi Cultural Prize
. He also received the Yomiuri Literary Prize for Hate mo nai dōchūki (The Never-ending Traveler's Journal, 1996); and the Osaragi Jirō Prize
for Kagamigawa (The Kagami River, 2000).
A leading figure in post-war
Japanese literature, in 2001 Yasuoka was recognized by the Japanese government as a Person of Cultural Merit
.
Biography
Yasuoka was born in pre-warPre-war
The term pre-war or prewar is usually applied to the most recent or significant war in a culture's history.Antebellum is most often used to denote the period before the American Civil War while pre-war typically refers to the period before WWII.In real estate the term refers to buildings from the...
Japan in Kōchi, Kōchi
Kochi, Kochi
is the capital city of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku island of Japan.Kōchi is the main city of the prefecture with over 40% of its population. As of May 31, 2008, the city had an estimated population of 340,515 and a density of...
, but as the son of a veterinary corpsman in the Imperial Army
Imperial Army
An Imperial Army is literally an army of any empire. However, only some empires in history and in fiction have actually referred to their armies as "The Imperial Army."-In Europe:* The Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire...
, he spent most of his youth moving from one military post to another. In 1944, he was conscripted and served briefly overseas. After the war, he became ill with spinal caries, and it was "while he was bedridden with this disease that he began his writing career."
Awards
As an influential Japanese writer, Yasuoka's work has won him various prizes and awards. Notably, he received the Akutagawa PrizeAkutagawa Prize
The is a Japanese literary award presented semi-annually. It was established in 1935 by Kan Kikuchi, then-editor of Bungeishunjū magazine, in memory of author Ryūnosuke Akutagawa...
for Inki na tanoshimi (A Melancholy Pleasure, 1953) and Warui nakama (Bad Company, 1953); Kaihen no kōkei (A View by the Sea, 1959) won him the Noma Literary Prize
Noma Literary Prize
The Noma Literary Prize was established in 1941 by the Noma Service Association in accordance with the last wishes of Noma Seiji , founder and first president of the Kōdansha publishing company. The Noma Literary Prize has been awarded annually to an outstanding new work published in Japan...
; and his Maku ga orite kara (After the Curtain Fell, 1967) won the Mainichi Cultural Prize
Mainichi Shimbun
The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by .-History:The history of the Mainichi Shimbun begins with founding of two papers during the Meiji period. The Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun was founded first, in 1872. The Mainichi claims that it is the oldest existing Japanese daily newspaper...
. He also received the Yomiuri Literary Prize for Hate mo nai dōchūki (The Never-ending Traveler's Journal, 1996); and the Osaragi Jirō Prize
Jiro Osaragi
was the pen-name of a popular Japanese writer in Shōwa period Japan, known primarily for his historical fiction novels, which appeared serialized in newspapers and magazines. His real name was .-Early life:Osaragi Jirō was born in Yokohama...
for Kagamigawa (The Kagami River, 2000).
A leading figure in post-war
Post-war
A post-war period or postwar period is the interval immediately following the ending of a war and enduring as long as war does not resume. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum when a war between the same parties resumes at a later date...
Japanese literature, in 2001 Yasuoka was recognized by the Japanese government as a Person of Cultural Merit
Person of Cultural Merit
is an official Japanese recognition-honor which is awarded annually to select people who have made outstanding cultural contributions. This distinction is intended to play a role as a part of a system of support measures for the promotion of creative activities in Japan...
.