Bungaku Ito (Jap. 伊藤 文學 new characters 伊藤 文学; born March 19, 1932) is a Japanese entrepreneur, founder and…Bungaku Ito (Jap. 伊藤 文學 new characters 伊藤 文学; born March 19, 1932) is a Japanese entrepreneur, founder and editor-in-chief of Japan's first commercially based homosexuality magazine Barazoku. He is the president of Daini-Shobo (Jap. 株式会社第二書房).
Takako Takahashi (高橋 たか子, Takahashi Takako; March 2, 1932 – July 12, 2013) was a Japanese author. Her maiden name was…Takako Takahashi (高橋 たか子, Takahashi Takako; March 2, 1932 – July 12, 2013) was a Japanese author. Her maiden name was Takako Okamoto (岡本和子, Okamoto Takako).
Osamu Yatabe (Japanese: 矢田部理 Yatabe Osamu; 15 February 1932 – 5 December 2021) was a Japanese lawyer and politician. A…Osamu Yatabe (Japanese: 矢田部理 Yatabe Osamu; 15 February 1932 – 5 December 2021) was a Japanese lawyer and politician. A member of the Japan Socialist Party and later the New Socialist Party of Japan, he served in the House of Councillors from 1974 to 1998.
Katsuichi Honda (Japanese: 本多 勝一, Hepburn: Honda Katsuichi; born January 28, 1932) is a Japanese journalist and author…Katsuichi Honda (Japanese: 本多 勝一, Hepburn: Honda Katsuichi; born January 28, 1932) is a Japanese journalist and author most famous for his writing on the Nanjing Massacre. During the 1970s he wrote a series of articles on the atrocities committed by Imperial Japanese soldiers during World War II called "Chūgoku no Tabi" (中国の旅, "Travels in China"). The series first appeared in the Asahi Shimbun. Honda also worked as a war correspondent in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, an experience which, according to some historians, contributed to stoking his interest in Japanese wartime history.
Keiko Ai (阿井景子, Ai Keiko; born Junko Ura on January 16, 1932 in Nagasaki, Japan) is a Japanese writer. Born in Nagasaki…Keiko Ai (阿井景子, Ai Keiko; born Junko Ura on January 16, 1932 in Nagasaki, Japan) is a Japanese writer. Born in Nagasaki in Nagasaki Prefecture, Ai graduated from Saga University with a major in education. She then became a high school teacher. Ai soon quit and moved to Tokyo, where she took dictation for Kitaoji Rosanjin. After working as an editor and a reporter for Josei Jishin, she married and divorced in 1974, during which time she also worked on Matsumoto Seicho. Ai published her first book as Junko Ura in 1971 and made her debut as a writer in 1979 with Ryoma's Wife. Ai portrays the women around Japanese historical figures, particularly those related to Ryoma Sakamoto. Since 1991 she has often written in conjunction with historical dramas.
Shuntarō Tanikawa (谷川 俊太郎, Tanikawa Shuntarō; December 15, 1931 – November 13, 2024) was a Japanese poet, translator…Shuntarō Tanikawa (谷川 俊太郎, Tanikawa Shuntarō; December 15, 1931 – November 13, 2024) was a Japanese poet, translator, children's author, and screenwriter. He was considered to be one of the most widely read and highly regarded Japanese poets, both in Japan and abroad. The English translation of his poetry volume Floating the River in Melancholy, translated by William I. Elliott and Kazuo Kawamura and illustrated by Yōko Sano, won the American Book Award in 1989.
Keiko Kuroda (黒田 恵子, Kuroda Keiko; December 3, 1932 – October 23, 2024), known by her pen name Keiko Sena (せな けいこ, Sena…Keiko Kuroda (黒田 恵子, Kuroda Keiko; December 3, 1932 – October 23, 2024), known by her pen name Keiko Sena (せな けいこ, Sena Keiko), was a Japanese illustrator, children's book writer, and kamishibai artist. She wrote approximately 100 books, largely published by Poplar and Fukuinkan Shoten. Born in interwar Tokyo, Sena graduated from the all-girls Ochanomizu University Senior High School and went on to study painting under Takeo Takei, one of Japan's most prominent children's illustrators of the 20th century. She was known for her distinctive use of collage to illustrate her work. A "master storyteller", her books have been described to reveal "a deep understanding of children" and feature "charming simplicity with the satisfying bite of fairy tale grim."
Ayako Sono (曽野 綾子, Sono Ayako; September 17, 1931 – February 28, 2025) was a Japanese writer. She published numerous…Ayako Sono (曽野 綾子, Sono Ayako; September 17, 1931 – February 28, 2025) was a Japanese writer. She published numerous novels, essays and articles between the 1950s and the early 2020s. Sono was also considered to be nationalist and conservative. She provoked controversy for advocating a system similar to South Africa's apartheid for Japan's immigrants. She also advocated for women to quit their jobs after becoming pregnant.
Misa Yamamura (山村 美紗, Yamamura Misa; née Kimura (木村); August 25, 1934 – September 5, 1996) was a Japanese novelist and…Misa Yamamura (山村 美紗, Yamamura Misa; née Kimura (木村); August 25, 1934 – September 5, 1996) was a Japanese novelist and a mystery writer favored as the queen of both mystery novels and tricks in Japan, often compared to Agatha Christie.
Oniroku Dan (団 鬼六, Dan Oniroku; 16 April 1931 – 6 May 2011) was a Japanese author who has been called, "the most…Oniroku Dan (団 鬼六, Dan Oniroku; 16 April 1931 – 6 May 2011) was a Japanese author who has been called, "the most celebrated writer of popular SM novels in Japan." Many of his stories have been filmed, most notably by Nikkatsu studio in their Roman Porno series. Dan had a close professional association with actress Naomi Tani throughout her career. He died on May 6, 2011.
Masako Togawa (戸川昌子, Togawa Masako) (23 March 1931 – 26 April 2016) was a Japanese Chanson singer/songwriter, actress…Masako Togawa (戸川昌子, Togawa Masako) (23 March 1931 – 26 April 2016) was a Japanese Chanson singer/songwriter, actress, feminist, novelist, lesbian icon, former night club owner, metropolitan city planning panelist, and music educator.
Sakyo Komatsu (小松 左京, Komatsu Sakyō; January 28, 1931 – July 26, 2011) was a Japanese science fiction writer and…Sakyo Komatsu (小松 左京, Komatsu Sakyō; January 28, 1931 – July 26, 2011) was a Japanese science fiction writer and screenwriter. He was one of the most well known and highly regarded science fiction writers in Japan.
Sawako Ariyoshi (有吉 佐和子 Ariyoshi Sawako, 20 January 1931 – 30 August 1984) was a Japanese writer, known for such works…Sawako Ariyoshi (有吉 佐和子 Ariyoshi Sawako, 20 January 1931 – 30 August 1984) was a Japanese writer, known for such works as The Doctor's Wife and The River Ki. She was known for her advocacy of social issues, such as the elderly in Japanese society, and environmental issues. Several of her novels describe the relationships between mothers and their daughters. She also had a fascination with traditional Japanese arts, such as kabuki and bunraku. She also described racial discrimination in the United States, something she experienced firsthand during her time at Sarah Lawrence, and the depopulation of remote Japanese islands during the 1970s economic boom.
Takeshi Kaikō (開高 健, Kaikō Takeshi; 30 December 1930 – 9 December 1989), also known as Ken Kaikō, was a Japanese…Takeshi Kaikō (開高 健, Kaikō Takeshi; 30 December 1930 – 9 December 1989), also known as Ken Kaikō, was a Japanese novelist, short-story writer, essayist, literary critic, and television documentary writer. He was distinguished by his knowledge, intellect, sense of humor and conversational skills, and although his style has been criticized as wordy and obtuse, he was one of the more popular Japanese writers in the late Shōwa period.
Sasazawa Saho (笹沢左保; November 15, 1930 – October 21, 2002) was a Japanese author, known as the creator of the Kogarashi…Sasazawa Saho (笹沢左保; November 15, 1930 – October 21, 2002) was a Japanese author, known as the creator of the Kogarashi Monjirō novels, which became a hit televised drama series. He was a self-declared member of the shinhonkaku-ha or "new orthodox" school of detective fiction writing. Aside from mysteries, he also wrote thrillers, essays and history books, with some 380 books to his credit.
Fumiko Kometani (米谷ふみ子, Kometani Fumiko; born 1930 in Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese author and artist (painter) and a…Fumiko Kometani (米谷ふみ子, Kometani Fumiko; born 1930 in Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese author and artist (painter) and a longtime resident of the United States. Kometani moved to the US in 1960 when she was working as an abstract painter, spending time at the MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire where she met her husband, Josh Greenfeld (they later moved to California). She changed her focus to writing when her developmentally disabled son Noah became too hard to handle when he was around the art supplies in her studio. Her older son, Karl Taro Greenfeld, is also a writer. Kometani is also noted for her expressed displeasure of what she terms the fascist mentality of the World War II Japanese Army. She regularly participates in anti-war and anti-nuclear protests. Her first book, Passover, received the distinguished Akutagawa Prize. It was subsequently described in The New York Times as "anti-Semitic" and an example of Japan's "widespread anti-Semitism", although Kometani's husband is Jewish, and the novel was an adaption of a visit to his parents' house. A judge for the Akutagawa Prize claimed that the Times had misinterpreted the sardonic and self-ridiculing tone of the novel. In January 2025 Kometani's home was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.
Minako Ōba (大庭 みな子, Ōba Minako; born November 11, 1930, death May 24, 2007) was a Japanese author and social critic.…Minako Ōba (大庭 みな子, Ōba Minako; born November 11, 1930, death May 24, 2007) was a Japanese author and social critic. She was awarded the 1968 Akutagawa Prize for Sanbiki no kani (Three Crabs), and the 1982 Tanizaki Prize for Katachi mo naku (寂兮寥兮). Ōba suffered a stroke in 1996 and died on May 24, 2007.
Akiyuki Nosaka (野坂 昭如, Nosaka Akiyuki; October 10, 1930 – December 9, 2015) was a Japanese novelist, journalist…Akiyuki Nosaka (野坂 昭如, Nosaka Akiyuki; October 10, 1930 – December 9, 2015) was a Japanese novelist, journalist, singer, lyricist, and member of the House of Councillors. As a broadcasting writer he used the name Yukio Aki (阿木 由紀夫, Aki Yukio) and his alias as a chanson singer was Claude Nosaka (クロード 野坂, Kurōdo Nosaka). He wrote the short story "Grave of the Fireflies" based on his experiences in the wake of American bombing during the Second World War; the short story has been adapted into both an animated film and a live-action film.
Kiyohiro Miura (三浦清宏, Miura Kiyohiro; born 1930 in Muroran, Hokkaido) is a Japanese writer. After attending the…Kiyohiro Miura (三浦清宏, Miura Kiyohiro; born 1930 in Muroran, Hokkaido) is a Japanese writer. After attending the University of Tokyo he went to the United States for further education. He received his B.A. from San Jose State University in 1955 and his MFA from University of Iowa in 1958. His novel Chōnan no shukke (長男の出家) or My Young Son Becomes a Zen Monk won the Akutagawa Prize in 1988.
Kyotaro Nishimura (西村 京太郎, Nishimura Kyōtarō; 6 September 1930 – 3 March 2022) was a Japanese novelist in the police…Kyotaro Nishimura (西村 京太郎, Nishimura Kyōtarō; 6 September 1930 – 3 March 2022) was a Japanese novelist in the police procedural genre.
Hisae Sawachi (Japanese: 澤地久枝, Japanese: さわち ひさえ born 3 September 1930) is a Japanese writer, magazine editor and…Hisae Sawachi (Japanese: 澤地久枝, Japanese: さわち ひさえ born 3 September 1930) is a Japanese writer, magazine editor and anti-nuclear activist. She is known for her non-fiction writing on Japan's Shōwa era and wartime experiences as well as for her autobiographical work. She is a recipient of the Asahi Prize, the Kikuchi Kan Prize and the Japan Women Broadcasters Association Award.
Kyōko Hayashi (林 京子, Hayashi Kyōko; 28 August 1930 – 19 February 2017) was a Japanese writer associated with the Atomic…Kyōko Hayashi (林 京子, Hayashi Kyōko; 28 August 1930 – 19 February 2017) was a Japanese writer associated with the Atomic Bomb Literature genre.
Kōichi Iijima (飯島耕一, Iijima Kōichi; February 25, 1930- October 14, 2013) was a Japanese poet, novelist, and translator.…Kōichi Iijima (飯島耕一, Iijima Kōichi; February 25, 1930- October 14, 2013) was a Japanese poet, novelist, and translator. He was a member of the Japan Art Academy.
Chiyoko Nakatani (中谷千代子, Nakatani Chiyoko, January 16, 1930 - December 26, 1981) was a Japanese picture book author and…Chiyoko Nakatani (中谷千代子, Nakatani Chiyoko, January 16, 1930 - December 26, 1981) was a Japanese picture book author and illustrator. During the Shōwa era, Nakatani was one of the artists to popularize Japanese children's books outside of Japan.
Toshiyuki Kajiyama (梶山 季之, Kajiyama Toshiyuki; 2 January 1930 – 11 May 1975) was a Japanese novelist, essayist and…Toshiyuki Kajiyama (梶山 季之, Kajiyama Toshiyuki; 2 January 1930 – 11 May 1975) was a Japanese novelist, essayist and journalist active during the Shōwa period of Japan.
Kuniko Mukōda (向田 邦子, Mukōda Kuniko; November 28, 1929 – August 22, 1981) was a Japanese TV screenwriter. Most of her…Kuniko Mukōda (向田 邦子, Mukōda Kuniko; November 28, 1929 – August 22, 1981) was a Japanese TV screenwriter. Most of her scripts focus on day-to-day family life and relationships. She won the 83rd Naoki Prize (1980上) for her short stories "Hanano Namae", "Kawauso" and "Inugoya."
Tsutomu "Ben" Goto (五島 勉, Gotō Ben, 17 November 1929 – 16 June 2020) was a Japanese journalist and writer best known…Tsutomu "Ben" Goto (五島 勉, Gotō Ben, 17 November 1929 – 16 June 2020) was a Japanese journalist and writer best known for his books on Nostradamus.
Keizo Hino (日野 啓三, Hino Keizō; June 14, 1929 – October 14, 2002) was a Japanese author. He won the 1974 Akutagawa Prize…Keizo Hino (日野 啓三, Hino Keizō; June 14, 1929 – October 14, 2002) was a Japanese author. He won the 1974 Akutagawa Prize for Ano yūhi (The Evening Sun) and the 22nd Tanizaki Prize for Sakyū ga ugoku yō ni (砂丘が動くように). Born in Tokyo, he accompanied his parents to Korea, when the country was still under Japanese colonial rule. After the war, he returned to Japan, graduating from the University of Tokyo and joining the staff of the Yomiuri Shimbun, a leading Japanese newspaper in 1952. He served as a foreign correspondent in South Korea and Vietnam before becoming a novelist. Though he is often described as an environmentalist author, the focus of much of his fiction is the urban physical environment. Hino's works are striking for being simultaneously autobiographical and surrealistic. His novel Yume no Shima has been translated into English by Charles de Wolf as Isle of Dreams, and into German by Jaqueline Berndt and Hiroshi Yamane as Trauminsel; a short story, Bokushikan, has been translated into English by Charles de Wolf as The Rectory; another short story, Hashigo no tatsu machi 梯の立つ街, has been translated by Lawrence Rogers as "Jacob's Tokyo Ladder" and printed in 2002's Tokyo stories: a literary stroll.
Nada Inada (なだ いなだ; 8 June 1929 – 6 June 2013) was the pen-name of a Japanese psychiatrist, writer and literary critic…Nada Inada (なだ いなだ; 8 June 1929 – 6 June 2013) was the pen-name of a Japanese psychiatrist, writer and literary critic active in late Shōwa period and early Heisei period Japan. His pen name is from the Spanish language phrase "nada y nada".
Shizuko Gō (郷静子; April 20, 1929–September 30, 2014) was a Japanese novelist. She was best known for her 1972 novel…Shizuko Gō (郷静子; April 20, 1929–September 30, 2014) was a Japanese novelist. She was best known for her 1972 novel Requiem, which won the Akutagawa Prize.
Hiroko Takenishi (竹西 寛子, Takenishi Hiroko; born 11 April 1929, Hiroshima) is a Japanese fiction writer and literary…Hiroko Takenishi (竹西 寛子, Takenishi Hiroko; born 11 April 1929, Hiroshima) is a Japanese fiction writer and literary critic. Takenishi is best known for her semi-autobiographical short story "The Rite" (1963), which tells of her experience surviving the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima. In 2012 she was named a Person of Cultural Merit for her writing.
Kazuko Saegusa (三枝和子) (March 31, 1929 – April 24, 2003) was a Japanese novelist. She won the Tamura Toshiko Award and…Kazuko Saegusa (三枝和子) (March 31, 1929 – April 24, 2003) was a Japanese novelist. She won the Tamura Toshiko Award and the Izumi Kyoka Prize for Literature.
Takehiro Irokawa (色川 武大, Irokawa Takehiro; March 28, 1929 – April 10, 1989) was a noted Japanese writer who published…Takehiro Irokawa (色川 武大, Irokawa Takehiro; March 28, 1929 – April 10, 1989) was a noted Japanese writer who published both serious literature and light fiction under a variety of pseudonyms including Asada Tetsuya (阿佐田哲也) and Budai Irokawa (色川武大). Many of his works were autobiographical in nature and concerned his life as a mahjong gambler.
Masami Fukushima (福島 正実, Fukushima Masami; February 18, 1929, Sakhalin - April 9, 1976) was a Japanese science fiction…Masami Fukushima (福島 正実, Fukushima Masami; February 18, 1929, Sakhalin - April 9, 1976) was a Japanese science fiction editor, author, critic, and translator. As the first chief editor of SF Magazine, he helped popularize science fiction in Japan and became known as the "Demon of SF". His real name is Masami Katō (加藤 正実, Katō Masami). He also used the pen name: Kyō Katō (加藤 喬, Katō Kyō).
Jinzō Toriumi (鳥海 尽三, Toriumi Jinzō; February 1, 1929 – January 17, 2008) was a Japanese screenwriter who first began…Jinzō Toriumi (鳥海 尽三, Toriumi Jinzō; February 1, 1929 – January 17, 2008) was a Japanese screenwriter who first began his career during the "revolutionary era" of Japanese animation on Mach GoGoGo (Speed Racer), Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (Battle of the Planets/G-Force), and Yatterman. Toriumi was born in the northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaidō. After trying his hand at live-action at Nikkatsu, he began writing animation scripts at Mushi Productions for Mighty Atom (Astro Boy) in 1964. He went on to devote himself full-time to television at Tatsunoko Production in 1965. He contributed to Casshern, Tekkaman and Time Bokan. He later began writing for such Sunrise works as Armored Trooper VOTOMS, Yoroiden Samurai Troopers (Ronin Warriors), Mister Ajikko. He also wrote the novel versions of Gatchaman, Shin Heiyōden and Dororo, as well as the Anime Scenario Nyūmon (The Introduction to Anime Scriptwriting). He used the Anime Scenario Nyūmon book when he became a vocational school teacher for future generations of scriptwriters. He also chaired Ohtori Koubou, a support organization for scriptwriters. He received the (Scenario) Scriptwriting Award from the Japan Writers Guild on May 26, 2000.
Eriko Kishida (岸田 衿子, Kishida Eriko, January 5, 1929 – April 7, 2011) was a Japanese poet, children's author, lyricist…Eriko Kishida (岸田 衿子, Kishida Eriko, January 5, 1929 – April 7, 2011) was a Japanese poet, children's author, lyricist, and translator. She is known for writing the lyrics to popular animated children's television shows like Anne of Green Gables and Heidi, Girl of the Alps, as well as her children's picture books. Kishida was a member of the Kai group and published poetry in the "Kai" literary magazine founded by Noriko Ibaragi.
Noriaki Tsuchimoto (土本典昭, Tsuchimoto Noriaki) (11 December 1928, in Gifu Prefecture, Japan – 24 June 2008) was a…Noriaki Tsuchimoto (土本典昭, Tsuchimoto Noriaki) (11 December 1928, in Gifu Prefecture, Japan – 24 June 2008) was a Japanese documentary film director known for his films on Minamata disease and examinations of the effects of modernization on Asia. Tsuchimoto and Shinsuke Ogawa have been called the "two figures [that] tower over the landscape of Japanese documentary."
Reiko Mori (森禮子; July 7, 1928 – March 28, 2014) was a Japanese novelist and playwright. She was awarded the Akutagawa…Reiko Mori (森禮子; July 7, 1928 – March 28, 2014) was a Japanese novelist and playwright. She was awarded the Akutagawa Award for her book Mokkingubado no iru machi (モッキングバードのいる町) in 1979.
Setsuko Tsumura (津村節子, Tsumura Setsuko; born 5 June 1928) is a Japanese novelist. She is a 1965 recipient of the…Setsuko Tsumura (津村節子, Tsumura Setsuko; born 5 June 1928) is a Japanese novelist. She is a 1965 recipient of the Akutagawa Prize.
Ichiro Maruyama (22 May 1928 – 27 April 2013), who wrote under the pen name You Sano, was a Japanese mystery writer and…Ichiro Maruyama (22 May 1928 – 27 April 2013), who wrote under the pen name You Sano, was a Japanese mystery writer and critic.
Yōji Kuri (久里洋二, Kuri Yōji; April 9, 1928 – November 24, 2024) was a Japanese cartoonist and independent filmmaker. An…Yōji Kuri (久里洋二, Kuri Yōji; April 9, 1928 – November 24, 2024) was a Japanese cartoonist and independent filmmaker. An influential figure in Japanese independent animation, he was the unofficial leader and most prolific of the "Animation Association of Three" (アニメーション三人の会, Animēshon Sannin no Kai) collective who kick-started the renaissance of modern-styled, independently made, adult-aimed animation in early 1960s Japan. He is known internationally for the very black comedy of his films, with the typically naïve style of his cartooning often belying the surreal, obscene and disturbing situations they depict (though he has worked in a variety of styles and mediums, including pixilation); this made them a favourite among the fervently counter-cultural audiences, which included such filmmakers as René Laloux, of the first few years of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, and in a 1967 publication he was considered to be "the most significant" and "the only Japanese animator whose work is known in the West" (which is to disregard the Toei Animation features and Astro Boy series that were first seen in the West around the same time that Kuri's first several films were and mentioned in passing in the same publication, though these were not known as works of an individual and characteristic filmmaker and often had their Japanese origin played down). He is also known in Japan for his comics, a collection of which earned him the 1958 Bungeishunjū Manga Award. Though he was retired from filmmaking, he continued to illustrate and teach animation at Laputa Art Animation School (アート・アニメーションのちいさな学校, Āto Animēshon no Chiisana Gakkō). Kuri died on November 24, 2024, at the age of 96. His death was announced in the following month, on December 15.
Seiko Tanabe (田辺 聖子, Tanabe Seiko; 27 March 1928 – 6 June 2019) was a Japanese author. She graduated from the…Seiko Tanabe (田辺 聖子, Tanabe Seiko; 27 March 1928 – 6 June 2019) was a Japanese author. She graduated from the Department of Japanese Literature of Shōin Joshi Senmon Gakkō (now Osaka Shoin Women's University). Author of numerous novels, she won the Akutagawa Prize, Yomiuri Prize, and Asahi Prize, and received the Order of Culture for her contributions to literature. She was nicknamed the "L. M. Montgomery of Japan” after her death in 2019.
Ryū Mitsuse (光瀬龍 Mitsuse Ryū, March 18, 1928 - July 7, 1999) was a Japanese novelist, science fiction writer, alternate…Ryū Mitsuse (光瀬龍 Mitsuse Ryū, March 18, 1928 - July 7, 1999) was a Japanese novelist, science fiction writer, alternate history writer, historical novelist, and essayist. Mitsuse is the author of Hyakuoku no Hiru to Sen'oku no Yoru. Among his various works, this SF novel is considered as his representative work. Mitsuse is a founder member and was a member of the SFWJ (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan). In the West he might be best known for manga-related works and the story The Sunset, 2217 A.D. which appeared in Frederik Pohl's "Best Science Fiction for 1972".
Akiko Baba (馬場 あき子, Baba Akiko) (born January 28, 1928) is a Japanese tanka poet and literary critic. Her real name is…Akiko Baba (馬場 あき子, Baba Akiko) (born January 28, 1928) is a Japanese tanka poet and literary critic. Her real name is Akiko Iwata (岩田 暁子, Iwata Akiko).