Naoki Matayoshi (又吉 直樹, Matayoshi Naoki; born June 2, 1980) is a Japanese comedian, screenwriter, and novelist who won…
Naoki Matayoshi (又吉 直樹, Matayoshi Naoki; born June 2, 1980) is a Japanese comedian, screenwriter, and novelist who won the Akutagawa Prize in 2015 for his book Hibana (火花, Spark), which was adapted into the Netflix series Hibana: Spark. Matayoshi is the boke of his comedy duo Peace alongside his partner Yuji Ayabe. Ayabe left Japan for New York in 2016 to continue his comedic career overseas while Matayoshi stayed in Japan, effectively making the duo inactive since then. He is from Neyagawa City in Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Hokuyo Senior High School (presently Kansai University Hokuyo Senior High School).
Famous People from Osaka Prefecture
Osaka Prefecture: 45 people
Eiji Takigawa (滝川 英治, Takigawa Eiji) is a Japanese former actor. Hailed from Osaka, Takigawa graduated from the law…
Eiji Takigawa (滝川 英治, Takigawa Eiji) is a Japanese former actor. Hailed from Osaka, Takigawa graduated from the law department of Kounan Daigaku (Konan University) at Kobe, before he pursued his career in the entertainment industry. During the filming of Yowamushi Pedal 2 in 2017, Takigawa was involved in a biking accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. On March 9, 2020, he announced his retirement from the entertainment industry.
Kikuko Tsumura (津村 記久子, Tsumura Kikuko) is a Japanese writer from Osaka. She has won numerous Japanese literary awards…
Kikuko Tsumura (津村 記久子, Tsumura Kikuko) is a Japanese writer from Osaka. She has won numerous Japanese literary awards, including the Akutagawa Prize, the Noma Literary New Face Prize, the Dazai Osamu Prize, the Kawabata Yasunari Prize, and the Oda Sakunosuke Prize.
Kanako Nishi (西 加奈子, Nishi Kanako; born May 7, 1977) is a Japanese writer and artist. She has won the Oda Sakunosuke…
Kanako Nishi (西 加奈子, Nishi Kanako; born May 7, 1977) is a Japanese writer and artist. She has won the Oda Sakunosuke Prize, the Kawai Hayao Literary Prize, and the Naoki Prize, and several of her books have been adapted for film.
Mieko Kawakami (川上未映子, Kawakami Mieko; born August 29, 1976) is a Japanese writer and poet. She is best known for her…
Mieko Kawakami (川上未映子, Kawakami Mieko; born August 29, 1976) is a Japanese writer and poet. She is best known for her 2019 novel Breasts and Eggs, an expanded and reworked version of her 2008 novella Chichi to Ran (乳と卵; lit. 'Breasts and Eggs'). Following the international success of Breasts and Eggs multiple of her earlier novels and most of her works since have been translated into English, among many other languages, and distributed internationally. Among them are Heaven (2009) and All the Lovers in the Night (2011), as well as Sisters in Yellow (2023), her first novel released since Breasts and Eggs. Her work is known for her "philosophical explorations of gender, class and ethics in modern society" and slice of life style. Kawakami's books often revolve around women and children. Kawakami's work has won several literary awards, including the 2007 Akutagawa Prize for Chichi to Ran, the 2009 Murasaki Shikibu Prize for Heaven and the 2013 Tanizaki Prize for her short story collection Ai no yume to ka (愛の夢とか), among many more.
Aoki Takamasa (青木孝允, Aoki Takamasa) (sometimes stylized as AOKI takamasa) (born 1976), is a Japanese electronic…
Aoki Takamasa (青木孝允, Aoki Takamasa) (sometimes stylized as AOKI takamasa) (born 1976), is a Japanese electronic musician and producer.
Tomoka Shibasaki (柴崎 友香, Shibasaki Tomoka; born October 20, 1973) is a Japanese writer from Osaka. She has won the Noma…
Tomoka Shibasaki (柴崎 友香, Shibasaki Tomoka; born October 20, 1973) is a Japanese writer from Osaka. She has won the Noma Literary New Face Prize and the Akutagawa Prize, and two of her works have been adapted for film.
Toshikazu Kawaguchi (川口 俊和; born 3 April 1971) is a Japanese author, screenwriter, and director born in Osaka, Japan.…
Toshikazu Kawaguchi (川口 俊和; born 3 April 1971) is a Japanese author, screenwriter, and director born in Osaka, Japan. He has received the Grand Prize of the Suginami Theatre Festival for his stage version of Before the Coffee Gets Cold as well as having been nominated for the Bookseller's Award for the novel version. The novel has been translated into 46 languages, selling over six million copies. He has produced, directed, and wrote for theatrical group Sonic Snail. His works explore themes of love, loss, grief, and kindness.
Ryuhei Kitamura (北村龍平, Kitamura Ryūhei; May 30, 1969) is a Japanese film director, producer, and screenwriter. Kitamura…
Ryuhei Kitamura (北村龍平, Kitamura Ryūhei; May 30, 1969) is a Japanese film director, producer, and screenwriter. Kitamura relocated to Sydney, Australia at age 17 and attended a school for visual arts for two years. In 1997, Kitamura directed and produced the short film Down to Hell, which received a positive response from students, teachers, and an award which motivated Kitamura to seriously pursue a film career. He went on to independently finance and direct his feature film debut Versus (2000). The film proved to be successful within the film festival circuit and opened doors for Kitamura to direct more high-profile films such as Alive (2002), Sky High (2003), Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), The Midnight Meat Train (2008), No One Lives (2012), the live-action adaptation of Lupin the 3rd (2014), and several other Japanese and Hollywood productions.
Yukiko Mishima (Japanese: 三島有紀子) is a Japanese film director born (1969-04-22)April 22, 1969 in Kita-ku, Osaka. Her…
Yukiko Mishima (Japanese: 三島有紀子) is a Japanese film director born (1969-04-22)April 22, 1969 in Kita-ku, Osaka. Her first feature film, Shisei: Nihohi tsuki no gotoku, based on the Jun'ichirō Tanizaki story "The Tatooer", was released in 2009. She received best director from the Hochi Film Award in 2017 for Dear Etranger, and Special Grand Prix of the Jury award at the Montreal World Film Festival. Shape of Red, an adaptation of Rio Shimamoto's 2014 novel Reddo, was released in 2020. She is a graduate of Kobe College.
Naoyuki Tomomatsu (友松 直之, Tomomatsu Naoyuki) (born 1967) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter who has worked in…
Naoyuki Tomomatsu (友松 直之, Tomomatsu Naoyuki) (born 1967) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter who has worked in the pink film and horror genres.
Kenji Yanobe (ヤノベケンジ Yanobe Kenji) is a Japanese contemporary artist known for his upbeat yet dystopian artwork. His…
Kenji Yanobe (ヤノベケンジ Yanobe Kenji) is a Japanese contemporary artist known for his upbeat yet dystopian artwork. His sculpture simulates consumer products designed for survival after a nuclear holocaust. He is a professor at Kyoto University of Art and Design. He is also the director of Ultra Factory there. He was born in Ibaraki City, Osaka. After graduating from high school, he studied at Kyoto City University of Arts in 1989, majoring in sculpture. After studying at the Royal College of Art in England for a short time, he completed the Graduate School of Kyoto City University of Arts in 1991.
Yuka Ishii (石井 遊佳, Ishii Yūka; born 1963) is a Japanese writer. Her book Hyakunen doro (100 Years Mud) won the 154th…
Yuka Ishii (石井 遊佳, Ishii Yūka; born 1963) is a Japanese writer. Her book Hyakunen doro (100 Years Mud) won the 154th Akutagawa Prize and the 49th Shincho Prize for New Writers.
Kenichi Sonoda (園田 健一, Sonoda Ken'ichi; born 13 December 1962) is a Japanese manga artist and animation character…
Kenichi Sonoda (園田 健一, Sonoda Ken'ichi; born 13 December 1962) is a Japanese manga artist and animation character designer.
Machida Kō (町田 康, Machida Kō; born Machida Yasushi on 15 January 1962) is a Japanese author, punk rock singer, poet…
Machida Kō (町田 康, Machida Kō; born Machida Yasushi on 15 January 1962) is a Japanese author, punk rock singer, poet, and actor.
Makate Asai (朝井 まかて, Asai Makate) is a Japanese writer of historical fiction. She has won the Naoki Prize and the Oda…
Makate Asai (朝井 まかて, Asai Makate) is a Japanese writer of historical fiction. She has won the Naoki Prize and the Oda Sakunosuke Prize, and two of her novels have been adapted for television by NHK.
Masahide Uehara (上原 正英, Uehara Masahide; born April 26, 1959), known by his pen name Alice Arisugawa (有栖川有栖, Arisugawa…
Masahide Uehara (上原 正英, Uehara Masahide; born April 26, 1959), known by his pen name Alice Arisugawa (有栖川有栖, Arisugawa Arisu), is a Japanese mystery writer. He is one of the representative writers of the new traditionalist movement in Japanese mystery writing and was the first president of the Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan from 2000 to 2005. He has also served as part of the selection committee for various literary awards, most notably the Ayukawa Tetsuya Award from 1996 to 1999 and Edogawa Rampo Prize from 2014 to 2017.
Taku Ashibe (芦辺 拓, Ashibe Taku; born 21 May 1958) is a Japanese mystery writer. He is a member of the Honkaku Mystery…
Taku Ashibe (芦辺 拓, Ashibe Taku; born 21 May 1958) is a Japanese mystery writer. He is a member of the Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan and one of the representative writers of the new traditionalist movement in Japanese mystery writing.
Yuko Takada Keller (高田ケラー有子, Yuko Takada Keller; born May 1, 1958) is an artist, curator and essayist based in…
Yuko Takada Keller (高田ケラー有子, Yuko Takada Keller; born May 1, 1958) is an artist, curator and essayist based in Helsinge, Denmark since 1997. The first exhibition in Denmark was in 1996, container '96 in Copenhagen. She started her art activities in 1982 with woolen tapestries, though, 1985, she traveled around Northern Europe to change her art expression to be hanging sculpture. She creates delicate and ethereal hanging sculptures using tracing paper. After she moved to Denmark in 1997, she primarily exhibits her works in cultural centers and other public spaces, excelling in site-specific installations. In addition to showcasing her own creations, she also works as a curator, organizing exhibitions that introduce numerous Japanese artists to Denmark. Notably, the exhibition "Japanese Suppleness" that she curated was a great success, as Queen Margrethe II visited and guided her exhibition tour. She has also collaborated with musicians in the context of her exhibitions. In recent years, while continuing to use laminated tracing paper, she has incorporated elements of light into her works, utilizing mirror sheets, holographic sheets, and other flexible materials that enhance durability for the public space. She has also written some essays in Japanese newspapers, magazines etc. From 2004 to 2010, she wrote essays for JMM (Japanese Mail Media) as a Japanese citizen residing abroad. Her book about Danish child rearing was published in 2005, from NHK Publishing Co., Ltd. As a volunteer, she has been supporting the school exchange project between Nordstjerneskolen in Helsinge, where her son used to be a student, and the primary school and junior high school in Miyama, Kyoto, Japan, since 2016. Additionally, she contributes to cultural exchange between the two countries through art workshops and by introducing lifestyles and social backgrounds.
Akio Ishii (Japanese: 石井朗夫, Hepburn: Ishii Akio; born October 19, 1955), known professionally as LaSalle Ishii (ラサール石井…
Akio Ishii (Japanese: 石井朗夫, Hepburn: Ishii Akio; born October 19, 1955), known professionally as LaSalle Ishii (ラサール石井, Rasāru Ishii), is a Japanese TV personality, actor, director, writer, columnist, and politician. He named himself after his high school Japanese La Salle Academy. His best-known anime role is Kankichi Ryotsu the lead character in Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo which ran from 1999 to 2004 for 373 episodes. In 2025, he ran in the House of Councillors election in the proportional representation district as a member of the Social Democratic Party, winning a seat. On September 24 the same year, the managerial committee of SDP announced it approved his inauguration as its Vice-Chairman.
Noboru Rokuda (六田登, Rokuda Noboru; born July 23, 1952 in Yao, Osaka Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. He…
Noboru Rokuda (六田登, Rokuda Noboru; born July 23, 1952 in Yao, Osaka Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. He made his professional debut in 1978 with Saigo Test, for which he won the Shogakukan New Artist Award. He won the 1991 Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga for F.
Keiko Iwasaka (岩阪恵子; born June 17, 1946) is a Japanese novelist.
Toshio Moriuchi (森内 俊雄, Moriuchi Toshio; December 12, 1936 – August 5, 2023) was a Japanese author. He was born in…
Toshio Moriuchi (森内 俊雄, Moriuchi Toshio; December 12, 1936 – August 5, 2023) was a Japanese author. He was born in Osaka Prefecture and graduated from Waseda University. He won the 42nd Yomiuri Prize (1990) for Hyōga ga kuru made ni. Moriuchi died from pneumonia on August 5, 2023, at the age of 86.
Taeko Tomioka (富岡 多恵子, Tomioka Taeko; July 28, 1935 – April 6, 2023) was a Japanese writer. She was born in Osaka, was…
Taeko Tomioka (富岡 多恵子, Tomioka Taeko; July 28, 1935 – April 6, 2023) was a Japanese writer. She was born in Osaka, was educated at Osaka Women's College, worked as a high school English teacher and moved to Tokyo in 1960. Tomioka visited New York City in 1964 and returned home to Japan in 1966. In 1969, she married Suga Kishio. Tomioka published several collections of poems. Henrei (1958) won the Mr. H Prize (H-shi Shō), awarded by the Association of Contemporary Japanese Poets. Monogatari no akuru hi (1961) received the 'Muro Saisei Prize. Tomioka also wrote a poetical drama Matsuri (1959) and a screenplay Shinju ten no Amijima (Double suicide, 1968). In 1971, she published the novel Oka ni mukatte hito wa narabu (Facing the Hills they stand). In 1974, Tomioka wrote Shokubutsu sai, which received the Tamura Toshiko Prize. In 1974, she published Meido no kazoku (Family in hell), which received the Women's Literature Prize. Her 1983 novel Namiutsu tochi was published in English as Building Waves (2012: ISBN 9781564787156). Tomioka also translated some English works by authors such as Gertrude Stein into Japanese. She has also produced essays on literature from a feminist viewpoint. In 1993, she published Nobuyoshi Araki: Akt-Tokyo, 1971-1991, a book of erotic photography. In 1997, Tomioka wrote Hiberunia kikō (A journey to Ireland), which received the Noma Literary Prize. In 2000, The Funeral of a Giraffe: Seven Stories, a collection of her stories translated from Japanese to English, was published. Tomioka died on April 6, 2023, at the age of 87.
Kotaro Ikeguchi (13 July 1935 – 8 February 2019), known by his pen name Taichi Sakaiya, was a Japanese economist and…
Kotaro Ikeguchi (13 July 1935 – 8 February 2019), known by his pen name Taichi Sakaiya, was a Japanese economist and author.
Taku Mayumura (眉村 卓 Mayumura Taku, 20 October 1934 – 3 November 2019) was a Japanese novelist, science fiction writer…
Taku Mayumura (眉村 卓 Mayumura Taku, 20 October 1934 – 3 November 2019) was a Japanese novelist, science fiction writer and haiku poet. He won the Seiun Award for Novel twice. His novel Shiseikan (司政官, Administrator, one story of the "Shiseikan series"), written in 1974, was translated into English by Daniel Jackson in 2004. Mayumura was also a young adult fiction writer whose works have been adapted into TV drama, film, and anime. Mayumura was an honorary member of the SFWJ (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan).
Yasutaka Tsutsui (筒井 康隆, Tsutsui Yasutaka; born September 24, 1934 in Osaka) is a Japanese novelist, science fiction…
Yasutaka Tsutsui (筒井 康隆, Tsutsui Yasutaka; born September 24, 1934 in Osaka) is a Japanese novelist, science fiction author, and actor. His Yumenokizaka bunkiten won the Tanizaki Prize in 1987. He has also won the 1981 Izumi Kyoka award, the 1989 Kawabata Yasunari award, and the 1992 Nihon SF Taisho Award.
Oda Makoto (小田 実, Oda Makoto; June 2, 1932 – July 30, 2007) was a Japanese novelist, peace activist, academic and Time…
Oda Makoto (小田 実, Oda Makoto; June 2, 1932 – July 30, 2007) was a Japanese novelist, peace activist, academic and Time Asian Hero.
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.
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.
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.
Taeko Kono (河野多惠子, Kōno Taeko; February 24, 1926 – January 29, 2015) was a Japanese writer who was active during the…
Taeko Kono (河野多惠子, Kōno Taeko; February 24, 1926 – January 29, 2015) was a Japanese writer who was active during the latter half of the 20th century. Kōno belonged to a generation of female Japanese writers who became more well-known in the 1960s and 70s. She established a reputation for herself as an acerbic essayist, a playwright, and a literary critic. By the end of her life, she played a role in Japan's literary establishment and one of the first female writers to serve on the Akutagawa Literary Prize committee. Kenzaburō Ōe, Japan's Nobel Laureate, described her as one of the most lucidly intelligent female writers in Japan, and the US critic and academic Masao Miyoshi identified her as among the most "critically alert and historically intelligent". US critic and academic Davinder Bhowmik described her as one of the truly original voices of the twentieth century, beyond questions of gender or nationality. A writer who deals with dark themes, Kōno is known to many English speaking readers because of her collection of short stories Toddler-Hunting and Other Stories (New Directions, 1996).
Kōichi Iiboshi (also Koichi or Kohichi) (飯干晃一, Iiboshi Kōichi 2 June 1927, in Osaka – 2 March 1996, in Tokyo) was a…
Kōichi Iiboshi (also Koichi or Kohichi) (飯干晃一, Iiboshi Kōichi 2 June 1927, in Osaka – 2 March 1996, in Tokyo) was a Japanese journalist for Yomiuri Shimbun and author.
Toyoko Yamasaki (山崎 豊子, Yamasaki Toyoko; real name Sugimoto Toyoko (杉本 豊子); 3 November 1924 – 29 September 2013) was a…
Toyoko Yamasaki (山崎 豊子, Yamasaki Toyoko; real name Sugimoto Toyoko (杉本 豊子); 3 November 1924 – 29 September 2013) was a Japanese novelist. A native of Osaka, Yamasaki worked as a journalist for the Mainichi Shimbun from 1945 to 1959 after graduating from Kyoto Women's University in Japanese literature. She published her first story, Noren (1957), a story of a kelp trader, based on the experiences of her family's business. The following year, she won the Naoki Prize for her second novel Hana Noren, the story about the founder of an entertainment group. A major influence on her writings of that period was Yasushi Inoue, who was deputy head of the Mainichi Shimbun's cultural news desk. Yamasaki wrote some stories based on actual events. For example, Futatsu no Sokoku is derived from the biography of a Japanese American David Akira Itami, and Shizumanu Taiyō is based on the Japan Air Lines Flight 123 accident. Several works of hers were featured in films and television dramas.
Aiko Satō (佐藤 愛子, Satō Aiko; 5 November 1923 – 29 April 2026) was a Japanese writer.
Yasusuke Gomi (20 December 1921 – 1 April 1980), known by his pen name Kosuke Gomi (五味 康祐, Gomi Kōsuke), was a Japanese…
Yasusuke Gomi (20 December 1921 – 1 April 1980), known by his pen name Kosuke Gomi (五味 康祐, Gomi Kōsuke), was a Japanese novelist active during the Shōwa period of Japan. He is primarily known for his popular fiction on historical themes.
Sakunosuke Oda (織田 作之助, Oda Sakunosuke; October 26, 1913 – January 10, 1947) was a Japanese writer. He is often grouped…
Sakunosuke Oda (織田 作之助, Oda Sakunosuke; October 26, 1913 – January 10, 1947) was a Japanese writer. He is often grouped with Osamu Dazai and Ango Sakaguchi as the Buraiha. Literally meaning ruffian or hoodlum faction, this label was not a matter of a stylistic school but one bestowed upon them by conservative critics disparaging the authors' attitudes and subject matter.
Michio Takeyama (竹山 道雄, Takeyama Michio; 17 July 1903 – 15 June 1984) was a Japanese writer, literary critic and…
Michio Takeyama (竹山 道雄, Takeyama Michio; 17 July 1903 – 15 June 1984) was a Japanese writer, literary critic and scholar of German literature, active in Shōwa period Japan.
Shigeko Yuki (由起 しげ子, Yuki Shigeko; 2 December 1900 – 30 December 1969) was a Japanese writer and laureate of the…
Shigeko Yuki (由起 しげ子, Yuki Shigeko; 2 December 1900 – 30 December 1969) was a Japanese writer and laureate of the Akutagawa Prize.
Sōichi Ōya (大宅 壮一, Ōya Sōichi; 13 September 1900 – 22 November 1970) was a Japanese journalist noted for his research…
Sōichi Ōya (大宅 壮一, Ōya Sōichi; 13 September 1900 – 22 November 1970) was a Japanese journalist noted for his research and commentaries on popular culture.
Sanjugo Naoki (直木 三十五, Naoki Sanjūgo) was a pen name of a novelist in Taishō and Shōwa period Japan. His real name was…
Sanjugo Naoki (直木 三十五, Naoki Sanjūgo) was a pen name of a novelist in Taishō and Shōwa period Japan. His real name was Sōichi Uemura (植村 宗一, Uemura Sōichi).
Bizan Kawakami (川上 眉山, Kawakami Bizan; March 5, 1869 – June 15, 1908) was a Japanese novelist of the Meiji era. His…
Bizan Kawakami (川上 眉山, Kawakami Bizan; March 5, 1869 – June 15, 1908) was a Japanese novelist of the Meiji era. His real name was Akira Kawakami (川上 亮, Kawakami Akira). Born in Osaka Prefecture, he dropped out of the school of liberal arts in Tokyo University and joined Ken'yusha. After struggling with the rise of naturalist literature yet remaining a popular author until his death, he died by suicide at age 40. Aozora Bunko has a digitalized collection of his works.
Keigo Higashino (Japanese: 東野 圭吾, Hepburn: Higashino Keigo; February 4, 1958 – July 23, 2026) was a Japanese author…
Keigo Higashino (Japanese: 東野 圭吾, Hepburn: Higashino Keigo; February 4, 1958 – July 23, 2026) was a Japanese author chiefly known for his mystery novels. He served as the 13th President of Mystery Writers of Japan from 2009 to 2013. Higashino won major Japanese awards for his books, almost twenty of which have been turned into films and television series.
Motojirō Kajii (梶井 基次郎, Kajii Motojirō; also Motojirou Kajii, February 17, 1901 – March 24, 1932) was a Japanese writer…
Motojirō Kajii (梶井 基次郎, Kajii Motojirō; also Motojirou Kajii, February 17, 1901 – March 24, 1932) was a Japanese writer in the early Shōwa period known for his poetic short stories. Kajii's works included Remon (檸檬; "Lemon"), "Shiro no aru machi nite" (城のある町にて; "In a Castle Town"). Fuyu no hi (冬の日; "Winter Days") and Sakura no ki no shita ni wa (櫻の樹の下には; "Beneath the Cherry Trees"). His poetic works were praised by fellow writers including Yasunari Kawabata and Yukio Mishima. Today his works are admired for their finely tuned self-observation and descriptive power. Despite the limited body of work he created during his short lifetime, Kajii has managed to leave a lasting footprint on Japanese culture. "Lemon" is a staple of literature textbooks. According to a report in major daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun, many high school students have emulated the protagonist's defiant act of leaving a lemon in the book section of Maruzen, a department store chain. The opening line of "Under the Cherry Trees" (Dead bodies are buried under the cherry trees!) is popularly quoted in reference to hanami, the Japanese custom of cherry blossom viewing.
Yasunari Kawabata (川端 康成, Kawabata Yasunari; Japanese pronunciation: [ka.wa.ba.ta (|) ja.sɯꜜ.na.ɾʲi], 11 June 1899 – 16…
Yasunari Kawabata (川端 康成, Kawabata Yasunari; Japanese pronunciation: [ka.wa.ba.ta (|) ja.sɯꜜ.na.ɾʲi], 11 June 1899 – 16 April 1972) was a Japanese novelist and short story writer whose spare, lyrical, subtly-shaded prose works won him the 1968 Nobel Prize in Literature, the first Japanese author to receive the award. His works have enjoyed broad international appeal and are still widely read.