Kaga Otohiko
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
author
.
, and studied psychiatry and criminology at the University of Tokyo
Medical School. He worked in a hospital and then prison before going to France in 1957 for further studies. After returning to Japan in 1960, Kaga took up university teaching, and was a psychology professor at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University
(1965-1969) and Sophia University
(1969 - 1979).
Kaga wrote several novels based on his time in France, including Arechi o tabi suru monotachi (Travelers through the Wasteland) and Furandoru no fuyu (Winter in Flanders) which won the Minister of Education Award for New Artists in 1968. His 1973 novel Kaerazaru natsu (帰らざる夏, A Summer Long Gone), on the tragic consequences of a young man's military indoctrination during World War II
received the Tanizaki Prize
. His 1982 historical fiction about World War II
, Ikari no nai fune (Riding the East Wind), has been translated to English to good reviews.
He has been a full-time writer since 1979. In 1987 he was converted to Catholicism
at the age of 58 through the influence of Shusaku Endo
.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
.
Biography
Kaga was born in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, and studied psychiatry and criminology at the University of Tokyo
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
Medical School. He worked in a hospital and then prison before going to France in 1957 for further studies. After returning to Japan in 1960, Kaga took up university teaching, and was a psychology professor at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University
Tokyo Medical and Dental University
is part of Japan's national university system. Tokyo Medical and Dental University offers baccalaureate and graduate degrees in medicine, dentistry, and related fields.- History :...
(1965-1969) and Sophia University
Sophia University
There are several rankings below related to Sophia University.-General Rankings:The university was ranked 61st in 2010 in the ranking Truly Strong Universities by Toyo Keizai...
(1969 - 1979).
Kaga wrote several novels based on his time in France, including Arechi o tabi suru monotachi (Travelers through the Wasteland) and Furandoru no fuyu (Winter in Flanders) which won the Minister of Education Award for New Artists in 1968. His 1973 novel Kaerazaru natsu (帰らざる夏, A Summer Long Gone), on the tragic consequences of a young man's military indoctrination during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
received the Tanizaki Prize
Tanizaki Prize
The Tanizaki Prize , named in honor of the Japanese novelist Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, is one of Japan's most sought-after literary awards. It was established in 1965 by the publishing company Chūō Kōronsha Inc. to commemorate its 80th anniversary as a publisher...
. His 1982 historical fiction about World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Ikari no nai fune (Riding the East Wind), has been translated to English to good reviews.
He has been a full-time writer since 1979. In 1987 he was converted to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
at the age of 58 through the influence of Shusaku Endo
Shusaku Endo
Shūsaku Endō was a 20th-century Japanese author who wrote from the unusual perspective of being both Japanese and Catholic...
.
Major awards
- 1968 Minister of Education Award for New Artists for Furandoru no fuyu (Winter in Flanders)
- 1974 Tanizaki PrizeTanizaki PrizeThe Tanizaki Prize , named in honor of the Japanese novelist Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, is one of Japan's most sought-after literary awards. It was established in 1965 by the publishing company Chūō Kōronsha Inc. to commemorate its 80th anniversary as a publisher...
for Kaerazaru natsu (帰らざる夏, A Summer Long Gone) - 1979 Japan Literature Grand Prize for Senkoku (The Verdict)
- 1985 Osaragi Jiro Prize for Shitsugen (The Marsh)
- 2011 Person of Cultural MeritPerson of Cultural Meritis 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...
Selected works in translation
- Riding the East Wind: A Novel of War and Peace (Ikari no nai fune), trans. Ian Hideo LevyHideo Levyis an American-born Japanese Language author. He was born in California and educated in Taiwan, America, and Japan.He gained attention in Japan for his work Seijōki no Kikoenai Heya published in 1992, which won the Noma Literary Award for New Writers. He is one of the first Americans to write...
, Kodansha America, 2002. ISBN 4-7700-2856-3.
External links
- Riding the East Wind - book review