Hiroshi Sakagami
Encyclopedia
is a noted Japan
ese author. As of 2009, he is also president of the Japan Writers' Association and director of Keio University Press.
Sakagami was born in Tokyo. After moving several times during his school years (Akasaka
, Kumamoto City
, Kagoshima City), he entered Keio University
where he studied formal logic
. In 1960 he took a job with Riken Optical Industry (now Ricoh
), which he left in 1995 to become an advisor to the Keio University Press.
Sakagami's first novel, published at age 19, was nominated for the 1955 Akutagawa Prize
. His subsequent novels have often focused on social groups driven by strong ideologies, including Asa no mura (Village in the Morning, 1966) which describes the collapse of a community based on a theory of chicken breeding as the ideal organisation of society, Keita no sentaku (Keita's Decision, 1998) in which the protagonist joins a religious sect in the mountains, and Nemuran ka na (Should I sleep?, 2004) which describes how a generation devoted to Zen
philosophy became entrepreneurs in the Japanese post-war economic miracle
.
Sakagami has received a number of awards for his writings, including the 1991 Yomiuri Prize
for Yasashii teihakuchi, the 1992 Noma Literary Prize
for Denen fukei, the Chūōkōron Prize for Aru aki no dekigoto (An Incident in Autumn), the New Writer's Prize of the Ministry of Culture, and the Kawabata Prize. In 2008 he became a member of the Japan Art Academy
.
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. As of 2009, he is also president of the Japan Writers' Association and director of Keio University Press.
Sakagami was born in Tokyo. After moving several times during his school years (Akasaka
Akasaka, Tokyo
is a residential and commercial district of Minato, Tokyo, located west of the government center in Nagatachō and north of the Roppongi nightlife district....
, Kumamoto City
Kumamoto, Kumamoto
is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. Greater Kumamoto has a population of 1,460,000, as of the 2000 census...
, Kagoshima City), he entered Keio University
Keio University
,abbreviated as Keio or Keidai , is a Japanese university located in Minato, Tokyo. It is known as the oldest institute of higher education in Japan. Founder Fukuzawa Yukichi originally established it as a school for Western studies in 1858 in Edo . It has eleven campuses in Tokyo and Kanagawa...
where he studied formal logic
Formal logic
Classical or traditional system of determining the validity or invalidity of a conclusion deduced from two or more statements...
. In 1960 he took a job with Riken Optical Industry (now Ricoh
Ricoh
or Ricoh, is a Japanese company that was established in 1936 on February 6th, as , a company in the RIKEN zaibatsu. Its headquarters is located in Ricoh Building in Chūō, Tokyo....
), which he left in 1995 to become an advisor to the Keio University Press.
Sakagami's first novel, published at age 19, was nominated for the 1955 Akutagawa Prize
Akutagawa 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...
. His subsequent novels have often focused on social groups driven by strong ideologies, including Asa no mura (Village in the Morning, 1966) which describes the collapse of a community based on a theory of chicken breeding as the ideal organisation of society, Keita no sentaku (Keita's Decision, 1998) in which the protagonist joins a religious sect in the mountains, and Nemuran ka na (Should I sleep?, 2004) which describes how a generation devoted to Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
philosophy became entrepreneurs in the Japanese post-war economic miracle
Japanese post-war economic miracle
The Japanese post-war economic miracle is the name given to the historical phenomenon of Japan's record period of economic growth following World War II, spurred mainly by Japanese economic policy, in particular through the Ministry of International Trade and Industry...
.
Sakagami has received a number of awards for his writings, including the 1991 Yomiuri Prize
Yomiuri Prize
The is a prestigious literary award in Japan. The prize was founded in 1948 by the Yomiuri Shinbun Company to help form a "cultural nation". The winner is awarded one million Japanese yen and an inkstone.-Award categories:...
for Yasashii teihakuchi, the 1992 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...
for Denen fukei, the Chūōkōron Prize for Aru aki no dekigoto (An Incident in Autumn), the New Writer's Prize of the Ministry of Culture, and the Kawabata Prize. In 2008 he became a member of the Japan Art Academy
Japan Art Academy
is the highest ranking artistic organization in Japan. The Academy discusses art-related issues, advises the Minister of Education on art-related issues, and promotes art is the highest ranking artistic organization in Japan. The Academy discusses art-related issues, advises the Minister of...
.