Shōtarō Yasuoka


Shōtarō Yasuoka was a Japanese writer.

Biography

Yasuoka was born in pre-war 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." Yasuoka died in his home at age 92 in Tokyo, Japan.

Awards

As an influential Japanese writer, Yasuoka's work has won him various prizes and awards. Notably, he received the Akutagawa Prize for Inki na tanoshimi and Warui nakama ; Kaihen no kōkei won him the Noma Literary Prize; and his Maku ga orite kara won the Mainichi Cultural Prize. He also received the Yomiuri Literary Prize for Hate mo nai dōchūki ; and the Osaragi Jirō Prize for Kagamigawa.
A leading figure in post-war Japanese literature, in 2001 Yasuoka was recognized by the Japanese government as a Person of Cultural Merit.

Literature

Japanese titleEnglish titleYearEnglish translation, year
愛玩
"Aigan"
Prized Possessions1952Edwin McClellan, 1977
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