was a Japanese writer of novels, short stories, poetry and essays, noted for his political consciousness. His most acclaimed works include ''Hiroba no kōdoku'' (lit. "Solitude in the Public Square", 1951), which was awarded the Akutagawa Prize, and ''Kage no bubun'' (''Shadow Pieces'', 1952). Hotta has also been associated with the Atomic bomb literature genre.

Biography

A graduate from

Keio University , mottoeng = The pen is mightier than the sword , type = Private research coeducational higher education institution , established = 1858 , founder = Yukichi Fukuzawa , endowmen ...

, Hotta already published poems and essays in the literary journal ''Hihyō'' during his student years. He experienced the end of the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...

in Shanghai, where he stayed for two years to write for the Chinese Nationalist Party before returning to Japan in 1947. His early works centered on Japan's recent history, thematising events like the

bombing of Hiroshima The United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, respectively. The two bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and remain the on ...

(in ''Kage no bubun'', 1952, or ''Shimpan'', 1963) or the Nanjing Massacre (in ''Jikan'', 1955), and life in Japan during the early post-war years. Later, he turned his attention also to International relationships and history, attending meetings of the Afro-Asian Writers' Association and writing books about historic figures like Goya,

Montaigne Michel Eyquem, Sieur de Montaigne ( ; ; 28 February 1533 – 13 September 1592), also known as the Lord of Montaigne, was one of the most significant philosophers of the French Renaissance. He is known for popularizing the essay as a liter ...

and

François de La Rochefoucauld François de La Rochefoucauld may refer to: * François III de La Rochefoucauld (1521–1572), French courtier and soldier * François de La Rochefoucauld (writer) (1613–1680), French author * François de La Rochefoucauld (cardinal) (1558–164 ...

Selected works

* 1951: ''Hiroba no kōdoku'' * 1952: ''Kage no bubun'' (''Shadow Pieces'') * 1952: ''Kankan'' * 1952: ''Rekishi'' * 1955: ''Jikan'' * 1957: ''Indo de kangaeta koto'' * 1963: ''Shimpan'' (''Judgment'') * 1971: ''Hōjōki shiki'' * 1974–77: ''Goya'' * 1991–94: ''Misheru jōkan no hito'' * 1998: ''Ra Roshufūkō kōshaku densetsu''

Awards

* 1951: Akutagawa Prize for ''Hiroba no kōdoku'' * 1971:

Mainichi Publishing Culture Award is an annual award given to distinguished literary works and activities in the sectors literature and art, humanities and social science, natural science, and encyclopedic work, plus a special award. It was founded in 1947 and is sponsored by the M ...

for ''Hōjōki shiki'' * 1977: Jirō Osaragi Prize for ''Goya'' * 1977:

Lotus Prize for Literature The Lotus Prize for Literature (also known as Lotus International Reward for Literature or The Lotus Prize for African and Asian Literature) is a literary award presented annually to African and Asian authors by the Afro-Asian Writers' Associat ...

* 1994: Asahi Prize * 1998: Japan Art Academy Prize for Literature

Adaptations

''Hiroba no kōdoku'' was adapted into a film in 1953, written by Katsuhito Inomata and directed by and starring Shin Saburi. Together with

Shin'ichirō Nakamura was a Japanese author. Prizes * 1978 Tanizaki Prize for ''Natsu'' (Summer, 夏) English translations * The Genie and Her Magic Bottle', translated by Hanabusa, ''Prism International ''Prism International'' (styled ''PRISM international ...

and Takehiko Fukunaga, Hotta wrote the original story which was later adapted into the

kaiju is a Japanese media genre that focuses on stories involving giant monsters. The word ''kaiju'' can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monster ...

film '' Mothra'', first published in '' Asahi Shimbun''.

Bibliography

* * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hotta, Yoshie 1918 births 1998 deaths 20th-century Japanese novelists Japanese historical novelists People from Toyama Prefecture Keio University alumni Akutagawa Prize winners 20th-century Japanese male writers Writers from Toyama Prefecture