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is a Japanese
novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...
,
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
author, and actor. His ''Yumenokizaka bunkiten'' won the
Tanizaki Prize The Tanizaki Prize (谷崎潤一郎賞 ''Tanizaki Jun'ichirō Shō''), 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 K� ...
in 1987. He has also won the 1981 Izumi Kyoka award, the 1989
Kawabata Yasunari was a Japanese novelist and short story writer whose spare, lyrical, subtly shaded prose works won him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968, the first Japanese author to receive the award. His works have enjoyed broad international appeal a ...
award, and the 1992
Nihon SF Taisho Award The is a Japanese science fiction award. It has been compared to the Nebula Award as it is given by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan or SFWJ. The Grand Prize is selected from not only Science Fiction novels, but also various SF mo ...
.


Writing style

His work is known for its dark humour and satirical content. He has often satirized Japanese taboos such as disabilities and the
Tenno The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his positio ...
system, and has been victim to much criticism as a result. His works are seen as the basis for Japan's
postmodern Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of moderni ...
science fiction. Features of his work include
psychoanalysis PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: + . is a set of theories and therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a body of knowledge. In what might b ...
and
surrealism Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...
, which were themes of his 1957
master's thesis A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...
. He has dealt with themes such as
time travel Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a w ...
in ''
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a science fiction novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui. Originally serialized from 1965 to 1966, it tells the story of a high-school girl who accidentally acquires the ability to Time travel in fiction, time travel, which leads to a time loop where sh ...
'' (1965), a
massively multiplayer online game A massively multiplayer online game (MMOG or more commonly MMO) is an online video game with a large number of players, often hundreds or thousands, on the same server. MMOs usually feature a huge, persistent world, persistent open world, alt ...
's
virtual world A virtual world (also called a virtual space) is a computer-simulated environment which may be populated by many users who can create a personal avatar, and simultaneously and independently explore the virtual world, participate in its activities ...
in ''Gaspard in the Morning'' (1992), and dream worlds in ''
Paprika Paprika ( US , ; UK , ) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from ''Capsicum annuum'' varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder an ...
'' (1993).


Adaptations

One of Tsutsui's first novels, '' Toki o Kakeru Shōjo'' (1967), has been adapted into numerous media including film, television and manga. Another novel, ''
Paprika Paprika ( US , ; UK , ) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from ''Capsicum annuum'' varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder an ...
'' (1993), was adapted into an
animated film Animation is a method by which image, still figures are manipulated to appear as Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent cel, celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited ...
by the director
Satoshi Kon was a Japanese film director, animator, screenwriter and manga artist from Sapporo, Hokkaido and a member of the Japanese Animation Creators Association (JAniCA). He was a graduate of the Graphic Design department of the Musashino Art Univer ...
in 2006. Many other works, including the four-part novel ''Fugō Keiji'' (Millionaire Detective), have been dramatized on Japanese television.


Controversies

Tsutsui has gained notoriety for his politically incorrect humor and views. On April 4, 2017, Tsutsui was criticized because he posted a tweet referring to the '' Statue of Peace'', a memorial to victims of sexual slavery during World War II, stating, "That girl is cute. Everyone, let's go and ejaculate in front of her and shower her with
semen Semen, also known as seminal fluid, is an organic bodily fluid created to contain spermatozoa. It is secreted by the gonads (sexual glands) and other sexual organs of male or hermaphroditic animals and can fertilize the female ovum. Semen i ...
." on his Twitter. The tweet has long since been deleted. Tsutsui also later backtracked on his claims and apologized for it.


English translations

The novel ''What the Maid Saw'', translated by Adam Kabat, was published by Kodansha America Inc. (USA) in 1990, and again by Alma Books (UK) as ''The Maid'' in 2010. ''
Salmonella Men on Planet Porno ''Salmonella Men on Planet Porno'' (2006) is a collection of short stories by Japanese science fiction and metafiction writer Yasutaka Tsutsui, in English translation by Andrew Driver. Not to be confused with the original Japanese collection ポ ...
'', a collection of short stories translated by Andrew Driver, was published by Alma Books (UK) in October 2006 and again by Pantheon Books (USA) in 2008. The novel ''Hell'', translated by Evan Emswiler, was published by Alma Books in October 2007. The novel ''
Paprika Paprika ( US , ; UK , ) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from ''Capsicum annuum'' varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder an ...
'', translated by Andrew Driver, was published by Alma Books in April 2009 and again by Vintage Contemporaries (USA) in 2013. The novella ''The Girl Who Leapt Through Time'', translated by David Karashima, was published by Alma Books in April 2011. The
Bullseye!
' collection of short stories, translated by Andrew Driver, was published in July 2017 by Kurodahan Press.


Works

Besides numerous film and TV acting credits, Yasutaka Tsutsui has published dozens of novels and short story collections, and records in Japan.


Series

Nanase Trilogy * 家族八景 ''Kazoku Hakkei'' (Eight Family Scenes/What The Maid Saw) (1972) * 七瀬ふたたび ''Nanase Futatabi'' (Nanase Once More) (1975) * エディプスの恋人 ''Edipusu no Koibito'' (Oedipus’ Lover) (1977)


Novels

* 48億の妄想 ''48 Oku no Mōsō'' (4.8 Billion Delusions) (1965) * 馬の首風雲録 ''Umanokubi Fuunroku'' (Chronicle of the Horse’s Head Crisis) (1967) * 時をかける少女 ''Toki o Kakeru Shōjo'' (
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a science fiction novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui. Originally serialized from 1965 to 1966, it tells the story of a high-school girl who accidentally acquires the ability to Time travel in fiction, time travel, which leads to a time loop where sh ...
) (1967) * 霊長類、南へ ''Reichōrui, Minami-e'' (1969) * 緑魔の町 ''Ryokuma no Machi'' (Green Devil Town) (1970) * 脱走と追跡のサンバ ''Dassō to Tsuiseki no Samba'' (Samba of Running and Chasing) (1971) * 俗物図鑑 ''Zokubutsu Zukan'' (Picture Book of Vulgarity) (1972) * 男たちのかいた絵 ''Otoko Tachi no Kaita E'' (Tale of Two Men) (1974) * 俺の血は他人の血 ''Ore no Chi wa Tanin no Chi'' (My Blood is the Blood of Another) (1974) * 富豪刑事 '' Fugō Keiji'' (Millionaire Detective) (1978) * 大いなる助走 ''Oi Naru Josō'' (The Great Approachway) (1979) * 美藝公 ''Bigeikō'' (1981) * 虚人たち ''Kyojin Tachi'' (Virtual Men) (1981) * 虚航船団 ''Kyokō Sendan'' (Fleet of Fantasy) (1984) * イリヤ・ムウロメツ ''Ilya Muromets'' (1985) * 旅のラゴス ''Tabi no Ragosu'' (Lagos on a Journey) (1986) * 歌と饒舌の戦記 ''Uta to Jōzetsu no Senki'' (War Chronicles of Song and Loquacity) (1987) * 夢の木坂分岐点 ''Yumenokizaka Bunkiten'' (Dreamtree Hill Junction) (1987) * 驚愕の広野 ''Kyōgaku no Kōya'' (Prairie of Astonishment) (1988) * 新日本探偵社報告書控 ''Shin-Nihon Tanteisha Hōkokusho Hikae'' (Copies of the Shin-Nihon Detective Company Reports) (1988) * フェミニズム殺人事件 ''Feminizumu Satsujin Jiken'' (The Feminism Murders) (1989) * 残像に口紅を ''Zanzō ni Kuchibeni o'' (Lipstick on an After-Image) (1989) * 文学部唯野教授 ''Bungakubu Tadano Kyōju'' (Prof. Tadano of the Literature Department) (1990) * ロートレック荘事件 ''Rōtorekku-Sō Jiken'' (The Lautrec Villa Murders) (1990) * 朝のガスパール ''Asa no Gasupāru'' (Gaspard in the Morning) (1992) * パプリカ ''
Paprika Paprika ( US , ; UK , ) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from ''Capsicum annuum'' varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder an ...
'' (1993) * 邪眼鳥 ''Jaganchō'' (1997) * 敵 ''Teki'' (Enemy) (1998) * わたしのグランパ ''Watashi no Guranpa'' (My Grandpa) (1999) * 恐怖 ''Kyōfu'' (Fear) (2001) * 愛のひだりがわ ''Ai no Hidarigawa'' (The Left Side of Love) (2002) * ヘル ''Hell'' (2003) * 銀齢の果て ''Ginrei no Hate'' (End of the Silver Age) (2006) * 巨船べラスレトラス ''Kyosen Berasu Retorasu'' (The Big Ship Bellas Letras) (2007) * ダンシング・ヴァニティ ''Dancing Vanity'' (2008) * ビアンカ・オーバースタディ ''Bianca Overstudy'' (2012) * 聖痕 ''Seikon'' (Stigmata) (2013) * モナドの領域 ''Monado no Ryōiki'' (The Monad Realm) (2015)


Short stories (collections)

* 東海道戦争 ''Tōkaidō Sensō'' (The Tōkaidō War) (1965) * ベトナム観光公社 ''Betonamu Kankō Kōsha'' (Vietnam Tourist Bureau) (1967) * アルファルファ作戦 ''Arufarufa Sakusen'' (The Alfalfa Strategy) (1968) * 幻想の未来・アフリカの血 ''Gensō no Mirai/Afurika no Chi'' (Fantasy Future/African Blood) (1968) * にぎやかな未来 ''Nigiyaka na Mirai'' (A Bright Future) (1968) * アフリカの爆弾 ''Afurika no Bakudan'' (African Bomb) (1968) * 筒井順慶 ''Tsutsui Junkei'' (1969) * わが良き狼 ''Waga Yoki Ōkami'' (My Good Old Wolf) (1969) * 心狸学・社怪学 ''Shinrigaku, Shakaigaku'' (Psychology, Sociology) (1969) * ホンキイ・トンク ''Honky Tonk'' (1969) * 欠陥大百科 ''Kekkan Ōhyakka'' (Encyclopedia of Defects) (1970) * 母子像 ''Boshizō'' (Mother and Child Portrait) (1970) * 馬は土曜に蒼ざめる ''Uma wa Doyō ni Aozameru'' (Horses Turn Pale on Saturdays) (1970) * 発作的作品群 ''Hossa-teki Sakuhingun'' (Spasmodic Group of Works) (1971) * 日本列島七曲り ''Nihon Rettō Nanamagari'' (Eight Bends on the Japanese Archipelago) (1971) * 将軍が目覚めた時 ''Shōgun ga Mezameta Toki'' (When the Shogun Awoke) (1972) * 農協月へ行く ''Nōkyō Tsuki-e Iku'' (Co-op Goes To The Moon) (1973) * 暗黒世界のオデッセイ ''Ankoku Sekai no Odessei'' (Dark World Odyssey) (1974) * おれに関する噂 ''Ore-ni Kansuru Uwasa'' (Rumours About Me) (1974) * ウィークエンドシャフル ''Weekend Shuffle'' (1974) * 笑うな ''Warau-na'' (Don’t Laugh) (1975) * メタモルフォセス群島 ''Metamorufosesu Guntō'' (Metamorphosis Archipelago) (1976) * あるいは酒でいっぱいの海 ''Aruiwa Sake de Ippai no Umi'' (Or a Sea Full of Sake) (1977) * バブリング創世記 ''Baburingu Sōseiki'' (Babbling Creation Chronicles) (1978) * 宇宙衛生博覧会 ''Uchū Eisei Hakurankai'' (Universal Hygiene Expo) (1979) * エロチック街道 ''Erochikku Kaidō'' (Erotic Avenue) (1981) * 串刺し教授 ''Kushizashi Kyōju'' (Professor on a Skewer) (1985) * くたばれPTA ''Kutabare PTA'' (Go To Hell, PTA) (1986) * お助け ''Otasuke'' (The Helper) (1986) * 原始人 ''Genshijin'' (Primitive Man) (1987) * 薬菜飯店 ''Yakusai Hanten'' (Yakusai Chinese Restaurant) (1988) * 夜のコント・冬のコント ''Yoru no Konto, Fuyu no Konto'' (Night Tales, Winter Tales) (1990) * 最後の伝令 ''Saigo no Denrei'' (The Last Despatch) (1993) * 鍵 ''Kagi'' (The Key) (1994) * 座敷ぼっこ ''Zashiki Bokko'' (1994) * 家族場面 ''Kazoku Bamen'' (Family Scenes) (1995) * ジャズ小説 ''Jazu Shōsetsu'' (Jazz Novel) (1996) * 満腹亭へようこそ ''Manpukutei-e Yōkoso'' (Welcome to Full Belly Inn) (1998) * 魚藍観音記 ''Gyoran Kannon Ki'' (Records of the Gyoran Kannon) (2000) * エンガッツィオ司令塔 ''Engattsio Shireitō'' (Engazzio Command Tower) (2000) * 天狗の落し文 ''Tengu no Otoshibumi'' (Jottings of an Ogre) (2001) * 懲戒の部屋 ''Chōkai no Heya'' (The Punishment Room) (2002) * 驚愕の曠野 ''Kyōgaku no Kōya'' (2002) * 最後の喫煙者 ''Saigo no Kitsuensha''
The Last Smoker "The Last Smoker" ( ja, 最後の喫煙者, "Saigo no Kitsuensha") is a 1987 short story by Yasutaka Tsutsui. It has been adapted for television and radio. An English translation by Andrew Driver was published in the collection ''Salmonella Men on P ...
(2002) * 睡魔のいる夏 ''Suima no Iru Natsu'' (Summer When the Sleep Fairy Comes) (2002) * 傾いた世界 ''Katamuita Sekai'' (The World is Tilting) (2002) * 日本以外全部沈没 ''Nihon Igai Zembu Chinbotsu'' (Everything Other than Japan Sinks) (2002) * 怪物たちの夜 ''Kaibutsu Tachi no Yoru'' (Night of the Phantoms) (2002) * 近所迷惑 ''Kinjo Meiwaku'' (Disturbing the Neighbours) (2002) * わが愛の税務署 ''Waga Ai no Zeimusho'' (My Beloved Tax Office) (2003) * カメロイド文部省 ''Kameroido Monbushō'' (The Cameroid Ministry of Education) (2003) * ポルノ惑星のサルモネラ人間 ''Poruno Wakusei no Sarumonera Ningen'' (
Salmonella Men on Planet Porno ''Salmonella Men on Planet Porno'' (2006) is a collection of short stories by Japanese science fiction and metafiction writer Yasutaka Tsutsui, in English translation by Andrew Driver. Not to be confused with the original Japanese collection ポ ...
) (2005) * ヨッパ谷への降下 ''Yoppadani-e no Kōka'' (Descent to Yoppa Valley) (2005) * 壊れかた指南 ''Kowarekata Shinan'' (Guide to Falling Apart) (2006) * 陰悩録 ''Innōroku'' (Record of Dark Troubles) (2006) * 如菩薩団 ''Nyobosatsudan'' (Team of Female Bodhisattvas) (2006) * 夜を走る ''Yoru o Hashiru'' (Running at Night) (2006) * 佇むひと ''Tatazumu Hito'' (Standing Woman) (2006) * くさり ''Kusari'' (Chains) (2006) * 出世の首 ''Shusse no Kubi'' (Getting Ahead) (2007) * 繁栄の昭和 ''Hanei no Shōwa'' (Prosperous Showa) (2014) * 世界はゴ冗談 ''Sekai ha Gojōdan'' (The World Is Your Joke) (2015)


Discography

* with Kosuke Ichihara,
Masahiko Sato is a Japanese jazz pianist, composer and arranger. Early life Satoh was born in Tokyo on 6 October 1941. His mother was Setsu and his father, who owned small businesses, was Yoshiaki Satoh. The house that his family moved into in 1944 contained ...
, ' (CBS/Sony, 1973) * with
Yōsuke Yamashita is a Japanese jazz pianist, composer and writer. His piano style is influenced by free jazz, modal jazz and soul jazz. Since the late 1980s, Yamashita's main performing group has consisted of Cecil McBee (bass), Pheeroan akLaff (drums), and oft ...
, ' (Frasco, 1976) – recorded in 1975-76 * with Yasutaka Tsutsui, ' (Victor/Super Fuji Discs, 1978) * ''The Inner Space Of Yasutaka Tsutsui'' (
Shinchosha is a publisher founded in 1896 in Japan and headquartered in Yaraichō, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Shinchosha is one of the sponsors of the Japan Fantasy Novel Award. Books * Haruki Murakami: ''Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World'' (1985), ...
, 1985)


References


External links


Tsutsui Yasutaka Home Page

Yasutaka Tsutsui
at the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction *
J'Lit , Authors : Yasutaka Tsutsui , Books from Japan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tsutsui, Yasutaka 1934 births Living people 20th-century Japanese novelists 21st-century Japanese novelists Japanese mystery writers Japanese science fiction writers Japanese dramatists and playwrights Magic realism writers Light novelists Male actors from Osaka Writers from Osaka Anime screenwriters Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Horipro artists