Yōjirō Ishizaka (石坂 洋次郎, Ishizaka Yōjirō, 15 [or 25] January 1900 – 7 October 1986) was a Japanese writer of short stories and novels.[1]

Ishizaka ca. 1950

Biography edit

Born in the Daikancho quarter of Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Ishizaka entered Keio University in 1919.[1] Upon graduating from the Faculty of Letters, he took a position at Hirosaki Girls' High School.[1] Later, he became a teacher at Akita Prefectural Yokote Girls' High School and Akita Prefectural Yokote Junior High School.[1]

In 1939, he moved to Tokyo to concentrate on his literary work.[1] During World War II, he served as a war correspondent in the Philippines.[2]

His 1947 novel Blue Mountain Range (青い山脈, Aoi sanmyaku) portrayed the emancipated post-war youth through the relationships of a group of high school students.[3]

While widely popular in Japan, with his writings repeatedly made into films,[1] only a small portion of his writings have been translated and published in English.

Writings (selected) edit

  • Go to See a Sea (1927)
  • Wakai Hito (serialised 1933, book 1937)
  • Doku-ganryu masamune (1942) (novel)
  • Blue Mountain Range (青い山脈, Aoi sanmyaku) (1947) (novel)
  • Ishinaka sensei gyōjōki (1948–54) (short story series)[4]
  • Wakai hito (1952) (novel)
  • Kuchizuke, III: Onna doshi (1955) (story)
  • Nikui mono (1957) (story)
  • Hi no ataru sakamichi (1958) (novel)
  • Wakai musumetachi (1958) (story)
  • Suzukake no sanpomichi (1959) (novel)
  • Aruhi watashi wa (1959) (novel)
  • Kiri no naka no shojo (1959)
  • Kawano hotoride (1962) (story)
  • Izuko e (1966) (story)
  • Wakai musume ga ippai (1966) (story)
  • Dare no isu? (1968) (novel)
  • Hi no ataru sakamichi (1975) (novel)
  • Aitsu to watashi (1976) (novel)
  • Wakai hito (1977) (novel)

Film adaptions (selected) edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f "石坂洋次郎". Kotobank (in Japanese). Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  2. ^ Ikehata, Setsuho; Trota Jose, Ricardo (2000). The Philippines Under Japan: Occupation Policy and Reaction. Ateneo de Manila University Press. p. 42–43. ISBN 9789715503327.
  3. ^ "青い山脈". Kotobank (in Japanese). Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  4. ^ "石中先生行状記". Kotobank (in Japanese). Retrieved 24 August 2023.

External links edit