Kurumizawa Koshi

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Kōshi Kurumizawa
Kurumizawa Kōshi
Born	26 April 1925 Tokyo, Japan
Died	23 May 1994 Tokyo, Japan
Occupation	Writer
Genres	novels

In this Japanese name, the family name is Kurumizawa.

Kōshi Kurumizawa (胡桃沢耕史, Kurumizawa Kōshi^?, 26 April 1925 - 23 May 1994) was the pen-name of a writer in Showa period Japan. His real name was Shimizu Masatarō.

[edit] Biography

Born in the Mukojima district of Tokyo, Kurumizawa graduated from the Commerce Department of Takushoku University. He worked for the Japanese government broadcasting company, NHK, as a producer of radio programs, and wrote on the side. His first novel Soshi futatabi kaerazu ("The Desperado Does Not Return"), published under his actual name, was awarded a prize in 1955 for best work by a new author. He set aside all of the earnings from his writing, and used to fund a round-the-world trip from 1958-1967. On his return to Japan, he adopted the Kurumizawa Kōshi pen-name, and began to write adventure novels.

His 1983 novel, Tenzan o koete ("Crossing the Tenzan Mountains") won a literary award for best work of fiction, and in the same year he was awarded the prestigious Naoki Prize for his story Kuro Pan Furyoki about the suffering of a Japanese prisoner of war in Siberia after World War II.

A fervent fan of author Naoki Sanjugo, Kurimizawa made sure that he secured the plot next to Naoki's grave in the temple of Choman-ji in Yokohama, and erected his own gravestone there prior to his death.