Ramo Nakajima

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Ramo Nakajima (中島らも Nakajima Ramo, April 3, 1952 - July 26, 2004) was a respected Japanese cult novel writer, essayist, copywriter, and also appeared frequently on Japanese TV as an actor. He was born in Amagasaki City, Hyōgo Prefecture.

He received 8th place in his entrance exam to the illustrious Nada Junior High School, and continued on to the Osaka University of Arts, where he graduated from the school of broadcasting. He then worked for a publishing company for 5 years, where he became famous for his catchy advertisements and commercials. He was given his own advice column in Asahi Shinbun, called the "Lighthearted Worry Column," which highlighted his strange and unique sense of humor, and made him a household name. He eventually became a freelance copywriter in 1987, while writing the novels that would give him his cult following in Japan as well as a variety of rakugo, essays, scripts and short stories. He then churned out such famous novels as: "Tonight, from Every Bar in Town" (13th Eiji Yoshikawa New Author Prize), "The Pigs of Gadara" (Japanese Series Novel Author's Association Prize), and "The Night of Human Models" (Naoki Prize).

After his success in novels, he then expanded into theater, producing "Laugh-to-Death Lilliput Army", as well as creating his own rock band, "PISS", of which he was the lead singer and guitar player. After the band dissolved, he then formed "Ramo and the Mother's Boys", where he played rhythm guitar and sang.

Of all things Nakajima was famous for, it was his wild lifestyle and his constant use of drugs and alcohol. His appearances on television in the late 1990's and early 2000's were always an audience draw because of his slurred (probably for years of alcohol and drug abuse), yet still humorous personality. He was arrested and convicted of marijuana possession in 2003, the penalty in Japanese law usually being a few years in jail. He was put into a mental hospital for a brief period, and then served his 10 month sentence, with a suspended sentence of 5 years. He then released an essay about his trials in prison called "The Prison Diet". It seemed like he was regaining his mental and physical composure again after his release, when he plunged back into alcoholism. On July 15th, 2004, after drinking late at a bar, he fell down a staircase and fell unconscious. The fall resulted in excessive brain trauma, of which he never recovered. He died the same month, on the 26th.