Joh Sasaki (佐々木 譲, Sasaki Jō, born March 16, 1950) is a Japanese writer and journalist; chiefly known for his historical fiction and mystery novels.[1]
Biography
Joh Sasaki was born in Yubari, Hokkaido, Japan.[2][3] He spent his early youth in Nakashibetsu City and later ventured to Sapporo where Sasaki attended Tsukisamu High School. He released his first novel, Tekkihei, tonda (鉄騎兵、跳んだ), in 1979.[4][5] Sasaki quickly established himself as a writer after winning the All Yomimono New Writers Prize for Tekkihei, tonda which was also later adapted for the big screen.[6] Today Sasaki is known as a household author with numerous works in genres stretching from historical fiction, young adult fiction to police crime fiction, and even various TV Crime Drama adaptations.[7][8]
In 2009, Sasaki won Japan's number one literary award, the Naoki Prize, for his work ja:廃墟に乞うHaikyo ni kou, and also holds many other literary awards.[9][10][11][12] These days Sasaki is actively developing his stories for the stage in addition to directing a Children's e-picture book project called Joh's Picture Book Project.[13]
Literary style
Joh Sasaki is well known in Japan as a social entertainment writer.[citation needed] In his novel ja:真夜中の遠い彼方 Mayonaka no tooi kanata (later re-titled to ja:新宿のありふれた夜Shinjuku no arifureta yoru), he depicts the underground lifestyles of the Japanese mafia, boat people, and illegal alien workers. In ja:夜にその名を呼べばYoru ni sono na o yobeba, Sasaki portrays a chilling Cold War scene in a mystery set in Otaru, Hokkaido and Berlin, Germany. His police mystery thriller, ja:歌う警官Utau keikan (later re-titled to ja:笑う警官Warau keikan) was adapted for the big screen and provides an early setting for his later internationally acclaimed roman-fleuve novel ja:警官の血Keikan no chi which was eventually adapted for television. Sasaki's ja:ベルリン飛行指令Berlin hikō shimei (English title: Zero Over Berlin) garnered critical acclaim for telling a World War II story from the other side about a fly-by-night mission involving a Type Zero Fighter (Mitsubishi A6M Zero) secretly making its way from Japan all the way to Berlin at the request of the Luftwaffe.[14][15][16][17]Zero Over Berlin is presently Sasaki's only novel translated into English.[18]
Works in English translation
Zero Over Berlin (original title: Berlin Hikō Shirei): Vertical., 2004 (Translated by Hiroko Yoda with Matt Alt).
Awards
1979 ja:鉄騎兵、跳んだTekkihei, tonda: debut novel winning the All Yomimono New Writers Prize.
1994 ja:ストックホルムの密使Stockholm no misshi: novel winning the Japan Adventure Fiction Association Prize.
2002 ja:武揚伝Buyōden: novel winning the Nitta Jirō Prize for Literature.
2008 ja:警官の血Keikan no chi (The Policeman's Lineage[19]): novel winning the first place in the "Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! 2008" and the Japan Adventure Fiction Association Prize.
2009 ja:廃墟に乞うHaikyo ni kou (Prayer in the Ruins[20]): novel winning the nationally acclaimed literary award Naoki Prize.