Junichi Watanabe

Junichi Watanabe (渡辺 淳一, Watanabe Jun'ichi, October 24, 1933 – April 30, 2014) was a Japanese writer, known for his portrayal of the extra-marital affairs of middle aged people.

For the Japanese footballer, see Junichi Watanabe (footballer).

Junichi Watanabe
Born	渡辺 淳一 わたなべ じゅんいち 24 October 1933 Sunagawa, Hokkaido, Japan
Died	30 April 2014(2014-04-30) (aged 80) Tokyo, Japan
Alma mater	Sapporo Medical University
Occupation	Doctor (1958－1968) Writer (1956－2014)
Notable work	A Lost Paradise
Spouse(s)	堀内敏子 (1964－2014, 1 child)
Children	1

His 1997 novel A Lost Paradise became a bestseller in Japan and over Asia, and was made into a film and a TV miniseries. He has written more than 50 novels in total, and won awards including Naoki Prize in 1970 for Light and Shadow (Hikari to kage), New Current Coterie magazine prize for Makeup, the Yoshikawa Eiji Prize in 1979 for The Setting Sun in the Distance (Toki rakujitsu) and The Russian Brothel of Nagasaki (Nagasaki roshia yujokan).[1][2][3]

He was born in Sunagawamachi (present-day Kamisunagawa) and died on April 30, 2014 of prostate cancer in Tokyo.[4][5]

References

1. "The husband instruction manual". China Daily / eastday.com. 2004-06-07. Retrieved 2009-05-26.
2. West, Mark D. (2006). Secrets, sex, and spectacle: the rules of scandal in Japan and the United States. University of Chicago Press. p. 272. ISBN 0-226-89408-8. Retrieved 2009-05-26.
3. "Jun'ichi Watanabe". Japanese Literature Publishing Project website. Japanese Literature Publishing and Promotion Center. Archived from the original on January 10, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-26.
4. "直木賞作家の渡辺淳一さん死去　代表作に「失楽園」". Asahi Shimbun. May 5, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-05-06. Retrieved 2014-05-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links

• Junichi Watanabe's literature house (in Japanese)
• Junichi Watanabe's official blog (in Japanese)
• Jun'ichi Watanabe at J'Lit Books from Japan (in English)