Shōtarō Yasuoka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shōtarō Yasuoka
Born	(1920-05-30)May 30, 1920 Kōchi, Kōchi, Japan
Died	January 26, 2013(2013-01-26) (aged 92) Tokyo, Japan
Occupation	Author, novelist
Nationality	Japanese
Genre	Fiction

Shōtarō Yasuoka (安岡 章太郎, Yasuoka Shōtarō, May 30, 1920 – January 26, 2013) was a famous Japanese writer. He wrote many novels and short stories. His work was very important in Japan after World War II.

Life and Early Years

Shōtarō Yasuoka was born in Kōchi, Kōchi, Japan, in 1920. This was before World War II started. His father was a vet in the Japanese Army. Because of his father's job, Shōtarō moved a lot when he was young. He lived in many different military towns.

In 1944, he joined the army for a short time. He served overseas during the war. After the war ended, he became very sick. He had a bone disease in his spine. It was while he was recovering in bed that he started writing. Shōtarō Yasuoka passed away in Tokyo in 2013. He was 92 years old.

Awards and Recognition

Shōtarō Yasuoka was a very important writer in Japan. His books won many awards.

• He won the Akutagawa Prize for two stories in 1953. These were Inki na tanoshimi (A Melancholy Pleasure) and Warui nakama (Bad Company).
• His book Kaihen no kōkei (A View by the Sea) won the Noma Literary Prize in 1959.
• In 1967, his work Maku ga orite kara (After the Curtain Fell) won the Mainichi Cultural Prize.
• He also received the Yomiuri Literary Prize for Hate mo nai dōchūki (The Never-ending Traveler's Journal) in 1996.
• His book Kagamigawa (The Kagami River) won the Osaragi Jirō Prize in 2000.

In 2001, the Japanese government honored him. They named him a Person of Cultural Merit. This award recognizes people who have made great contributions to Japanese culture.

Translated Works

Many of Shōtarō Yasuoka's stories have been translated into English. This means people in other countries can enjoy his writing too.