Sakyo Komatsu

Japanese writer
In this Japanese name, the family name is Komatsu.

Sakyō Komatsu (小松左京, Komatsu Sakyō, Jan. 28, 1931 - July 26, 2011) was a Japanese novelist and science fiction writer. He is best known for a 1973 book, Japan Sinks (Nihon Chinbotsu).[1]

Sakyo Komatsu
BornMinoru Komatsu
(1931-01-28)January 28, 1931
Osaka, Japan
DiedJuly 26, 2011(2011-07-26) (aged 80)
Minoh, Osaka, Japan
OccupationNovelist
NationalityJapanese
Alma materKyoto University
GenreScience fiction
SubjectFuturology
Notable worksJapan Sinks
Notable awards1985 Nihon SF Taisho Award

Early life change

Komatsu was born in Osaka. In 1954, he earned a degree in Italian literature at Kyoto University.[1]

Career change

Komatsu worked as a magazine editor, a factory foreman and a comedy scriptwriter before he began writing science fiction.[1]

The premise of Komatsu's best known book, Japan Sinks, was confirmed in 2011 when parts of the Sanriku coastline sank more than a meter in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[2] In the massive geologic shift, the land mass of the main island of Japan sank 2.4 centemeters.[3]

Komatsu's most popular book was the basis of a 1973 film, a television series, a 2006 film remake,[4] and a DVD.[5]

Selected works change

In an overview of writings by and about Sakyo Komatsu, OCLC/WorldCat includes roughly 380+ works in 520+ publications in 14 languages and 1,520 library holdings.[6]

  • 日本沈没 (1959)
  • Peace on Earth (1961)[1]
  • 地球になった男 (1971)
  • Japan Sinks (日本沈没, Nihon Chinbotsu) (1973)[1]
  • 現代の神話 (1973)
  • 歴史と文明の旅 (1973)
  • Virus ([復活の日 Fukkatsu no hi] Error: {{nihongo}}: text has italic markup (help)) (1974)
  • 戦争はなかった (1974)
  • 果てしなき流れの果に (1976)
  • 日本文化の死角 (1977)
  • 物体O (1977 )
  • アメリカの壁 (1978)
  • Nihilistic Corridor (1999)[1]
  • 小松左京自伝: 実存を求めて (2008)

Quotes change

Shortly before his death, Komatsu wrote, "I had thought I wouldn’t mind dying any day, but now I’m feeling like living a little bit longer and seeing how Japan will go on hereafter."[1]

References change

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Hevesi, Dennis. "Sakyo Komatsu, 80, Science Fiction Writer, Dies at 80," New York Times. August 10, 2011; retrieved 2011-10-21.
  2. "High Tides Inundate Sunken Towns: March 11 earthquake caused some places to drop by 1.2 meters," Archived 2012-01-22 at the Wayback MachineJapan Times. May 11, 2011; retrieved 2011-10-21. ()
  3. "Japan sinks 2.4 cm after March 11 quake,"Asahi Shimbun. October 20, 2011; retrieved 2011-10-21. ()
  4. Toho Kingdom, Japan Sinks; retrieved 2011-10-21.
  5. Shinji, Higuchi et al. (2007). Sinking of Japan (DVD); retrieved 2011-10-21.
  6. WorldCat Identities: 小松左京

Other websites change