Taichi Yamada

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}

{{Expand Japanese|topic=bio|山田太一 (脚本家)|date=December 2023}}

{{for|the Japanese Olympic rower|Taichi Yamada (rower)}}

{{Short description|Japanese writer (1934–2023)}}

{{Nihongo|Taichi Yamada|山田 太一|Yamada Taichi|6 June 1934{{Cite web |url=https://www.waseda.jp/top/assets/uploads/2016/10/2016_Mr.Taichi-Yamada.pdf |title=顕彰状 山田太一氏 |work=Honors and Awards Database - Waseda University |publisher=Waseda University |language=ja |date=24 September 2016 |accessdate=3 December 2023}} – 29 November 2023}} was a Japanese screenwriter and novelist. His real name was {{Nihongo|Taichi Ishizaka|石坂 太一|Ishizaka Taichi}}.

Early life

Yamada was in Asakusa, Tokyo, a setting used in his novel Ijintachi to no natsu. He attended Waseda University before entering the Shōchiku film studios, where he trained as an assistant director under Keisuke Kinoshita.{{cite news|title=Kyakuhon, shōsetsuka Yamada Taiichi|url=http://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/shizuoka/ladies/list/CK2011090902000134.html|accessdate=30 October 2011|newspaper=Chūnichi shinbun|date=9 September 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111115194352/http://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/shizuoka/ladies/list/CK2011090902000134.html|archivedate=15 November 2011}}

Scriptwriting career

Yamada left the company at age 30 to focus on writing scripts for television dramas, penning such successful series as Kishibe no arubamu and Fuzoroi no ringotachi. He also wrote scripts for film and the stage.

Novelist career

As a novelist, his novel {{Nihongo|Ijintachi to no natsu|異人たちとの夏}}, published in 1987, won the Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize.{{cite web|title=Yamamoto Shūgorō shō: Kako no jushō sakuhin|url=http://www.shinchosha.co.jp/prizes/yamamotosho/archive.html|publisher=Shinchōsha|accessdate=30 October 2011}} It was translated into English, in 2003, as Strangers. Another Yamada novel, In Search of a Distant Voice, was translated and published in 2006 from a novel originally published in Japan in 1989. A third Yamada novel, {{Nihongo|I Haven't Dreamed of Flying for a While|飛ぶ夢をしばらく見ない|Tobu yume o shibaraku minai}}, was translated into English and published in 2008.

The first film adaptation of Strangers, The Discarnates, competed for the Golden St. George at the 16th Moscow International Film Festival in July 1989 and won other select film awards. The second film adaptation, All of Us Strangers, premiered at Telluride Film Festival in August 2023 and also went on to be nominated for and win many film awards.

Death

Yamada died on 29 November 2023, at the age of 89.{{cite news |title=Scriptwriter Taichi Yamada Dies at 89 |url=https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/obituaries/20231201-152883/ |access-date=1 December 2023 |work=The Japan News |date=1 December 2023}}

Selected works

=Television=

  • Kishibe no arubamu (1977)
  • Omoide Zukuri (1981)
  • Fuzoroi no ringotachi (1983)
  • Fuzoroi no ringotachi II (1985)
  • Fuzoroi no ringotachi III (1991)
  • Fuzoroi no ringotachi IV (1997)

=Film=

=Literature=

  • {{nihongo4|I Haven't Dreamed of Flying for a While|飛ぶ夢をしばらく見ない|Tobu yume wo shibaraku minai}} (1985)
  • {{nihongo4|Strangers|異人たちとの夏|Ijintachito no natsu}} (1987)
  • {{nihongo4|In Search of a Distant Voice|遠くの声を捜して|Toku no koe wo sagashite}} (1989)

References

{{Reflist}}