Futaro Yamada (山田 風太郎, Yamada Fūtarō, January 4, 1922 – July 28, 2001) was the pen name of Seiya Yamada (山田 誠也, Yamada Seiya), a Japanese author. He was born in Yabu, Hyogo. In 1947, he wrote a mystery short story Daruma-tōge no Jiken (達磨峠の事件, lit. "The Incident on Dharma Pass") and was awarded a prize by the magazine Houseki (宝石). He was discovered by Edogawa Rampo and became a novelist. He wrote many ninja (忍法帖 Ninpōchō series) and mystery stories. Many of his works have been adapted for film, TV, manga, and anime.
Works in English translation
editNovels
edit- The Kouga Ninja Scrolls (original title: 甲賀忍法帖, Kōga Ninpōchō), translation Geoff Sant (Del Rey, 2006)
- The Meiji Guillotine Murders (original title: 警視庁草紙 —風太郎明治劇場—, Keishichō Sōshi —Fūtarō Meiji Gekijō—, 1979), translation Bryan Karetnyk (Pushkin Press, 2023)
Short story
edit- "The Yellow Lodger" (original title: Kiiroi Geshukunin), translation Damian Flanagan (The Tower of London: Tales of Victorian London, Peter Owen, 2005) – A Sherlock Holmes pastiche[1]
Awards
edit- 1949, the 2nd Detective Story Writers' Club Award
- 1997, the 45th Kikuchi Kan Prize
- 2000, the 4th Japan Mystery Award
- 2004, the Kodansha Manga Award for general manga for Basilisk, the manga adaptation of The Kouga Ninja Scrolls[2]
Selected works
editNinja stories ("Ninpōchō" series)
edit- The Kouga Ninja Scrolls (甲賀忍法帖, Kōga Ninpōchō, 1959)[3] - adapted to film in 2005, to manga in 1963 and two times in 2003, and to anime in 2005 (based on one of the 2003 manga).
- Edo Ninpōchō (江戸忍法帖, 1960) - adapted to film in 1963, and as a TV series in 1966.
- Gunkan Ninpōchō (軍艦忍法帖, 1961)
- Kunoichi Ninpōchō (くノ一忍法帖, 1961) - adapted to film twice: in 1964 (as Kunoichi ninpō) and in 1991.
- Gedō Ninpōchō (外道忍法帖, 1962) - adapted to film twice in 1964 and 1992.
- Ninja Tsukikageshō (忍者月影抄, 1962) - adapted to film in 1963, 1996, and 2011.
- Ninpō-chūshingura (忍法忠臣蔵, 1962) - adapted to film in 1965, 1983 (TV), and 1994.
- Iga Ninpōchō (伊賀忍法帖, 1964) - adapted to film in 1982 (as Ninja Wars) and to manga in 2004.
- Ninpō Hakkenden (忍法八犬伝, 1964)
- Fūrai Ninpōchō (風来忍法帖, 1964) - adapted to film in 1965 and 1968.
- Yagyū Ninpōchō (柳生忍法帖, 1964) Yagyū Jūbei Trilogy #1 - adapted to film in 1998 and to manga in 2005.
- Ninpō Sōden 73 (忍法相伝73, 1965) - adapted to film in 1969.
- Jiraiya Ninpōchō (自来也忍法帖, 1965) - adapted to film in 1995.
- Maten Ninpōchō (魔天忍法帖, 1965)
- Shingen Ninpōchō (信玄忍法帖, 1967)
- Makai Tenshō (魔界転生, 1967) Yagyū Jūbei Trilogy #2 (serialized as Oboro Ninpōchō) - adapted to film in 1981, 1996 and 2003, to anime in 1997 and to various manga.
- Shinobi no Manji (忍びの卍, 1967) - adapted to film in 1968.
- Ninpō Kenshiden (忍法剣士伝, 1968)
- Ginga Ninpōchō (銀河忍法帖, 1968)
- Higisho Sōdatsu (秘戯書争奪, 1968) - adapted to film in 1993.
- Ninpō Fūin Ima Yaburu (忍法封印いま破る, 1969)
- Ninja Kokubyaku Zōshi (忍者黒白草紙, 1969)
- Ninpō Sōtō no Washi (忍法双頭の鷲, 1969) - adapted to TV in 2018.
- Musashi Ninpō Tabi (武蔵忍法旅, 1970)
- Uminari Ninpōchō (海鳴り忍法帖, 1971)
- Ninpō Sōsei-ki (忍法創世記, 2001)
Other fiction
edit- Ganchū no Akuma (眼中の悪魔, 1948)
- Kyozō Inraku (虚像淫楽, 1948) - adapted to manga in 1978.
- Akuryō no Mure (悪霊の群, 1955) with Akimitsu Takagi - adapted to film in 1956.
- Jūsankaku Kankei (十三角関係, 1956)
- Idaten Hyakuri (いだ天百里, 1957) - adapted to manga in 2006.
- Onna Rō Hishō (おんな牢秘抄, 1960) - adapted to TV series in 1972, TV movie in 1983, V-cinema film in 1995, and to manga in 2006.
- Hitsugi no Naka no Etsuraku (棺の中の悦楽, 1962) - adapted to film in 1965.
- Taiyō Kokuten (太陽黒点, 1963)
- Keishichō Sōshi (警視庁草紙, 1975) - adapted to TV series in 2001.
- Gentō Tsujibasha (幻燈辻馬車, 1976)
- The Meiji Guillotine Murders (警視庁草紙 —風太郎明治劇場—, Keishichō Sōshi —Fūtarō Meiji Gekijō—, 1979)
- Basara (婆沙羅, 1990)
- Yagyū Jūbei Shisu (柳生十兵衛死す, 1992) Yagyū Jūbei Trilogy #3 - adapted to manga in 2000.
References
edit- ^ Richie, Donald (February 6, 2005). "The attractive helplessness of a reluctant foreigner". Japan Times. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
- ^ Joel Hahn. "Kodansha Manga Awards". Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on 2007-08-16. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
- ^ "Shinobi: Heart Under Blade". (January 2007) Newtype USA. Volume 6, Number 1, page 23.
External links
edit- Futarou Yamada Museum (in Japanese)
- Permanent display in the Hyogo Net Museum of Literature (in Japanese)
- Futaro Yamada at J'Lit Books from Japan (in English)
- Synopsis of The Story of the Eight Dog Warriors (Hakkenden) at JLPP (Japanese Literature Publishing Project) (in English)
- The War Generation's Genius - comic about Futaro Yamada's early life