NAOKI SANJUGO

Naoki Sanjugo was the pen name of Uemura Shuichi, a writer of popular fiction. Born in Osaka, Naoki attended Waseda University but never graduated, instead moving between Tokyo and Osaka, trying his hand at film writing before settling as a critic for the literary journal Bungei shunju (Literary Chronicle). He made a name for himself writing popular novels, and over 40 of his works were made into films, most notably the historical novel Komon kaikokuki (History of a Roving Aristocrat, 1929). An eccentric, Naoki selected his pen name to match his age (sanjugo mean 35). Following his premature death of encephalitis, his friend and former employer Kikuchi Kan established a literary award in his name to honor new writers of popular fiction.