1989
Nihon SF Taisho Award Seiun Award for Jogen no Tsuki wo Taberu Shishi 1998 Shibata Renzuburo Award for Kamigami no Itadaki 2001
Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize for Onmyoji a manga version drawn by Reiko Okano 2001
Japan Media Arts Festival for Kamigami no Itadaki, a manga version drawn by Jiro Taniguchi 2011
Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature for O-Edo Chokaku-den 2011 Funabashi Sei-ichi award for O-Edo Chokaku-den 2012 Yoshikawa Eiji Award for O-Edo Chokaku-den
Baku Yumemakura (夢枕 獏, Yumemakura Baku, born 1951 in
Odawara, Kanagawa) is a Japanese
science fiction and adventure writer. His works have sold more than 20 million copies in Japan spread across more than 280 titles and adapted into a variety of formats including feature films, television shows, movies and comic books.
He is best known for writing Jōgen no Tsuki wo Taberu Shishi (The Lion that Ate the Crescent Moon), which won both the
Seiun Award and the
Nihon SF Taisho Award.[1] He also has written film scripts, including the one to Onmyoji.
One of his popular martial arts serials that has been adapted into manga is "
Garouden "餓狼伝" (legend of the hungry wolf), known in the west as "The legend of the fighting wolves" that has also two videogames to date.
He's been nicknamed "The artisan of violence" due to one of his popular martial arts novel series "
Shishi no Mon" (獅子の門 Gate of fierce lions) and as of 2014 he's been working on the scripts of a manga series "Shin Garouden" with renown manga artist Masami Nobe
Baku Yumemakura was born on January 1, 1951, in
Odawara-shi. At the age of 22, he graduated from Tokai University with a degree in Japanese literature.
In 1975, he visited Nepal for the first time; the region would become host to one of his most popular works,
The Summit of the Gods, which became a French-made
anime film in 2021,
Le Sommet des Dieux.
Career beginnings
In 1977, his first works were published in the science fiction coterie magazines Neo Null curated by
Yasutaka Tsutsui and Uchūjin curated by
Takumi Shibano. A typographic experiment story titled Kaeru no Shi, dubbed as "Typografiction", was published in Neo Null and received a great deal of attention within the industry; it was reprinted in the science fiction magazine Kisou Tengai, which became his first appearance in commercial magazine. He followed this success by releasing the novella Kyojin Den and enjoyed enough success to become a full-time author.
His first standalone title was published in 1979, Nekohiki no Oruorane, in the
Shueisha Cobalt Collection. His first full-length novel, Genjū Henge, was published two years later by Futabasha Corporation. Then, in 1982, the first volume of the Kimaira Kou Series, Genjū Shōnen Kimaira, was published by
Asahi Sonorama Paperbacks, with cover and illustrations by
Yoshitaka Amano. The Majūgari trilogy was published by
Shodensha in 1984.
Collaborators
Over the span of his career, Baku Yumemakura worked with a wide range of historically important figures in the Japanese art scene.
Yoshitaka Amano - He was in charge of stage design for Nayotake produced by
Bandō Tamasaburō V, where Amano introduced him to Baku Yumemakura. The three would also collaborate on Yang Guifei, with Baku Yumemakura writing the lyrics and
Yoshitaka Amano in charge of stage design. The manga
Amon Saga was written by Baku Yumemakura and illustrated by Amano and was later adapted into an
OVA. Among other Baku Yumemakura's works, he also did the illustrations and cover page design for
Garouden,
Taitei no Ken and Yamigarishi, as well as the Kimaira series. He was key visual and costume designer for movies written by Baku Yumemakura including
Onmyoji (film),
Onmyoji 2 and
Taitei no Ken. They also collaborated on the story and pottery of Yōkihi no Bansan, for both a book and exhibition, in addition to ceramic work by Shōkoku Kanō.
Katsuya Terada - He was in charge of the book cover and illustrations for the Kimaira series written by Baku Yumemakura, and was in charge of cover design and illustrations for
Garouden, Shin Majugari, and Yamigarishi.
Osamu Tezuka - Baku Yumemakura was influenced by one of his seminal works,
Phoenix. Baku Yumemakura would go on to write the script for
Boku no Son Goku.
Reiko Okano - She is married to the Osamu Tezuka's son,
Makoto Tezuka, and
Onmyōji was drawn by Reiko Okano and received the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Manga Award. She went on to produce the serialized version as Onmyōji Tamatebako in the comic magazine Melody.
Keisuke Itagaki - In 1996, he began working on
Garouden, an original work by Baku Yumemakura. He has also collaborated on the series Garouden Boy.
Ken Ishikawa - In 1994 he drew the manga Tsukumo Ranzō (九十九乱蔵) based on the Yamigarishi series,[2] and in 1998 the manga Amon Saga - Tsuki no Miko (アーモンサーガ 月の御子) based on Baku Yumemakura's novel Tsuki no Ou.
Bandō Tamasaburō V - The dance production Yōkihi is based on the Chinese historical figure Princess Yang Guifei. Baku Yumemakura wrote the lyrics. In 1993, Baku Yumemakura wrote specially for Kabuki Sangoku denrai genjō banashi. Both of Yōkihi and Sangoku denrai genjō banashi were performed at The
Kabuki-za Theater.
1989
Nihon SF Taisho Award Seiun Award for Jogen no Tsuki wo Taberu Shishi 1998 Shibata Renzuburo Award for Kamigami no Itadaki 2001
Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize for Onmyoji a manga version drawn by Reiko Okano 2001
Japan Media Arts Festival for Kamigami no Itadaki, a manga version drawn by Jiro Taniguchi 2011
Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature for O-Edo Chokaku-den 2011 Funabashi Sei-ichi award for O-Edo Chokaku-den 2012 Yoshikawa Eiji Award for O-Edo Chokaku-den
Baku Yumemakura (夢枕 獏, Yumemakura Baku, born 1951 in
Odawara, Kanagawa) is a Japanese
science fiction and adventure writer. His works have sold more than 20 million copies in Japan spread across more than 280 titles and adapted into a variety of formats including feature films, television shows, movies and comic books.
He is best known for writing Jōgen no Tsuki wo Taberu Shishi (The Lion that Ate the Crescent Moon), which won both the
Seiun Award and the
Nihon SF Taisho Award.[1] He also has written film scripts, including the one to Onmyoji.
One of his popular martial arts serials that has been adapted into manga is "
Garouden "餓狼伝" (legend of the hungry wolf), known in the west as "The legend of the fighting wolves" that has also two videogames to date.
He's been nicknamed "The artisan of violence" due to one of his popular martial arts novel series "
Shishi no Mon" (獅子の門 Gate of fierce lions) and as of 2014 he's been working on the scripts of a manga series "Shin Garouden" with renown manga artist Masami Nobe
Baku Yumemakura was born on January 1, 1951, in
Odawara-shi. At the age of 22, he graduated from Tokai University with a degree in Japanese literature.
In 1975, he visited Nepal for the first time; the region would become host to one of his most popular works,
The Summit of the Gods, which became a French-made
anime film in 2021,
Le Sommet des Dieux.
Career beginnings
In 1977, his first works were published in the science fiction coterie magazines Neo Null curated by
Yasutaka Tsutsui and Uchūjin curated by
Takumi Shibano. A typographic experiment story titled Kaeru no Shi, dubbed as "Typografiction", was published in Neo Null and received a great deal of attention within the industry; it was reprinted in the science fiction magazine Kisou Tengai, which became his first appearance in commercial magazine. He followed this success by releasing the novella Kyojin Den and enjoyed enough success to become a full-time author.
His first standalone title was published in 1979, Nekohiki no Oruorane, in the
Shueisha Cobalt Collection. His first full-length novel, Genjū Henge, was published two years later by Futabasha Corporation. Then, in 1982, the first volume of the Kimaira Kou Series, Genjū Shōnen Kimaira, was published by
Asahi Sonorama Paperbacks, with cover and illustrations by
Yoshitaka Amano. The Majūgari trilogy was published by
Shodensha in 1984.
Collaborators
Over the span of his career, Baku Yumemakura worked with a wide range of historically important figures in the Japanese art scene.
Yoshitaka Amano - He was in charge of stage design for Nayotake produced by
Bandō Tamasaburō V, where Amano introduced him to Baku Yumemakura. The three would also collaborate on Yang Guifei, with Baku Yumemakura writing the lyrics and
Yoshitaka Amano in charge of stage design. The manga
Amon Saga was written by Baku Yumemakura and illustrated by Amano and was later adapted into an
OVA. Among other Baku Yumemakura's works, he also did the illustrations and cover page design for
Garouden,
Taitei no Ken and Yamigarishi, as well as the Kimaira series. He was key visual and costume designer for movies written by Baku Yumemakura including
Onmyoji (film),
Onmyoji 2 and
Taitei no Ken. They also collaborated on the story and pottery of Yōkihi no Bansan, for both a book and exhibition, in addition to ceramic work by Shōkoku Kanō.
Katsuya Terada - He was in charge of the book cover and illustrations for the Kimaira series written by Baku Yumemakura, and was in charge of cover design and illustrations for
Garouden, Shin Majugari, and Yamigarishi.
Osamu Tezuka - Baku Yumemakura was influenced by one of his seminal works,
Phoenix. Baku Yumemakura would go on to write the script for
Boku no Son Goku.
Reiko Okano - She is married to the Osamu Tezuka's son,
Makoto Tezuka, and
Onmyōji was drawn by Reiko Okano and received the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Manga Award. She went on to produce the serialized version as Onmyōji Tamatebako in the comic magazine Melody.
Keisuke Itagaki - In 1996, he began working on
Garouden, an original work by Baku Yumemakura. He has also collaborated on the series Garouden Boy.
Ken Ishikawa - In 1994 he drew the manga Tsukumo Ranzō (九十九乱蔵) based on the Yamigarishi series,[2] and in 1998 the manga Amon Saga - Tsuki no Miko (アーモンサーガ 月の御子) based on Baku Yumemakura's novel Tsuki no Ou.
Bandō Tamasaburō V - The dance production Yōkihi is based on the Chinese historical figure Princess Yang Guifei. Baku Yumemakura wrote the lyrics. In 1993, Baku Yumemakura wrote specially for Kabuki Sangoku denrai genjō banashi. Both of Yōkihi and Sangoku denrai genjō banashi were performed at The
Kabuki-za Theater.