Natsuo Kirino
Natsuo Kirino is the pen name of Mariko Hashioka. She is a
best selling author in Japan, known for her hard-boiled
suspense novels. Her works include Dark, Real World, Mizuno
Nemuri Hai no Yume, Kogen, Tenshi ni misuterareta yoru, as
well as short stories and essays. Her early work includes
romances and stories for manga. A Night without Angels, A
Tender Place, and Out were made into feature films. Out, a
novel about murder in the Tokyo suburbs, marked her departure
from the standard suspense genre. Out is her first book
translated into English.
Hard Boiled Kirino’s Website (Japanese)
Kirino in Academe (scroll down) Murder statistics 1984-2001
Life imitates Art
Born in 1951, Ms. Kirino graduated from the law department of
Seikei University. She has been bestowed numerous literary
honors for her work. She won the Edogawa Ranpo Prize in 1993
for Kao ni furikakaru ame (A Face Wet with Rain) and the
Japan Mystery Writers' Association Prize in 1998 for Out. She
then won the 121st Naoki Prize for Yawaraka na hoho (Soft
Cheeks) in 1999. She lives in Tokyo.
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Interview: Summer 2003
While you are well known in Japan for your
books—among them Out, Dark, Gyokyuran to name a
few. You have won the Edogawa Ranpo prize in 1993 (Kao ni
furikakaru ame) the Naoki Prize in 1999 (Yawarakana Hoho).
But you are not as well known outside Japan. Out is your
first book to be translated into English (although there have
been some French and German translations). How would you
describe yourself and your writing? What motivates you to
write? I am the type of person who always wants to be
straightforward in dealing with my emotions, and my way of
life, and my will. Because I am a complicated person, I can't
otherwise work or live on a day-to-day basis in any sort of
healthy manner.
As for describing my writing, do you mean the methodology
behind writing my novels?
If that’s the case, it depends on the theme, and
whether or not it takes the form something read in one go or
serialized. If it serialized, it’s different if
it’s a daily, weekly, or monthly publication. If
it’s to be read in one go, you can really dig down
into your themes with out much thought to the passing of
time. When you serialize, you can enjoy the ever-expanding
branches of a story. While I do discover things about myself
by writing serials, I prefer to drown in a sea of information
I have gathered, and then wrap up my ideas in my head and
write in blocks.
rest at
http://www.japanreview.net/interview_Natsuo_Kirino.htm
Mark Hall
markhall@gol.com
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