Yoshio Aramaki

Yoshio Aramaki (, Aramaki Yoshio, born 12 April 1933) is a Japanese science fiction and mystery writer, critic and art collector. His original given name was Kunio Aramaki (, Aramaki Kunio). He has changed his name to Yoshimasa Aramaki . Aramaki is well known by his so-called "Meta-SF" works which are characterized by their speculative and fantastic themes and depictions. He is also famous for his various series of "imaginary battle" novels and alternate history novels such as Konpeki no Kantai series. He is a member of the Japan Writers’ Association, and of the SFWJ (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan), and of the Contemporary Haiku Association. He was also a professor in the Seishū Women's University (now, Sapporo International University) from 1993 to 1997.

Biography Overview Aramaki was born on 12 April 1933 in Otaru in Hokkaidō prefecture. He graduated from Hokkaidō Minami Sapporo high school. He graduated from Waseda University. He became an employee at a publishing company and worked in Tokyo. thereby he advocated the new possibilities of Japanese SF works in this critique. He thus he debuted as a writer and a critic in the same publication.

Aramaki wrote novels New Wave science fiction and Surrealism. At the same time, he also wrote Space opera stories such as the "Big Wars" series and so on. His short story "Yawarakai Tokei" (, "Soft Clocks"), took its central motif from the picture by Salvador Dalí. It translated into English and appeared in the British SF magazine Interzone in 1989 to some acclaim.

His early speculative novelette "Shirakabe no Moji wa Yūhi ni Haeru" (, The Writings on the White Wall are Shined On By the Setting Sun) received the Seiun Award in 1972. His first full-length and the first volume of the"Shiraki series, Shiroki Hi Tabidateba Fushi (, Departing on the White Day, That Is, Immortality), was a runner-up for the Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature. He is known as a collector of the paintings of the artists in Hokkaidō. Many paintings in the collection were donated to the Sapporo Arts Forest Museum .

Early career Aramaki has stated the origin of his surreal and "speculative" emotions had their root in his birthplace, Otaru. The circumstances in the young days might form his basis of imaginations. The land of Hokkaidō and his early experiences are recurrent themes in his later works.

Aramaki went to the metropolis Tokyo and studied psychology in Waseda University from 1954 to 1957. He worked several years in a publishing company in Tokyo. Aramaki had the ambition to be a professional writer in those days. But he did not stay in Tokyo. When he faced the violent and chaotic movement against the renewal of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between the United States and Japan in 1960, he was disappointed at the ideals of the Socialist revolution and abandoned his ambition. Aramaki left Tokyo and returned to Hokkaidō to take over his family business.

Aramaki joined Takumi Shibano's fan magazine Uchūjin. He contributed various critiques and stories to it. Aramaki contributed the series of critical essays on American science fiction, in which Aramaki tried to understand America and its culture, which had defeated Japan in the Pacific War. These essays would lead to the later Fleet series such as Konpeki no Kantai. Aramaki also published his short story "The Breakwater to Time (Toki no Bōhatei)" ", which is a prototype of "The Great Noon (Ōinaru Shōgo)".

Debate between Aramaki and Yamano In the late 1960s, New Wave science fiction works such as those by Ballard and Dick and of the philosophically inclined unrelated work of Stanislaw Lem had begun to get noticed by Japanese science fiction readers and writers. Kōichi Yamano' published his critical article "Nihon SF no Genten to Shikō" (, Japanese SF: Its Originality and Orientation) in S-F Magazine in 1969. Yamano described existing Japanese as imitations of American SF. With no original Japanese SF works having been written, he suggested a new movement towards it. For details see bibliography below.

Aramaki's first novel "Shiroki Hi tabidateba Fushi" (the first book of the Shiraki series) was published in April 1972. His early masterpiece Shinsei-dai ("The Sacred Era") was published in May 1978, a short story version of it having appeared in S-F Magazine in 1970.

Space operas and work in other genres Aramaki tried to explore story themes in a variety of genres and styles. In 1975, he published Kūhaku no Jūjika ("Vacant Cross") an occult novel set in contemporary Japan. This is the first book of the Kūhaku series. "Tennyo no Misshitsu" in 1977 is a locked room mystery. Ōgon Mayu no Nemuri (1976) is also set in current day Japan, like Kūhaku series, the stage is contemporary Japan. This is the first book of the Kimmeria Nanatsu no Hihō ("The Seven Secret Treasures of Kimmeria") series.

Aramaki wrote the space opera stories. Kami naru Eien no Kaiki in 1978. It was the first book of the Big Wars series. The stories in this series are more hard science fiction.

In 1980, he published Megami-tachi no Gogo ("Afternoon of Goddesses"), a collection of novelettes. Each story features a young woman protagonist.

Meanwhile, Aramaki had graduated from the department of engineering, and was an engineer and an architect.

"Imaginary Battle" and alternative history works Aramaki published "Niseko Yōsai 1986 part 1 - Rishiri-Rebun Tokkō-hen (ニセコ要塞1986 - 利尻・礼文特攻篇 Niseko Fortress 1986). This is the first book of twenty volume Yōsai (Fortress) series (. The last book of this series Fugaku Yōsai 3, the Apocalypse Program was published in December 2001.

While writing the series, Aramaki started to publish the new alternative history series, "Kantai Series" ( Fleet Series). The first volume was "Konpeki no Kantai 1". In 1992, Aramaki started publishing the Kyokujitsu no Kantai Series in addition. Sixty-there volumes were published from 1990 to 2000. These convey an alternative version of World War II.

The Kantai Series as adapted into several console games, manga, and anime. The anime series were especially well-known. More than five million copies were sold.

Nippon 2007 and criticism activities In August 2007, Nippon 2007, the first World SF Convention in Asia, took place at Yokohama. A panel on steampunk and Alternate history took place with Fumio Takano, Masaaki Shindo, Haruaki Utsukibara, Tadashi Nagase, and Aramaki were panelist. Aramaki also became a panelist in the "New wave/ Speculative fiction" panel. The new critics such as Yoshiyuki Ishiwa, Akira Okawada, Maki Takatsuki etc., have debuted through this award.

In 2014, the literary exhibition "Aramaki Yoshio no Sekai" (, The World of Aramaki Yoshio) was held in Hokkaido Museum of Literature at Sapporo from February 8 to March 23. The project of this event started from the one design drawing which Aramaki had asked architect Tsuneyo Matsuhashi to draw for showing the structure of the City-type Starship, appeared in the Big Wars series, in 1983. And during these 30 years, Shōichi Nakano had created many CG images of this starship scenes. Thereby the exhibition of the CG arts and its original writer Aramaki was planned and held. Among various events, the Panel "The Origin of the World of Aramaki Yoshio" took place. Aramaki, Takayuki Tatsumi, Mari Kotani, Denis Taillandier and two others were panelist. Aramaki talked his origins of a writer.

Works Novels and collections Note: If books belong to the certain series, the first book of the series is shown here. There are exceptions. Shirakabe no Moji wa Yūhi ni Haeru (collection) (, The Writings on the White Wall are Shined by the Setting Sun) 1972-04 Hayakawa Publishing Shiroki Hi Tabidateba Fushi (, Departing on the White Day, that is, Immortality) 1972-12 Hayakawa Publishing 1975-05 Shodensha 1976-09 Tokuma Shoten 1977-11 Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha 1978-09 Tokuma Shoten 1979-01 Kisotengai Sha 1980-07 Tokuma Shoten 1981-11 Yuraku Shuppan 1984-02 Kadokawa Shoten 1985-10 Kodansha 1985-10 Tokuma Shoten 1986-07 Chuokoron Sha 1998-10 Kadokawa Shoten 1990-12 Tokuma Shoten 1992-06 Chuokoron Sha 1997-04 Tokuma Shoten 1997-06 Chuokoron Sha 1997-08 Gentoha 2003-04 Chuokoron Sha

Roman-fleuve SF Novels Big Wars series 1978-1998

Denki Roman Novel series Kūhaku series (, Vacancy series) 1975-1987 Kimmeria Nanatsu no Hihō series (, Seven Secret Treasures of Kimmeria series) 1976-1981 Shimanari series (, Shimanari series) 1977, 1979 Byakuma-den series (, White Devil Legend series) 1979 (uncompleted) Hihō series (, Secret Treasures series) 1980-1985 Maihō Densetsu series (, Buried Treasure Legend series) 1985-1900 Myōō series (, Wisdom King series) 1981-1991 Mū series (, Mū series) 1984-1987 Sasuke series (, Sasuke series) 1989-1992

Imaginary Battle / Alternate History series Yōsai Series ( Fortress Series) 1986–2001, 20 volumes Niseko Yōsai 1986 1-3 ( 1986, Niseko Fortress 1986) 1986-1988 Towada Yōsai 1991 1-3 ( 1991, Towada Fortress 1991) 1989 Aso Yōsai 1995 1-5 ( 1995, Aso Fortress 1995) 1990-1991 Biwako Yōsai 1997 1-6 ( 1997, Biwako Fortress 1997) Fugaku Yōsai 1-3 (, Fugaku Fortress) 2001 Kantai Series (, Fleet Series) 1990–2000, 63 volumes Konpeki no Kantai Series 1-20 (, Deep Blue Fleet series) 1990-1996 Tokuma Shoten Kyokujitsu no Kantai Series 1-16 (, Fleet of Rising Sun series) 1992-1996 Chuokoron Sha Shin Konpeki no Kantai Series 0, 1-8 (, New Deep Blue Fleet series) 1997-2000 Tokuma Shoten (0), Gentosha (1-8) Shin Kyokujitsu no Kantai Series 0, 1-17 (, New Fleet of Rising Sun series) 1997-2000 Chuo Kouron Sha, Shin Chuokoron Sha

Simulation Novel series Teikoku no Hikari Series 1-2 (, Light of the Empire series) 1997 Gentosha Chōgen Kairō Series 1-6 (, The Corridor of Super Strings series) 2003-2008 Shin Chuokoron Sha

Young Adult fiction Gomannen-go no Natsuyasumi 1978-11 Tsuru Shobō - (Jikan Kanshi-in series 1) 1997-01 Chuokoron Sha Kyokujitsu no Kaisen, Nichiro-sensō no Chiseigaku 1998-12 Kadokawa Shoten 1998.12 Kyokujitsu no Senkan, Sōseki to Mikasa (, Battleship in the Rising Sun, Sōseki and Mikasa) 1999-07 Kadokawa Shoten Rōma-jin ga Egaita Sekaichizu (, The World map drawn by the Romans) 2002-12 Seishun Shuppan Playbooks Jinsei wa SF da ( 2013-01 Life is just SF) Iwasaki Insatsu Co. Ltd. /Private publication/

Poetry Shishū “Gaikotsu Hantō"’’ - Aramaki Yoshio Daiichi Shishū (, ‘’Skelton Peninsula’’) Private publication 2011-08 /Yoshio Sōsho 3/

Complete Collection of Meta-SF Works Aramaki Yoshio Complete and Standard Collection of Meta-SF Works''' (, Teihon Aramaki Yoshio Meta-SF Zenshū) edited and compiled by Takayuki Tatsumi + Yūji Miura : Volume 1 : Yawarakai Tokei (, Soft Clocks) 2015-05 Sairyū Sha Volume 2 : Uchū 25 ji (Uchū Nijū-go Ji) (, The Space 25 O'clock) 2015-02 Sairyū Sha Volume 3 : Shiroki Hi Tabidateba Fushi (, Departing on the White Day, that is, Immortality) 2014-11 Sairyū Sha Volume 4 : Sei-Stefan Jiin no Kane no Ne wa (, The Sounding Bells of the Saint Stefan Cathedral) 2014-12 Sairyū Sha Volume 5 : Toki no Ashibune (, The Reed Ship of Time) 2015-01 Sairyū Sha Volume 6 : Shinsei-dai (, The Sacred Era) 2015-03 Sairyū Sha Volume 7 : Castrovalva/Gothic (, Castrovalva/ Gothic) 2015-04 Sairyū Sha Extra Volume : Gaikotsu Hantō, Hanayome, etc. (, Skelton Peninsula, Bride, etc.) 2015-01 Sairyū Sha (Special Volume) : Mohaya Uchū wa Meikyū no Kagami no yōni (, Now the Cosmos is Like the Mirrors of Labyrinth) 2017-07 Sairyū Sha , This book is not contained in the Complete Collection, but is essentially the part of the collection. After the Complete collection had been released, this book was published.

Novels adapted into manga and anime Big Wars Kantai Series Konpeki no Kantai Series Kyokujitsu no Kantai Series

Selected works translated into English The Sacred Era (, Shinsei-dai) amazon.com page "'Soft Clocks" (, Yawarakai Tokei), a novelette

Notes and references

List of Seiun Award