Jūzō Obi

Jūzō Obi (小尾十三, 1908–1979) was a Japanese novelist born in Hoiso Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, who worked as a teacher in Korea and Manchuria during the wartime era before returning to Japan. His most notable work, Tōhan (Climbing/Ascent), published in 1944, won the prestigious 19th Akutagawa Prize (upper half), praised for its depiction of a Japanese teacher's relationship with a Korean student amid imperial policies; other works include Zokin Sensei (Mop Teacher), Shin Sekai (New World), and posthumous publications like Hitorikko no Tōsan (Father of an Only Child). Primarily writing autobiographical novels reflecting teaching experiences and wartime/postwar settings, his output was limited after the war, with many manuscripts remaining unpublished.Wikidata, Japanese Akutagawa Prize -