Yoshio Aramaki

Yoshio Aramaki is a Japanese science fiction and mystery writer, critic and art collector. His original given name was Kunio Aramaki. 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, and of the Contemporary Haiku Association. He was also a professor in the Seishū Women's 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. But he returned to Sapporo to take over his family business.
Aramaki entered school again and graduated from the department of technology, civil engineering course, in the Hokkai Gakuen University Junior College Division, and obtained an architect degree. He took office as a representative director in Hokken Shōji Co. Ltd.
He joined the Hokkaidō science fiction club and contributed various stories and critiques to the magazine "CORE" from 1965 to 1967. In 1970, Aramaki presented a critique "Theory of Novels by Kunst" in S-F Magazine in response to Kōichi Yamano Here, Aramaki analyzed the Robert Heinlein's works by using the concept of "fiction by Kunst", thereby he advocated the new possibilities of Japanese SF works in this critique. He also published his allegorical short story "Ōinaru Shōgo " in the same publication. 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", 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" won the Seiun Award in 1972. His first full-length and the first volume of the"Shiraki series, Shiroki Hi Tabidateba Fushi, was a runner-up for the Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature.
Aramaki wrote many "Denki-Roman stories" in the 1980s and 1990s. He also wrote many "imaginary battle / alternate history" stories from the middle 1980s to ca. 2000. They are "Yōsai series" and "Fleet series" which contains "Konpeki no Kantai series " and "Kyokujitsu no Kantai series ". He published the critique "Discovery of Simulation Novels" in 1994.
After 2000, he published the books of the Corridor of Super Strings - Atlantis Big Wars series and other work.
In November 2014, he commenced publication of the Teihon Aramaki Yoshio Meta-SF Zenshū. The publication of this collection was completed in July 2015. The Collection is made up of seven main volumes and one extra. In July 2017, Aramaki published the last volume of his meta-SF series, [|Shiraki series] Mohaya Uchū wa Meikyū no Kagami no yōni. 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.
After returned to Sapporo, Aramaki joined a SF club and operated its coterie magazine CORE from 1965 to 1967. In this magazine, he contributed many critiques and stories. One, "Shimi" appeared in the first issue of CORE magazine, and which formed an early vision of his debut story "Ōinaru Shōgo". Then he wrote and published the critical essays on Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End, Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle and Yasutaka Tsutsui's Tōkaidō War
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 " ", which is a prototype of "The Great Noon ". He published the counterargument against Yamano's criticism. It was the beginning of the so-called "Yamano-Aramaki debate"

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" 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.
Aramaki, in opposition to this Yamano's criticism, contributed his opinions to the fan magazine Uchūjin. Aramaki was also searching for new possibilities of Japanese SF. In 1969, Aramaki and Yamano debated. Yamano advocated the New SF in Japan. He began publishing his 'Quarterly NW-SF Magazine in 1970. On the other hand, Aramaki published his critical article "Jutsu no Shōsetsu-ron" in S-F Magazine in 1970. Aramaki took his own course of speculative and surreal fiction. Aramaki started publishing his unique metafictional works.

Early metafictional stories in ''S-F Magazine''

After the debut as a writer in 1970, Aramaki went forth with his published his "metafiction" novelettes in S-F Magazine from 1970 to around 1973. For details see bibliography below.
Aramaki's first novel "Shiroki Hi tabidateba Fushi" was published in April 1972. His early masterpiece Shinsei-dai was published in May 1978, a short story versin 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 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 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 series.
Aramaki wrote the space opera stories. Kami naru Eien no Kaiki in 1978. It wasa 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, 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. This is the first book of twenty volume Yōsai series was published in December 2001.
While writing the series, Aramaki started to publish the new alternative history series, "Kantai 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.
Spurred by this, Aramaki joined the critique site "Speculative Japan" which was founded by translator Mamoru Masuda JA). He contributed many critiques to this site. In 2008, Aramaki rejoined the SFWJ and began to take a role in Japanese SF criticism. The SFWJ had established the Nihon SF Critique Award in 2006. Aramaki served as a chief of the selection committee from 4th to 7th award. 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" 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.

Awards

1972 Seiun Award, for Shirakabe no Moji wa Yūhi ni Haeru
2012 Hokkaidō Shinbun Literature Award, for Poetry Gaikotsu Hantō
2012 Medal of Dark blue ribbon
2013 Sapporo Arts Award
2023 43rd Nihon SF Taisho Award for ''Collected Essays on Science Fiction''

Works

Novels and collections

Shirakabe no Moji wa Yūhi ni Haeru 1972-04 Hayakawa Publishing Shiroki Hi Tabidateba Fushi 1972-12 Hayakawa Publishing Kūhaku no Jūjika 1975-05 Shodensha Toki no Ashibune 1975-07 Bunka Shuppankyoku Ōgon Mayu no Nemuri 1976-09 Tokuma Shoten Tennyo no Misshitsu 1977-11 Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha Aru Hareta Hi no Wien wa Mori no naka ni Tatazumu 1980-08 Kodansha Shinsei-dai 1978-05 Tokuma Shoten

* English version: The Sacred Era 2017-06 University of Minnesota Press Kami naru Eien no Kaiki 1978-09 Tokuma Shoten Yawarakai Tokei 1978-11 Tokuma Shoten Uchū Nijūgo-ji 1978-12 Tokuma Shoten Shinshū Byakuma-den - Klein no Tasubo no Maki 1979-01 Kisotengai Sha Solomon no Hihō 1980-07 Tokuma Shoten Megami-tachi no Gogo - Aoi Tabi no Sakuhin-shū 1980-12 Kadokawa ShotenAbandandero no Kai-kikai 1981-03 Kadokawa shoten Walpurgis no Yoru 1981-07 Kadokawa Shoten /bunko/ Satsui no Myōō 1981-11 Yuraku Shuppan Castrovalva 1983-12 Chuokoron Sha ja:中央公論社Faust Jidai 1982-11 Kodansha Mū Tairiku no Shihou 1984-02 Kadokawa Shoten Yoshitsune Maihō Densetsu Satsujin Jiken 1985-10 Kodansha Kodai Kagome-zoku no Inbō 1985-10 Tokuma Shoten Niseko Yōsai 1986 part 1 - Rishiri-Rebun Tokkō-hen 1986-07 Chuokoron Sha Maboroshi Bunmei no Tabi - Kūsō Kojiki 1986-09 Tokuma Shoten C0193Sei-Stefan Jiin no Kane no Ne wa 1988-05 Tokuma Shoten Nekosenshi Chō D-kyū Keikaku 1989-06 Tairiku Shobo Sarutobi Sasuke : Kishu Densetsu no Kan - Tanjō-hen 1998-10 Kadokawa Shoten Konpeki no Kantai 1, Unmei no Kaisen 1990-12 Tokuma Shoten Kyokujitsu no Kantai 1, Chōsenkan Yamato Takeru no Mikoto Shutsugeki 1992-06 Chuokoron Sha Shin Konpeki no Kantai zero, Itsuwari no Heiwa 1997-04 Tokuma Shoten Shin Kyokujitsu no Kantai zero, Yumemiru Chōsenkan 1997-06 Chuokoron Sha Teikoku no Hikari 1, Venture 2025 1997-08 Gentoha Kyokujitsu no Kaisen, Nichiro-sensō no Chiseigaku 1998-12 Kadokawa Shoten 1998.12 Kyokujitsu no Senkan, Sōseki to Mikasa 1999-07 Kadokawa Shoten PLUG 2002-01 Kadokawa Shoten Chōgen Kairō - Atlantis Taisen 1 2003-04 Chuokoron Sha Romanov Teikoku no Yabou - Nihon Seifuku Sensō 2010-05 Chuokoron Sha Teihon Aramaki Yoshio Meta-SF Zenshū, Dai-3 kan "Shiroki Hi Tabidateba Fushi" 2014-11 Sairyūsha :ja:彩流社Mohaya Uchū wa Meikyū no Kagami no yōni 2017-07 Sairyu Sha

Metafiction novels

Shiraki Series 1972–2017, 3 volumes
* Shiroki Hi Tabidateba Fushi 1972-12 Hayakawa Publishing
* Sei-Stefan Jiin no Kane no Ne wa 1988-05 Tokuma Shoten
* Mohaya Uchū wa Meikyū no Kagami no yōni 2017-07 Sairyu Sha

Early metafiction novelettes

Aramaki published around 15 metafictional novelettes in S-F Magazine in the early 1970s. These take place around fifty years in the future. They had fallen into comparative obscurity. In 2013, French culture studies researcher Denis Taillandier published the paper discussing and evaluating Aramaki's early short story "Soft Clocks". The revaluation of Aramaki's metafictional works were started. In the course of the renewed interest, publication of the "Complete Collection of Meta-SF Works was planned.
The following list shows the early metafictional novelettes and short stories appeared in S-F from 1970 to ca. 1973:

Issue	Title	Size	Romanized title	English
1970-05	術の小説論	-	Jutsu no Shōsetsu-ron	Theory of Fictions by Kunst
1970-08	大いなる正午	75	Ōinaru Shōgo	The Great Noon
1970-11	種子よ	-	Shusi yo	Oh, The Seed
1971-02	白壁の文字は夕陽に映える	100	Shirakabe no Moji wa Yūhi ni Haeru	The Letters on the White Wall are Shined On by the Setting Sun
1971-04	ある晴れた日のウィーンは森の中にたたずむ	140	Aru Hareta Hi no Wien wa Mori no naka ni Tatazumu	Wien on a Certain, Fine Day Stands in the Forest
1971-06	緑の太陽	100	Midori no Taiyō	The Green Sun
1971-08	ああ荒野	100	Aa, Kōya	Ah, Wilderness
1971-11	大いなる失墜	140	Ōinaru Shittsui	The Great Downfall
1971-12	無限への崩壊	140	Migen e no Hōkai	Collapse into Infinity
1972-02	柔らかい時計	-	Yawarakai Tokei	Soft Clocks
1972-04	石機械	150	Ishi Kikai	Stone Machine
1972-06	性炎樹の花咲くとき	100	Seienju no Hanasaku Toki	When the Sexual-flame-trees Bloom
1972-10	宇宙25時	115	Uchū 25-ji	The Space 25 O'Clock
1972-13	白い環	100	Shiroi Wa	The White Ring
1973-02	噫々レムリア	-	Aa, Lemuria	Ah, Lemuria
1973-04	時の葦船	100	Toki no Ashibune	The Reed Ship of Time

Roman-fleuve SF Novels

Big Wars series 1978-1998

Denki Roman Novel series

Kūhaku series 1975-1987Kimmeria Nanatsu no Hihō series 1976-1981Shimanari series 1977, 1979Byakuma-den series 1979 Hihō series 1980-1985Maihō Densetsu series 1985-1900Myōō series 1981-1991Mū series 1984-1987Sasuke series 1989-1992

Imaginary Battle / Alternate History series

Yōsai Series 1986–2001, 20 volumes

* Niseko Yōsai 1986 1-3 1986-1988
* Towada Yōsai 1991 1-3 1989
* Aso Yōsai 1995 1-5 1990-1991
* Biwako Yōsai 1997 1-6
* Fugaku Yōsai 1-3 2001Kantai Series 1990–2000, 63 volumes
* Konpeki no Kantai Series 1-20 1990-1996 Tokuma Shoten
* Kyokujitsu no Kantai Series 1-16 1992-1996 Chuokoron Sha
* Shin Konpeki no Kantai Series 0, 1-8 1997-2000 Tokuma Shoten, Gentosha
* Shin Kyokujitsu no Kantai Series 0, 1-17 1997-2000 Chuo Kouron Sha, Shin Chuokoron Sha

Simulation Novel series

Teikoku no Hikari Series 1-2 1997 GentoshaChōgen Kairō Series 1-6 2003-2008 Shin Chuokoron Sha

Young Adult fiction

Gomannen-go no Natsuyasumi 1978-11 Tsuru Shobō - Midori no Uchū Guntō 1980-02 Kadokawa Shoten - /bunko/ Seiun-Ki I Higeki no Ōji 1991-04 Keibun Sha Seiun-Ki II Ōji no Shutsugeki 1991-09 Keibun Sha

Critique

Simulation Shōsetsu no Hakken 1994-12 Chuokoron Sha

Essays

Maboroshi Bunmei no Tabi - Kūsō Kojiki 1986-09 Tokuma Shoten C0193Ryūkō Sakka no Dennō Shinan - Korenara dekiru Ichitarō 7 1997-01 Chuokoron Sha Kyokujitsu no Kaisen, Nichiro-sensō no Chiseigaku 1998-12 Kadokawa Shoten 1998.12 Kyokujitsu no Senkan, Sōseki to Mikasa 1999-07 Kadokawa Shoten Rōma-jin ga Egaita Sekaichizu 2002-12 Seishun Shuppan Playbooks Jinsei wa SF da Iwasaki Insatsu Co. Ltd. /Private publication/

Poetry

Shishū “Gaikotsu Hantō"’’ - Aramaki Yoshio Daiichi Shishū Private publication 2011-08 /Yoshio Sōsho 3/

Complete Collection of Meta-SF Works

Aramaki Yoshio Complete and Standard Collection of Meta-SF Works edited and compiled by Takayuki Tatsumi + Yūji Miura :

Volume 1 : Yawarakai Tokei 2015-05 Sairyū Sha
Volume 2 : Uchū 25 ji 2015-02 Sairyū Sha
Volume 3 : Shiroki Hi Tabidateba Fushi 2014-11 Sairyū Sha
Volume 4 : Sei-Stefan Jiin no Kane no Ne wa 2014-12 Sairyū Sha
Volume 5 : Toki no Ashibune 2015-01 Sairyū Sha
Volume 6 : Shinsei-dai 2015-03 Sairyū Sha
Volume 7 : Castrovalva/Gothic 2015-04 Sairyū Sha
Extra Volume : Gaikotsu Hantō, Hanayome, etc. 2015-01 Sairyū Sha
: Mohaya Uchū wa Meikyū no Kagami no yōni 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 WarsKantai Series

* Konpeki no Kantai Series
* ''Kyokujitsu no Kantai Series''

Selected works translated into English

The Sacred Era

"'Soft Clocks", a novelette