Brothers (Nominating Work for the 1998 Naoki Prize)

Author: Nishizato Reiko
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Brother, you've been so kind to me, thank you for being my big brother. Thank you for taking on the role of a father. Thank you for bringing me so much torment. And truly, truly, thank you for finally dying. This is Nishizato Reiko's ( is a novel with a strong autobiographical element), and it was a nominee for the 1998 ( is a prestigious Japanese literary award). The novel is deeply personal, depicting the life of the author's brother-in-law, a man who led a life of failure and despair. The author meticulously portrays her youthful rebellion and the complex, contradictory emotions she shared with her brother-in-law. Nishizato Reiko once spoke of this work: "My brother-in-law's illness was a 'Japanese disease of defeat,' perhaps a certain kind of hollow emptiness of the Showa era! For me, the image of Showa was one of reckless progress, irresponsibility, and a backward spirit heading toward collapse and destruction. My brother-in-law used words to mask his helplessness and always escaped from reality." In 1999, 《》 ( is the title of the novel) was adapted into a television drama by Asahi TV, as a major production to celebrate the station's 40th anniversary. Nishizato Reiko personally selected Masato Fukami to play the protagonist, Reiko, and Takeshi Kitano, a renowned director and actor who won the Venice Film Festival's ( is the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival), to play the brother-in-law. This drama marked Kitano's first television appearance in seven years and Masato Fukami's return to the screen after a year-and-a-half hiatus since the birth of his daughter. The production caused a huge sensation upon its premiere.