Farewell party for Shizuka Ijuin Those who had close friendships are saddened by the farewell

A farewell party was held in Tokyo on the 18th for Shizuka Ijuin, a Naoki Prize-winning author known for her works such as the ``Adult Style'' series, who passed away in November last year, and those who were close to her were saddened to say goodbye.

After making his debut as a writer in 1981, Ijuin published many personal novels and won the Naoki Prize for his short story collection Ukezuki.

In recent years, his ``Adult Style'' series became a bestseller, but he passed away last November at the age of 73 after suffering from intrahepatic bile duct cancer.

A farewell party was held in Tokyo on the afternoon of the 18th, and celebrities from all walks of life, from literature to entertainment to sports, attended and laid flowers at the altar, demonstrating the breadth of their ties.

In addition to displaying a photo of himself standing in front of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" when he visited Italy for research seven years ago, the photo also includes a photo of him standing in front of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper," as well as a photo of him standing in front of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper." Fifty photo panels of Mr. Ijuin before his death, including the way he was tilted, were exhibited.

Kodansha President Masanobu Noma, who served as a representative of the founders of the association, said, ``He was always considerate of those around him at drinking establishments, and he taught us about etiquette at drinking establishments and how to behave on the golf course.'' I would like you to share your memories of Ijuin-san," he greeted.

According to the organizers, approximately 400 people attended the event and talked about their memories with Ijuin.

Shizuka Ijuin's career and achievements

Shizuka Ijuin has been active at the forefront of the literary world for over 40 years.

His deep writings and his way of life, drawn from his rich life experiences, made him someone I admired as an ``adult man.''

After graduating from Rikkyo University, Mr. Ijuin worked at an advertising agency, etc., and made his debut as a writer in 1981.In addition to publishing many autobiographical novels such as ``Straits'' and ``Breasts,'' he also belonged to the baseball club during his university days. Because of his background, he wrote many books about baseball, and won the Naoki Prize for his short story collection ``Ukegetsu'' on the theme of baseball.

He is also active as a lyricist under the name ``Date Ayumu'' and has written many hit songs such as Masahiko Kondo's ``Gingiragin ni Casare'' and the Japan Record Award-winning ``Fool.''

In his private life, he lost his younger brother when he was 20 years old, and lost his then-wife, actor Natsume Masako, to leukemia when he was 35 years old.

Mr. Ijuin, who has had such experiences, has written a collection of essays, the ``Adult Style'' series, in which he provides guidance on how to behave as an adult based on his own outlook on life, which has been a bestseller since 2011.

During the Great East Japan Earthquake, his home in Sendai was partially destroyed, but he continued to cheer up the people of Tohoku by holding autograph sessions at local bookstores.

Mr. Ijuin has long served as a member of the selection committee for numerous literary awards, including the Naoki Prize, and has greatly contributed to the Japanese literary world, earning him the respect of younger writers.

In 2016, when it was decided that he would receive the Medal with Purple Ribbon, he said, ``I have written many personal novels in my 30-year career as a writer, but personal novels don't sell very well, so I was honored to receive the Medal with Purple Ribbon.'' I'm very happy about that.I want to continue writing about any genre, as long as I can find a theme that will make my readers think, ``I wanted to read something like this.''''

However, his later years were spent battling illness.

At the age of 69, he suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage and was on the brink of death for a time, but he miraculously made a comeback.

After that, he resumed his activities such as serializing in a weekly magazine, but in October last year, he was diagnosed with intrahepatic bile duct cancer and announced that he would take a break from writing for the time being.

The following month, in November, he passed away at the age of 73.

Mino Monta: “A person who looks great drinking at the counter”

Mino Monta, who served as a TV presenter, said, ``I only met Ijuin-san at the drinking table, but he was a person who liked drinking at the counter rather than drinking in an unreasonable way or staying too long at the bar. He was a cool guy who could literally translate what he said into print, and he was six years younger than me, so it's really sad that he passed away.''

Akiko Wada: “There was something indescribably cool about it.”

Akiko Wada, a singer and entertainer, said, ``It's rare to find a photograph of a deceased person that shows the whole body, so I thought it was cool.'' We often drank together, and it was indescribable, as if the child had become an adult. It had a cool feel to it," he said of his memories.

Masahiko Kondo: ``I want to do my best, relishing every word.''

Singer Masahiko Kondo said, ``He always appeared at every turning point in my life and gave me various advice at bars. Regarding the lyrics of ``Fool,'' I asked him, ``Sir, how did you feel when you wrote this?'' I listened to it many times, but I was told, ``That's just a drunken song from Shinbashi,'' perhaps because I was too timid, but I was told, ``Keep singing, and if you keep singing, you'll learn a lot of things.'' "I will continue to do my best, paying close attention to every word that Mr. Ijuin has to say."

Shigeaki Kato: ``A person I admire with a broad and humorous personality''

Shigeaki Kato, an idol who is also active as a writer, said, ``When I was nominated for the Naoki Prize and when I won the Eiji Yoshikawa Prize for New Writers, Ijuin was on the selection committee, so I received many words of support each time. I received it. He often said that the important thing for a writer is to read a lot, but experience is also important.He was a person I admired who had a wide range of abilities both as a writer and as a human being, and had a sense of humor.'' We were talking.

Zaimasa Osawa: ``I lived my life knowing that people would have to say goodbye''

Writer Arimasa Osawa said, ``Mr. Ijuin and I won the same first literary award, and since then we have known each other for over 30 years.I write mysteries and Ijuin writes contemporary novels, and although we write in different genres, he and I share the same first literary award. I always thought that I needed to find a theme and ask questions about modern times through my novels.Of course, we parted too soon, but at one point Mr. Ijuin said to himself, ``People die.'' As a person who has been through many breakups, I think I lived my life with the determination that farewells happen to people whether they are young or old.I hope you find a good golf course over there by now. "I think he is alive," he said, remembering the deceased.