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Tokyo Sogensha (東京創元社, Tokyo Sōgensha)
StatusActive
FoundedFebruary 1948 (spin-off)
July 16, 1954 (official)
Country of originJapan
Headquarters locationShinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Publication typesBooks
Fiction genresMystery, Science fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Social science
Imprints
  • Sōgen Suiri Bunko (Mystery, Fantasy, horror)
  • Sōgen SF Bunko (SF)
No. of employees47 (as of March 2022)
Official websitewww.tsogen.co.jp

Tokyo Sogensha Co., Ltd. (東京創元社, Tokyo Sōgensha) is a Japanese publisher of mystery fiction, science fiction, fantasy, literary fiction and social science, based in Tokyo.

History

In 1925, a publisher called Sogensha Inc. (創元社, Sōgensha) of Osaka was established with a branch in Tokyo.[1]

In 1948, the Tokyo branch of Sogensha spun off into a separate company with the same name, Sogensha.[1]

In 1954, Sogensha (Tokyo) was officially reorganized into Tokyo Sogensha Co., Ltd.[2]

Between 1962 and 1970, Tokyo Sogensha changed its name to Tokyo Sogen Shinsha (東京創元新社, "shinsha" means "the new company") due to its reconstruction from bankruptcy.[2]

Both Tokyo Sogensha Co., Ltd. and Sogensha Inc. exist as unrelated publishing companies.

In 2013, the official mascot cat named Kurari was released. Kurari's name is from Japanese kanji so (創) of Sogensha. So (創) can be divided to kanji kura (倉) and katakana ri (リ).[3]

Imprints

Mystery

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (March 2016)

Science fiction

As a science fiction publisher, Tokyo Sogensha began with the translation of Fredric Brown's works as a division of Sōgen Suiri Bunko in 1963. The division and its continuation, which was renamed as Sōgen SF Bunko [ja] in 1991, are Japan's oldest existing Sci-Fi bunkobon label. It published 677 books as of 2015[4] including the works of Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, J. G. Ballard, Philip K. Dick, Lois McMaster Bujold, Vernor Vinge, James P. Hogan, Kim Stanley Robinson, Robert Charles Wilson, and Greg Egan.[5] It scored early success in the post-war period with the Barsoom books of Edgar Rice Burroughs and the words of E. E. Smith.[6]

Sogen SF Bunko had specialized in translation until 2007 then it started publishing Japanese works. The first Japanese titles were reprints of Legend of Galactic Heroes #1 by Yoshiki Tanaka and Babylonia Wave by Akira Hori.

Recognition

Tokyo Sogensha won the Seiun Award for Best Translated Long Work for 18 works out of 52 times (as of 2021);[7] the Nihon SF Taisho Award in 2012, 2013 and 2019 for Japanese Works.

Horror/Fantasy

Notable authors published by Tokyo Sogensha include Shirley Jackson, H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe.

Prizes

Tokyo Sogensha awards some prizes for unpublished Japanese works to recruit new writers of specific genres:

References

  1. ^ a b "デジタル版 日本人名大辞典+Plus 矢部良策 (Ryosaku Yabe, Dictionary of Japanese Biography Plus, Digital Edition)" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-01-02.
  2. ^ a b "東京創元社 年表 (The timeline of Tokyo Sogensha)" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-01-02.
  3. ^ Decided the mascot name of Tokyo Sogensha 60th anniversary (in Japanese). Tokyo Sogensha. 2013-11-15. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  4. ^ 渡辺英樹 (Hideki Watanabe) (2016-09-29). "シミルボン：創元SF文庫の歴史 その5 (Shimirubon: The History of Sogen SF Bunko #5)" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-01-02.
  5. ^ "創元SF50周年｜東京創元社 (Sogen SF 50th anniversary)" (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  6. ^ "Japan: Science Fiction Encyclopedia". Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  7. ^ "星雲賞受賞作一覧 (Winners list of Seiun Awards)" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  8. ^ "Mystery writer Tetsuya Ayukawa dies at 83". Kyodo. 26 September 2002. Retrieved 16 April 2013.

External links

Authority control databases
Categories