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Yoshio Aramaki (荒巻義雄, Aramaki Yoshio, 12 April 1933 –) is a science fiction and mystery writer, critic and art collector. His original given name was Kunio Aramaki (荒巻邦夫, Aramaki Kunio). He has changed his name to Yoshimasa Aramaki (荒巻義雅).[1] Aramaki is well known by his so-called "Meta-SF" works which are characterized by their speculative and fantastic themes and depictions.[1][2] 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 (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan),[3] and of the Contemporary Haiku Association. He was also a professor in the Seishū Women's University [4] (now, Sapporo International University) from 1993 to 1997.[5]
Aramaki was born in 1933 in Otaru in Hokkaidō prefecture.[6][7] He graduated from Hokkaidō Minami Sapporo high school.[8] He graduated from Waseda University. He became an employee at a publishing company and worked in Tokyo.[5] But he returned to Sapporo to take over his family business.[7] Aramaki entered school again and graduated from the department of technology, civil engineering course, in the Hokkai Gakuen University Junior College Division (北海学園大学短期大学部), and obtained an architect degree. He took office as a representative director in Hokken Shōji Co. Ltd (北建商事株式会社).[5][7]
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" (術の小説論, Jutsu no Shōsetsu-ron) 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",[9] thereby he advocated the new possibilities of Japanese SF works in this critique.[2] He also published his allegorical short story "Ōinaru Shōgo (The Great Noon)" (大いなる正午) in the same publication.[10] 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" (柔らかい時計, "Soft Clocks"), 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" (白壁の文字は夕陽に映える, The Writings on the White Wall are Shined On By the Setting Sun) won the Seiun Award in 1972.[11] His first full-length and the first volume of the"Shiraki series, Shiroki Hi Tabidateba Fushi (白き日旅立てば不死, Departing on the White Day, That Is, Immortality), was a runner-up for the Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature.[7]
Aramaki wrote many "Denki-Roman stories" (伝奇ロマン小説, Legendary Roman story) 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" (要塞シリーズ, Fortress series) and "Fleet series" which contains "Konpeki no Kantai series (Deep Blue Fleet)" and "Kyokujitsu no Kantai series (Fleet of the Rising Sun)". He published the critique "Discovery of Simulation Novels" (シミュレーション小説の発見, Shimyureeshon shōsestu no hakken) 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 (定本荒巻義雄メタＳＦ全集 (Aramaki Yoshio Complete and Standard Collection of Meta-SF Works). 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 (もはや宇宙は迷宮の鏡のように, "Now the Cosmos is Like the Mirrors of Labyrinth".
Aramaki was the owner of the Sapporo Tokeidai gallery (札幌時計台ギャラリー).[12] 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 (札幌芸術の森美術館).[13]
Aramaki has stated the origin of his surreal and "speculative" emotions had their root in his birthplace, Otaru.[14] 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.[15] 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.[7]
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 [16]
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 (Toki no Bōhatei)" [17]", which is a prototype of "The Great Noon (Ōinaru Shōgo)".[14] He published the counterargument against Yamano's criticism. It was the beginning of the so-called "Yamano-Aramaki debate" [18]
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" (日本ＳＦの原点と指向, Japanese SF: Its Originality and Orientation) [19] 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.[2][7]
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 (季刊NW-SF, Kikan NW-SF) in 1970. On the other hand, Aramaki published his critical article "Jutsu no Shōsetsu-ron" (術の小説論) in S-F Magazine in 1970. Aramaki took his own course of speculative and surreal fiction.[2][7] Aramaki started publishing his unique metafictional works.
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.[20] For details see bibliography below.
Aramaki's first novel "Shiroki Hi tabidateba Fushi" (the first book of the Shiraki series) was published in April 1972. His early masterpiece Shinsei-dai ("The Sacred Era") was published in May 1978, a short story versin of it having appeared in S-F Magazine in 1970.
Aramaki tried to explore story themes in a variety of genres and styles. In 1975, he published Kūhaku no Jūjika ("Vacant Cross") 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 (1976) 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 ("The Seven Secret Treasures of Kimmeria") 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 ("Afternoon of Goddesses"), 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.
Aramaki published "Niseko Yōsai 1986 part 1 - Rishiri-Rebun Tokkō-hen (ニセコ要塞1986 [1] - 利尻・礼文特攻篇 Niseko Fortress 1986). This is the first book of twenty volume Yōsai (Fortress) series (要塞シリーズ. The last book of this series 'Fugaku Yōsai 3, the Apocalypse Program (富嶽要塞３ 黙示録プログラム) was published in December 2001.
While writing the series, Aramaki started to publish the new alternative history series, "Kantai Series" (艦隊シリーズ Fleet 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.[21] 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.[22]
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,[23] and Aramaki were panelist.[24] Aramaki also became a panelist in the "New wave/ Speculative fiction" panel.[24]
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.[25] The new critics such as Yoshiyuki Ishiwa, Akira Okawada, Maki Takatsuki [26] etc., have debuted through this award.[27]
In 2014, the literary exhibition "Aramaki Yoshio no Sekai" (荒巻義雄の世界, The World of Aramaki Yoshio) was held in Hokkaido Museum of Literature at Sapporo from February 8 to March 23.[28] The project of this event started from the one design drawing which Aramaki had asked architect Tsuneyo Matsuhashi [29] to draw for showing the structure of the City-type Starship,[30] appeared in the Big Wars series, in 1983. And during these 30 years, Shōichi Nakano [31] 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[32] and two others were panelist. Aramaki talked his origins of a writer.[14][28]
Aramaki published around 15 metafictional novelettes in S-F Magazine in the early 1970s. These take place around fifty years in the future (from the time written). They had fallen into comparative obscurity. In 2013, French culture studies researcher Denis Taillandier[32] 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:[20]
| Issue | Title | Size | Romanized title | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-05 | 術の小説論 | - | Jutsu no Shōsetsu-ron (cririque) | 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 [59] | 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 [60] |
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 [61] | 100 | Toki no Ashibune | The Reed Ship of Time |
Aramaki Yoshio Complete and Standard Collection of Meta-SF Works (定本荒巻義雄メタSF全集, Teihon Aramaki Yoshio Meta-SF Zenshū) edited and compiled by Takayuki Tatsumi + Yūji Miura (巽孝之＋三浦祐嗣):[34]