Origins & Early Life

Shigeru Kurita (栗田 茂, Kurita Shigeru; March 15, 1916 – March 8, 1995), known by his pen name Junpei Gomikawa (五味川 純平, Gomikawa Junpei), was a Japanese novelist. He is best known for his 1958 World War II novel The Human Condition (Ningen no joken), which became a best seller. The novel became the basis for Masaki Kobayashi's film trilogy The Human Condition as well as a radio drama. His eighteen-volume novel Men and War (Senso to ningen), formed the basis for Satsuo Yamamoto's 1970–1973 film trilogy of the same name.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Gomikawa was born and raised in Dalian in colonial Manchuria, referring to himself as a "second generation Manchurian-Japanese". He enrolled in the Tokyo College of Commerce (today Hitotsubashi University) in 1933 but dropped out and entered the Tokyo University of Foreign Languages in 1936. In 1940, Gomikawa was arrested under suspicion of violating the Peace Preservation Law but nevertheless graduated and returned to Manchuria to take a job at the Anshan Ironworks Company, where he noted that the economic conditions were attractive for Japanese living in Manchuria, compared to Koreans, Chinese, and recent graduates living in Japan. He was eventually drafted...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Adolfo Pedernera — Contemporary (Died in 1995) (1995): Argentine football legend, nicknamed 'El Maestro,' pivotal in the 1940s.
• Alexander Knox — Contemporary (Died in 1995) (1995): Esteemed Canadian actor and writer, known for dramatic roles and literary contributions.
• Bob Ross — Contemporary (Died in 1995) (1995): Iconic painter and TV host known for 'The Joy of Painting' technique.
• Abe Saperstein — Shared historical date (03-15 · Died) (1966): Founder of the Harlem Globetrotters, revolutionized black basketball.
• Alan Bean — Shared historical date (03-15 · Born) (1932): American astronaut, naval officer, and lunar explorer who walked on the Moon.
• Anselm Kiefer — Shared historical date (03-08 · Born) (1945): German painter and sculptor confronting German history, the Holocaust, and myth.
• Anthony Leggett — Shared historical date (03-08 · Died) (2026): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for work on superfluidity and low-temperature quantum systems.
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