Featured in Weekly Toyo Keizai (founded 1895) and Mita Hyoron (founded 1898): 'Seicho Matsumoto's Showa'! / Kodansha Gendai Shinsho, celebrating 5th printing
I had the pleasure of having my book 'Seicho Matsumoto's Showa' introduced by Professor Hirotsugu Aida in the April 11, 2026 issue of Weekly Toyo Keizai! The title is 'The Grandchild Generation, the Lost Generation Depicts the Figure of a National Writer and the Power of the Era.' It has been published in both the print and online editions.
注目の本を一挙紹介。今回は『不安の世代 スマホ・SNSが子どもと若者の心を蝕む理由』（ジョナサン・ハイト 著）、『松本清張の昭和』（酒井信 著）、『集団浅慮 「優秀だった男たち」はなぜ道を誤るのか？』（古賀史健 著）です。https://t.co/XXkIhHeGZa
— 東洋経済オンライン (@Toyokeizai) April 4, 2026
本日書店に並ぶ『週刊東洋経済』に酒井信『松本清張の昭和』の拙稿書評が掲載されています。清張は「昭和」をフルに生ききった作家なのだ、とあらためて認識しました。いい評伝です……https://t.co/vDoXYDvjMv
— 会田弘継-Hiro Aida (@hirotsuguaida) April 6, 2026
His nearly 1,000 works 'delved into the dark side of the Showa era... and depicted people who lived vigorously through the chaotic pre- and post-war periods.' As the author says, he is truly a 'national writer of Showa.'
Although it is a new paperback of about 250 pages, the research is thorough, living up to the author's own claim of it being the 'first full-scale biography.' It includes points that could become the foundation for future Seicho research, such as pointing out that Seicho's birth date might be 10 months earlier than his birth registration, and that his birth year might be one year earlier. <Omitted>
The author, who says his message is to convey Seicho's 'unwaveringly positive way of life' as he rose from the bottom in a turbulent society and the 'power of the Showa era,' is from the generation of Seicho's grandchildren, the 'employment ice age' generation. I feel I have caught a glimpse of one of the reasons why Seicho continues to be read today.
I was moved by the journalistic and balanced review, which is typical of Mr. Aida, formerly of Kyodo News. It is very encouraging.
Toyo Keizai is one of the historic economic magazines founded in 1895 by Chuji Machida (later president of the Minseito party) as 'Toyo Keizai Shinpo'.
With this, I have been featured in Japan's major business magazines: Weekly Toyo Keizai, Weekly Diamond, Weekly Economist, Newsweek, and ZAITEN. Now I am leisurely looking forward to Nikkei Business, PRESIDENT, and Kodansha's Courrier Japon (laughs).
I contributed 'Writing Notes: Seicho Matsumoto's Showa' to the April 2026 issue of Mita Hyoron. It is a piece that introduces 'Seicho Matsumoto's Showa' while touching on stories about my mentor, Kazuya Fukuda, and the relationship between Seicho Matsumoto and Keio University.
This book was written under the influence of one of my mentor Kazuya Fukuda's representative works, 'Chi Hiraku: Ishiwara Kanji to Showa no Yume' (Bungeishunju). Just when I was in graduate school, my mentor was at his peak as a critic, and I had long thought that I wanted to write a work that combined biography and criticism like he did.
For Kazuya Fukuda, the existence of someone like Kanji Ishiwara was, for me, Seicho Matsumoto, who was also from northern Kyushu. <Omitted>
Seicho Matsumoto once served as an editorial committee member for Mita Bungaku, and his eldest son, Yoichi, graduated from Keio University and joined Dentsu. The person who most highly evaluated Seicho's debut work 'Saigo Satsu' as a selection committee member for the Naoki Prize was the writer Kotaro Kigi, who taught at Keio University.
Details about the history of Mita Hyoron are recorded on the site below.
What is 'Mita Hyoron'?
The Keio University institutional magazine 'Mita Hyoron' was founded in March 1898 while Yukichi Fukuzawa was still alive. At first, it was titled 'Keio Gijuku Gakuho'.
1898 was exactly the 40th year since the founding of Keio Gijuku, and during that time, the total number of people who had studied at the school exceeded 10,000. Yukichi Fukuzawa, who was not only an excellent thinker and educator but also a rare journalist, felt the need for communication among those involved with Keio Gijuku (the Gijuku community) and seems to have conceived the idea of publishing a monthly institutional magazine.
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I will summarize the newspapers, magazines, and web media that have introduced 'Seicho Matsumoto's Showa' (Kodansha Gendai Shinsho) so far.
The dialogue with Norihiko Sasaki of PIVOT, '[Thorough Explanation] Seicho Matsumoto: The Man Who Embodied Showa,' is a video where you can enjoy the main points of 'Seicho Matsumoto's Showa' (Kodansha Gendai Shinsho).
https://youtu.be/Srhe7HnKZ-A
Newspapers include the Yomiuri Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun, Chunichi Shimbun/Tokyo Shimbun, Nishinippon Shimbun, Shizuoka Shimbun, and local papers distributed by Kyodo News.
I received very grateful book reviews from Takeshi Shiota (Nihon Keizai Shimbun) and Kyu Sato (Nishinippon Shimbun), who both admire Seicho Matsumoto. I was thrilled to receive such wonderful praise from two 'social school' writers who represent the same generation.
In the Nikkei, it was also introduced in the 'Shunju' column on the front page. Among print media with large circulations, excluding Asahi, Mainichi, and Weekly Bunshun at this point, I have been featured in almost all of them, so it can be said that it has received a great deal of interest.
Yomiuri Shimbun Book Review: Contributed by Professor Yoshiaki Fukuma
Nihon Keizai Shimbun Book Review: Contributed by Takeshi Shiota
Nihon Keizai Shimbun 'Shunju'
Chunichi Shimbun/Tokyo Shimbun Book Review: Contributed by Tadashi Kazemoto
Sankei Shimbun Interview Article
Nishinippon Shimbun: Contributed by Kyu Sato
Shizuoka Shimbun, contributed by Hiroshi Gohara
Kyodo News distributed articles: Fukushima Minpo, Akita Sakigake, Kitanippon Shimbun, Kahoku Shimpo, Gifu Shimbun, Shimotsuke Shimbun, Oita Godo Shimbun, Minami-Nippon Shimbun, etc.
In weekly magazines, we were featured in Shukan Shincho, Shukan Gendai, Weekly Economist, AERA, and Shukan Dokushojin. In online editions, we were featured in Newsweek Japan and Diamond Online. Including online editions, it can be said that we have received interest from historic media outlets.
Shukan Shincho, book review, contributed by Professor Hideomi Tanaka
Shukan Gendai, book review, contributed by Mr. Akio Nakamata
Weekly Economist, contributed by Professor Toshikazu Inoue
Newsweek Japan
Diamond Online
AERA, Shukan Dokushojin
ZAITEN (Zaikai Tenbo-sha) interview
NHK Radio 'Yomu Rajiru'
https://www.nhk.or.jp/radio/magazine/article/my-asa/teg20260222.html
Please continue to support our new book 'Seicho Matsumoto's Showa' (Kodansha Gendai Shinsho, released December 25, 2025, 5th printing)!
Thank you for reading until the end!
いいなと思ったら応援しよう！
ありがとうございます！ 今後ともよろしくお願いいたします！