Ira Ishida (石田 衣良, Ishida Ira, born March 8, 1960) is a Japanese novelist and TV commentator.

Ira Ishida
Born
Shoichi Ishidaira

March 8, 1960

After graduating from Seikei University, he worked for a number of different advertising production companies and as a freelance copywriter.[1] In 1997, he published his first short story collection, Ikebukuro West Gate Park, which won the 36th All Yomimono New Mystery Writer's Prize. In 2003, he won the Naoki Prize for 4teen.[1]

His novels describe the culture of young people in Japan, particularly young women and otaku without a college education. Many of his works have been adapted for manga and television. As an actor, he made his first appearance in a leading role in the 2006 film Love My Life.

Ishida's pen name, Ishida Ira, was derived by splitting his real family name Ishidaira.

Works in English translation

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Novel
Short story
  • Ikebukuro West Gate Park (Digital Geishas and Talking Frogs: The Best 21st Century Short Stories from Japan, Cheng & Tsui Company, 2011)

Awards and nominations

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  • 1997 - All Yomimono New Mystery Writer's Prize: Ikebukuro West Gate Park (short story)
  • 2001 - Nominee for Naoki Prize: Call Boy
  • 2002 - Nominee for Naoki Prize: Kotsuon: Ikebukuro West Gate Park 3
  • 2003 - Naoki Prize: 4teen [3]

Main works

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Ikebukuro West Gate Park

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  • Short story collections
    • Ikebukuro West Gate Park (池袋ウエストゲートパーク), 1998
      • Ikebukuro West Gate Park (池袋ウエストゲートパーク)
      • Ekisaitaburu bōi [Excitable boy] (エキサイタブルボーイ)
      • Oashisu no koibito (オアシスの恋人)
      • Sanshain-dōri shiviru wō (サンシャイン通り内戦)
    • Ikebukuro West Gate Park 2: Shōnen keisūki (池袋ウエストゲートパーク2 少年計数機), 2000
    • Ikebukuro West Gate Park 3: Kotsuon (池袋ウエストゲートパーク3 骨音), 2002
    • Ikebukuro West Gate Park 4: Denshi no hoshi (池袋ウエストゲートパーク4 電子の星), 2003
    • Ikebukuro West Gate Park 5: Han-jisatsu kurabu (池袋ウエストゲートパーク5 反自殺クラブ), 2005
    • Ikebukuro West Gate Park 6: Haiiro no Pītāpan (池袋ウエストゲートパーク6 灰色のピーターパン), 2006
    • Ikebukuro West Gate Park 7: G bōizu fuyu sensō (池袋ウエストゲートパーク7 Gボーイズ冬戦争), 2007
    • Ikebukuro West Gate Park 8: Hiseiki rejisutansu (池袋ウエストゲートパーク8 非正規レジスタンス), 2008
    • Ikebukuro West Gate Park 9: Doragon tiāzu Ryūrui (池袋ウエストゲートパーク9 ドラゴン・ティアーズ 龍涙), 2009
    • Ikebukuro West Gate Park 10: Puraido [Pride] (池袋ウエストゲートパーク10 PRIDE), 2010

Call Boy series

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  • Shōnen (娼年), 2001 (Call Boy, Shueisha English Edition, 2013)
  • Seinen (逝年), 2008
  • Call Boy 3, 2018

Standalone novels

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  • Utsukushii Kodomo (うつくしい子ども), 1999
  • Enjeru [Angel] (エンジェル), 1999
  • Nami no ue no majutsushi (波のうえの魔術師), 2001
  • Burū tawā [Blue Tower] (ブルータワー), 2004
  • Akihabara@DEEP (アキハバラ@DEEP), 2004
  • Fushichōshōnen (不死鳥少年), 2019

Short story collections

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  • Surō guddobai [Slow Good-bye] (スローグッドバイ), 2002
  • 4teen (4TEEN), 2003

TV and film adaptations

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Japanese TV dramas
Japanese film

References

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  1. ^ a b Janet Ashby (2003-09-11). "Naoki Prize winner asks Japan to put more faith in the young". Japan Times. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
  2. ^ "Call Boy – A Novel by Ira Ishida". Archived from the original on 2014-05-17. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
  3. ^ J'Lit | Publications : 4teen | Books from Japan
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