Tokyo Sogensha

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.

Tokyo Sogensha (東京創元社, Tokyo Sōgensha)
StatusActive
FoundedFebruary 1948 (spin-off)
July 16, 1954 (formal)
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 employees36 (as of February 2015)
Official websitewww.tsogen.co.jp

History

In 1925, a publisher called Sogensha 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 formally reorganized into Tokyo Sogensha.[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. (東京創元社, Tokyo Sōgensha) and Sogensha Inc. (創元社, Sōgensha) 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
  • Sōgen Suiri Bunko（Sogen Mystery Bunko） - Started in 1959, it is one of the leading Bunkobon (small-format paperback) labels focusing on mystery, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. The label had specialized in translation until 1984 when it entered the field of Japanese works.
  • Sogen Library - Started in 1995
  • Mysteries! - Started in 2003

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 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 when it entered the field of 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 Novel for 17 works out of 48 times (as of 2017);[7] the Nihon SF Taisho Award in 2012 and 2013 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:

  • Ayukawa Tetsuya Award (鮎川哲也賞, Ayukawa Tetsuya Shō) - Since 1990. An annual contest for mystery fiction, named after Tetsuya Ayukawa, a notable novelist of the genre.[8]
  • Mysteries! Prize for New Writers (ミステリーズ!新人賞, Misuteriizu! Shinjin Shō) - Since 2004. The short story counterpart of the Tetsuya Ayukawa Award, named after the bimonthly magazine the company has published. It was the continuation of the Sogen Suiri Prize for New Writers (1994-2003).
  • Sogen SF Short Story Prize (創元SF短編賞, Sōgen SF Tanpen Shō) - Since 2010. An annual contest for broad-sense science fiction and speculative fiction short stories.
  • Sogen Fantasy Prize for New Writers (創元ファンタジイ新人賞, Sōgen Fantasy Shinjin Shō) - Since 2015. A contest for fantasy novels.

References
  1. "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. "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.
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