Photo: Ryota Nakanishi / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Hiroshi Aramata is a novelist, translator and tarento. Born on July 12, 1947, Hiroshi Aramata is from Tokyo, Japan. The age as of 2026 is 79. Education on record includes Keio University. Recorded honors include Nihon SF Taisho Award (1987) and Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities (1989).
My Take
Hiroshi Aramata is the closest thing modern Japan has to a genuine polymath, and the range is almost comic. Born in Tokyo in 1947 and educated at Keio University, he writes novels, translates, and works seriously in natural history, iconography and cartography — while also appearing on television as a familiar media personality. His novel Teito Monogatari has sold over five million copies in Japan alone, and it reshaped how Japanese popular fiction handles occult history and the hidden life of cities. What I find most telling is the pair of honours he holds: the Nihon SF Taisho Award in 1987 and the Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities in 1989. Winning both means the fiction world and the academic world each decided he was one of theirs. Very few writers anywhere manage that. He looks, talks and thinks like a man who wandered out of one of his own books, which is exactly why he is worth reading.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Hiroshi Aramata
- Name (Japanese)
- 荒俣宏
- Reading
- あらまた ひろし
- Born
- July 12, 1947 (age 79)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Boar
- Origin
- Tokyo, Japan
- Occupation
- novelist / translator / tarento / journalist / author
2. Background
- University
- Keio University
Awards & achievements
- 1987 Nihon SF Taisho Award
- 1989 Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Teito Monogatari | — |
4. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshi%20Aramata
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8D%92%E4%BF%A3%E5%AE%8F
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11618411
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-08-07
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Hiroshi Aramata born?
Born July 12, 1947 (age 79).
Where is Hiroshi Aramata from?
Hiroshi Aramata is from Tokyo, Japan.
What does Hiroshi Aramata do?
Hiroshi Aramata works as novelist, translator, tarento, journalist, author.
What is Hiroshi Aramata known for?
Notable works include Teito Monogatari.
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