Tomohiro Maekawa (前川 知大,Maekawa Tomohiro; born 1974) is a Japanese novelist, playwright, and theater director. Maekawa has received numerous accolades throughout his career, including multiple Yomiuri Theater Awards,Yomiuri Literary Awards, two Kinokuniya Theater Award, and the Arts Encouragement Prize for both his plays and his directing.
Maekawa is the founder of the theater companiesIkiume [ja] and Katalushitsu. His plays have been translated and performed internationally in cities such as Seoul and Paris. Several of Maekawa's plays have been adapted into films. Most notably,Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 2017 film,Before We Vanish, is based on his play and novel. The film premiered at the2017 Cannes Film Festival in theUn Certain Regard section.
Born inKashiwazaki City,Niigata Prefecture.[1] He graduated from the Philosophy Department ofToyo University in 2000.[2] He establishedIkiume [ja] in 2003, which depicts otherworldly realms juxtaposed with everyday life through a supernatural worldview. His directing style is characterized by seamless editing of space and time.[3][4][5]
In 2007, he published the novel version ofBefore We Vanish (originally premiered in 2005, currently available in Kadokawa Bunko). In 2008, he received the Yomiuri Theater Award for Excellent Work and Excellent Director forThe Front, the Back, and Beyond. In 2009, he won the Kinokuniya Theater Award (Individual Award) and the Arts Encouragement Prize (Newcomer) forFunction Domino andStrange Tales from Koizumi Yakumo.[6]
In 2010, he participated in the playwriting program at theRoyal Court Theatre in London (International Residency).[4] That year, he won the Tsuruyama Nankoku Playwright Award forThe Dance Floor of Plankton. In 2011, he received the 63rdYomiuri Prize for Drama and Screenplay forThe Sun. He won the 19th Yomiuri Theater Award for Best Director and the Grand Prize for bothStrange Tales, Part Two andThe Sun.[6]
In 2013, he started the experimental theater company Katalushitsu, adapting and directing Dostoevsky'sNotes from Underground for their first performance. He received the 21st Yomiuri Theater Award for Excellent Director forNotes from Underground and the Excellent Work Award forFragments.[6]
In 2017, he received the 52nd Kinokuniya Theater Award for Group for Ikiume withThe Enemy of Heaven andThe Invaders Who Take a Walk.[13]
His productions includeTono Monogatari: Strange Tales, Part Three (2016, based on the work of Kunio Yanagita, performed atSetagaya Public Theatre),To Teacher GeGeGe (2018, based on Shigeru Mizuki, performed atTokyo Metropolitan Theatre),[14] andEndless (2019, based on Homer'sOdyssey, also at Setagaya Public Theatre).[15]
In 2016, he had an English reading ofThe Sun in London (The Studio Theatre, RADA).[16] In 2018, the Paris City Theatre staged a French reading ofThe Strolling Invader, and Radio France aired a radio drama based on it.[17][18]
In 2018, a Korean reading performance ofThe Strolling Invader was directed by Lee Ki-ppeum and performed by Company LAS in Seoul,[19][20] with a revival at Arco Arts Theatre in 2019 (sponsored by Arts Council Korea). In 2021,The Sun was performed at Doosan Art Center, directed by Kim Jung.[21] Kim Jung-hwa won theDong-A Theater Award for Newcomer Acting for this performance. In 2023, the same production was revived at the National Cheongdong Theatre.[22] A dance piece titledThe Sun (based on Maekawa's work, choreographed by Lee Jae-yong) was performed at Daehakro Arts Theatre.[23]
From around 2021, his translated plays began to be published in various countries, including a French edition ofThe Invaders Who Take a Walk (published by Espaces34) and a Korean edition (ALMA).The Sun has been published in Spanish (Satrori), Korean (ALMA), English (Methuen Drama, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing House),[24] Russian (Hyperion), Arabic (DarAl Maaref), and Chinese (Qingdao Publishing House).[25]
In 2022, he created and directedÀ la Marge (Paris performance) for Ikiume's first overseas production (with French subtitles), performed at the Maison de la Culture du Japon à Paris, participating in the Festival d'Automne à Paris.[26][27]
In 2024, he won the 31st Yomiuri Theater Award for Best Work and Excellent Director for Delivering the Soul.[6]
In 2025, he received the 12th Hayakawa "Tragedy Comedy" Award forStrange Tales from Koizumi Yakumo, as well as the Best Director Award and Excellent Work Award at the 32nd Yomiuri Theater Awards.[28]
Before We Vanish (散歩する侵略者) — December 2007,Media Factory; July 2017, Kadokawa Bunko[43]
The Oni's Head (鬼の頭) — Published in Gunzo, April 2011 issue; included in the Japanese Writers' Association's "Literature 2012", April 2012, Kodansha
The Mosquito and My Mother's Blood (ヤブ蚊と母の血) — Published in Shosetsu Shincho, August 2014 issue, Shinchosha; included in the Shincho Bunko nex "I Told You Not to Look: Nine Strange Stories," July 2018
^Seo, Eun-young (May 28, 2018).창작집단 LAS, 6편의 입체 낭독극으로 관객 찾는다 [Creative group LAS is reaching audiences with six 3D reading plays].Seoul Economic Daily (in Korean). RetrievedSeptember 13, 2025 – viaNaver News.
