Nobuhiko Kobayashi
1933–2026Japanese novelist, essayist and columnist who debuted with Kyoei no Ichi in 1964 and wrote the long-running Weekly Bunshun column.
Particulars
Nobuhiko Kobayashi was a Japanese novelist, essayist and critic. After graduating from Waseda University, he was discovered by mystery writer Edogawa Ranpo and joined Hōseki-sha in 1958, founding and editing the Japanese edition of Hitchcock Magazine the following year. He made his debut as a novelist in 1964 with Kyoei no Ichi (The City of Vanity).
Beyond fiction, Kobayashi was deeply involved in entertainment, working on variety programs and films featuring stars such as Ueki Hitoshi and Sakamoto Kyu, and he wrote extensively on comedy, rakugo and manzai. He was also a celebrated columnist whose Weekly Bunshun column ran for 23 years from 1998 to 2021.
His honors include the Geijutsu Sensho Newcomer Award in 1973 for Nihon no Kigeki-jin, the Kikuchi Kan Prize in 2006 for Uranari, and the Kinema Junpo special award in 2022. He died on October 19, 2026, at the age of 93.
Compiled from source reports. Automated record.