Kan Shimozawa(1892-1968)

Kan Shimozawa graduated from the Department of Law of the University of Meiji. Then he decided to be a journalist and joined reputed Yomiuri Shinbun and later Tokyo Gendai. In the 20s he began to write novels and focused in period aventure dramas. From 1931 his novels were converted into movies (there are more than 100 film adaptations), but he did not gain a reputation until the publication of his revolutionary novel "Shinsengumi Chronicles" in 1937. It is a new version of the famous story of Isamu Kondo and Ryoma Sakamoto, and has been made into a movie twice, in 1954 (by Juichi Kono) and 1963 (by Kenji Misumi). Other significant novels were "Kaishu Katsu" and "Fujitaka", as well as his compilation "Atsuta Diary". His most famous creations have been made into severals films: "Obozu Tengu" ("Goblin Priest") in 1954 ("The Gay Revenger") and 1962 ("Devil Priest"); "Yataro Gasa" twelve times between 1931 and 1960; and the popular "Zato Ichi" more than 20 times starting in 1962...