is 1997

Japanese novel Japanese literature throughout most of its history has been influenced by cultural contact with neighboring Asian literatures, most notably China and its literature. Early texts were often written in pure Classical Chinese or , a Chinese-Japanes ...

by author Junichi Watanabe. It tells the story of a 54-year-old married former magazine editor, his affair with a 37-year-old married typesetter and their double-suicide. The couple, Kūki and Rinko, are modeled after the famous case of

Sada Abe was a Japanese geisha and prostitute who murdered her lover, , via strangulation on May 18, 1936, before cutting off his penis and testicles and carrying them around with her in her kimono. The story became a national sensation in Japan, acqu ...

. The book became a

bestseller A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, coo ...

throughout Asia, selling 3 million copies in Japan. ''Shitsurakuen'' became a slang word for having an affair. It was first serialized in the business newspaper ''

Nihon Keizai Shimbun ''The Nikkei'', also known as , is the flagship publication of Nikkei, Inc. (based in Tokyo) and the world's largest financial newspaper, with a daily circulation exceeding 1.73 million copies. The Nikkei 225, a stock market index for the Tok ...

'' in 1995. The book was made into a film and a TV drama the same year. The film ''

Lost Paradise Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland *Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

'' was nominated for 13 Japan Academy Prizes winning one with

Hitomi Kuroki Hitomi Kuroki (Japanese: ; Katakana: ''Kuroki Hitomi''; born October 5, 1960, in Kurogi-Machi, Yame District, Fukuoka, Japan) is a Japanese actress and film director. Her birth name is Shoko Ichiji ( ''Ichiji Shōko'') née Egami ( ''Egami Sh� ...

for lead actress.

References

External links

* (film)
''Shitsurakuen''
at JDorama.com (TV drama) Japanese drama television series Japanese novels adapted into films 1995 Japanese novels Japanese serial novels Works originally published in Japanese newspapers {{1990s-novel-stub