is a Japanese

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

and

literary critic A genre of arts criticism, literary criticism or literary studies is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical analysis of literature' ...

, as well as a professor at

Rikkyo University , also known as Saint Paul's University, is a private university, in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan. Rikkyo is one of the five MARCH (Japanese universities), MARCH universities, the group of private universities in the Kantō region, Kanto region, toge ...

. After graduation from the

University of Tokyo The University of Tokyo (, abbreviated as in Japanese and UTokyo in English) is a public research university in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1877 as the nation's first modern university by the merger of several pre-westernisation era ins ...

, he worked for the Asahi Newspaper company before leaving in 1972 to become a critic. He was one critic who helped to discover the talents of

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been best-sellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for hi ...

. He won the Suntory Prize for his book ''Taishū Genei'' in 1991, the Yomiuri Literature Award for ''Kafū and Tokyo'' in 1997, and the Itō Sei Literature Award for ''Hakushu Bōkei'' in 2012. Around 1970 he became close to a student radical when covering him as a

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

. When that student attacked an officer of the

Japanese Self-Defence Force The are the military forces of Japan. Established in 1954, the JSDF comprises the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. They are controlled by the Ministry of Defense wit ...

Asaka, Saitama file:Pond at JGSDF Camp Asaka.jpg, 260px, Pond at JGSDF Camp Asaka file:JGSDF Camp Asaka Shinbudai Kinenkan.jpg, 260px, former IJA Officer Preparatory School at JGSDF Camp Asaka is a Cities of Japan, city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , th ...

, killing him, Kawamoto was arrested for

spoliation of evidence Tampering with evidence, or evidence tampering, is an act in which a person alters, conceals, falsifies, or destroys evidence with the intent to interfere with an investigation (usually) by a law-enforcement, governmental, or regulatory authority. ...

. He was convicted and given a sentence of probation. He was fired from the Asahi Newspaper company. Thereafter, he became a

freelance writer ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

Nobuhiro Yamashita is a Japanese film director. Career Born in Aichi Prefecture, Yamashita attended Osaka University of Arts where he worked on Kazuyoshi Kumakiri's '' Kichiku Dai Enkai''. His graduation film ''Hazy Life'', took the Off Theatre Competition Grand ...

's film, ''

My Back Page is a 2011 Japanese film directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita, director of ''Linda Linda Linda''. It is based on Saburo Kawamoto's true life account. The film was featured at the 2011 (30th) Vancouver International Film Festival, the 2011 (16th) Busan ...

'', is based on Kawamoto's essay about this affair.

Works

*''Taisho illusions'' 大正幻影 *''My Back Page: a 60's story''　マイ・バック・ページある60年代の物語

References

Living people Japanese film critics Japanese literary critics 1944 births University of Tokyo alumni Academic staff of Rikkyo University {{Japan-academic-bio-stub