is a Japanese author and novelist known for her works on the history of Italy, especially those dealing with

ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...

and the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

period.

Biography

Shiono was born in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, on 7 July 1937. In high school she read

Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...

's ''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; , ; ) is one of two major Ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odyssey'', the poem is divided into 24 books and ...

'' and was fascinated by it. She graduated from

Gakushuin University is a private university in Mejiro, Toshima, Tokyo. The Gakushūin (or "Peers School") was established during the Meiji period to educate the children of the Japanese nobility, but back then the institution had only the primary and secondary ...

with a degree in

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

. During her school years, she was deeply involved with

student activism Student activism or campus activism is work by students to cause political, environmental, economic, or social change. In addition to education, student groups often play central roles in democratization and winning civil rights. Modern stu ...

, but eventually became disillusioned with the movement. Shiono wanted to attend

Waseda University Waseda University (Japanese: ), abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the Tōkyō Professional School by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the fifth Prime Minister of Japan, prime ministe ...

, but she was denied by her father. From 1963 to 1968, she lived in Italy, studying the language and history of the country on her own. During this time, she also travelled extensively in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Upon returning to Japan in 1968, she began to write and published her first book, ''Runesansu no Onna-tachi'' (Women of the Renaissance), in the literary magazine Chūo Kōron. In 1970, she published her second work ''Chēzare Borujia Aruiwa Yūganaru Reikoku'' (Cesare Borgia the Elegant Tyrant). In the same year, she married an Italian doctor of Sicilian descent and moved to

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

. They had a son, but later divorced. She moved to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

in 1993 and currently lives there.

Works

Her early work from the 1970s contain many historical novels set in Renaissance Italy, such as those listed above and ''Kami no Dairinin'' (Deputies of God). Later her interests shifted to the history of

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

. In 1980, she published ''Umi no Miyako no Monogatari'' (Story of the City of the Sea), the work that made Shiono a nationally known figure. In 1992 Shiono started a monumental work on ancient Rome, ''Roma-jin no Monogatari'' (Stories of the Romans). Completed in 2006, it is a 15-volume series that traces the history of the city and the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

. She has also written many non-fiction works, mainly essays on historic, political and/or cultural topics.

Reputation and awards

Although her first works were well received in Japan, it was not until the publication of ''Umi no Miyako no Monogatari'' that she became a best-selling author. ''Umi no Miyako no Monogatari'' became a literary phenomenon in the 1980s, eliciting reviews that compared Venice to Japan and sought hints about the future of Japan in her book. Her books were first published in

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

in 1995, and ''Roma-jin no Monogatari'' quickly became a bestseller there (''Roma-in Iyagi'' in Korean). Shiono was awarded the Mainichi Publishing Culture Award from the

Mainichi The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by In addition to the ''Mainichi Shimbun'', which is printed twice a day in several local editions, Mainichi also operates an English-language news website called , and publishes a bilin ...

daily newspaper for ''Runesansu no Onna-tachi''. In 1982, ''Umi no Miyako no Monogatari'' won the

Suntory (commonly referred to as simply Suntory) is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan, and ...

Literary Prize. She won the

Kikuchi Kan , also known as Kan Kikuchi (which uses the same kanji as his real name), was a Japanese author and publisher. He established the publishing company Bungeishunjū, the monthly magazine Bungeishunjū (magazine), of the same name, the Japan Writer ...

Prize the following year. For ''Roma-jin no Monogatari'', she was awarded the Shincho Literary Prize. She received the

Shiba Ryotaro Shiba may refer to: *Shiba Inu, a breed of dog *Shiba clan, Japanese clan originating in the Sengoku period *Shiba Inu (cryptocurrency), a decentralized cryptocurrency Geography *Shiba, Tokyo, a former ward of Tokyo, Japan *Shiba Park in Tokyo *S ...

Prize in 1999, and in 2002 the Italian government conferred upon her the Grande Ufficiale Order of Merit for introducing Italian history and culture to Japan. In Japan, opinions about Shiono's work are divided. Her works have been praised for their historical sweep, but have also been called oversimplified depictions of moments in history that were in fact multi-faceted and complicated. Professional historians tend to criticize her works for their lack of references and objectivity. Her interpretations of

ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

history have been challenged, and some critics object to what they see as right-leaning political tendencies.

Shiono Nanami's Works

Works on the Renaissance

* ''Runesansu no Onna-tachi (Women of the

)'' (1968) * ''Chēzare Borujia Aruiwa Yūganaru Reikoku (

Cesare Borgia Cesare Borgia (13 September 1475 – 12 March 1507) was a Cardinal (Catholic Church)#Cardinal_deacons, cardinal deacon and later an Italians, Italian ''condottieri, condottiero''. He was the illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI of the Aragonese ...

the Elegant Tyrant)'' (1970) * ''Umi no Miyako no Monogatari (Story of the City of the Sea)'' (1980) * ''Kami no Dairinin (Deputies of God)'' (1972) * ''Waga Tomo Makiavetri (My Friend Machiavelli)'' (1987)

Res Gestae Populi Romani

* ''Roma-jin no Monogatari (Res Gestae Populi Romani: Stories of the Romans)'' (1992–2006) ** ''Roma wa Ichinichi ni shite Narazu (Roma Non Uno Die Aedificata Est: Rome was not Built in A Day)'' (1992) ** ''Hannibaru Senki (Bellum Hannibalicum: The

Hannibal Hannibal (; ; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Punic people, Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Ancient Carthage, Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War. Hannibal's fat ...

War)'' (1993) ** ''Shōsha no Konmei (Bellorum Civilium: The Turmoil of the Victor)'' (1994) ** ''Yuriusu Kaesaru, Rubikon Izen (C. Iulius Caesar Ante Rubiconem:

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

, Before

Crossing the Rubicon The phrase "crossing the Rubicon" is an idiom that means "passing a point of no return". Its meaning comes from allusion to the crossing of the river Rubicon from the north by Julius Caesar in early January 49 BC. The exact date is unknown ...

)'' (1995) ** ''Yuriusu Kaesaru, Rubikon Igo (C. Iulius Caesar Post Rubiconem:

, After Crossing the Rubicon)'' (1996) ** ''Pakkusu Rōmana (

Pax Romana The (Latin for ) is a roughly 200-year-long period of Roman history that is identified as a golden age of increased and sustained Roman imperialism, relative peace and order, prosperous stability, hegemonic power, and regional expansion, a ...

)'' (1997) ** ''Akumei Takaki Kōtei-tachi (Imperatores Malæ Famæ: The Infamous Emperors)'' (1998) ** ''Kiki to Kokufuku (Crisis Et Ab Ea Exitus: Crisis and Vanquishment)'' (1999) ** ''Kentei no Seiki (Sæculum Aureum: The Century of Good Emperors)'' (2000) ** ''Subete no Michi wa Rōma ni Tsūzu (Omniæ Viæ Quæ Ad Romam Duxerunt: All Roads Lead to Rome)'' (2001) ** ''Owari no Hajimari (Finis Principium: Start of the Catastrophe)'' (2002) ** ''Meisō Suru Teikoku (Tertii Sæculi Crisis: The Empire in Chaos)'' (2003) ** ''Saigo no Doryoku (De Ultimis Laboribus: The Last Endeavour)'' (2004) ** ''Kirisuto no Shōri (De Christi Victoria: The Victory of Christ)'' (2005) ** ''Rōma Sekai no Shūen (Romani Mundi Finis: The End of the Roman World)'' (2006)

Novels (fiction)

The East Mediterranean Trilogy

* ''Konstantinōpuru no Kanraku (The

Fall of Constantinople The Fall of Constantinople, also known as the Conquest of Constantinople, was the capture of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Empire. The city was captured on 29 May 1453 as part of the culmination of a 55-da ...

)'' (1983) ** ''The Fall of Constantinople'' translated into English by Kerim Yasar - Vertical Inc. 2005 * ''Rōdosu-to Kōbō-ki (The Record of the Battle of

Rhodes Rhodes (; ) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is their historical capital; it is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Administratively, the island forms a separ ...

)'' (1985) ** ''The Siege of Rhodes'' translated into English by Carolyn L. Temporelli, Wilburn Hansen, & Steven Wills - Vertical Inc. 2006 * ''Repanto no Kaisen ( The Battle of Lepanto)'' (1987) ** ''The Battle of Lepanto'' translated into English by Carolyn L. Temporelli, Steven M. Bryan, & Wilburn Hansen - Vertical Inc. 2007

The Stories from Three Cities

* ''Hiiro no Venezia (

in Crimson)'' (1987) * ''Giniro no Firenze (

in Silver)'' (1989) * ''Oōgon no Roma (

in Gold)'' (1990)

Essays

* ''Silent Minority'' (1993) * ''Otoko-tachi E (To Men)'' (1989) * ''Futatabi Otoko-tachi E (To Men Again)'' (1994) * ''Itaria Kara no Tegami (Letters from Italy)'' (1972) * ''Itaria Ibun (Strange tales from Italy)'' (1979) * ''Otona Futari no Gogo (Afternoon Conversation between Two Adults)'', co-authored with Hiroyuki Itsuki (1998)

Awards and honors

Publishing Culture Award (1970) *

Literary Prize (1981) *

Kikuchi Kan Prize The honors achievement in all aspects of Japanese literary culture. It was named in honor of Kikuchi Kan. The prize is presented annually by the literary magazine '' Bungei Shunjū'' and the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Literature. Histo ...

(1982) * Shincho Literary Prize (1993) *

Award (1999) *

Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking honour of the Republi ...

(2000) * JSCE(Japan Society of Civil Engineers) Publication Prize (2001) *

Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon are medals awarded by the Emperor of Japan. They are awarded to individuals who have done meritorious deeds and also to those who have achieved excellence in their field of work. The Medals of Honor were established on December 7, 1881, and were ...

(2005) *

Person of Cultural Merit is an official Japanese recognition and honour which is awarded annually to select people who have made outstanding cultural contributions. This distinction is intended to play a role as a part of a system of support measures for the promotion of ...

(2007) *

Order of Culture The is a Japanese Order (decoration), order, established on February 11, 1937. The order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japanese Art, Japan's art, Japanese Literature, literature, science, technolog ...

(2023)

References

* Blog and wiki devoted to Shiono.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shiono, Nanami 1937 births Living people Japanese historical novelists Japanese essayists Japanese expatriates in Italy Japanese women essayists Japanese women novelists Japanese anti-communists Gakushuin University alumni Writers from Tokyo Grand Officers of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Persons of Cultural Merit Recipients of the Medal of Honor (Japan) Recipients of the Order of Culture Women historical novelists