was a Japanese

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

. He wrote several novels including ''Enrai'' and ''Dogen-Zenji'', about the devout

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

who founded the Soto Sect of

Zen Buddhism Zen (; from Chinese: '' Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka ph ...

in 1227. He was also known for his environmental work. In 1995 he founded the Ashio Green Growing Association, a non-profit organization that helps plant trees at the abandoned Ashio Copper Mine.

Selected works in English

* ''Distant Thunder'' (''Enrai'', 遠雷), Charles E. Tuttle (1999). Translated by Lawrence J. Howell and Hikaru Morimoto * ''Frozen Dreams: Based on a True Story'' (''Hidaka'', 日高), Peter Owen (2012). Translated by Philip Gabriel.

References

External links

Synopsis of ''Frozen Dreams'' (''Hidaka'')
at JLPP (Japanese Literature Publishing Project) {{DEFAULTSORT:Tatematsu, Wahei 1948 births 2010 deaths 20th-century Japanese novelists 21st-century Japanese novelists