Yamaoka Sohachi was a Japanese novelist and writer born in Koide, Kitauonuma, Niigata. He was active mainly in historical novels.

In 1920, he dropped out of high school. He then moved to Tokyo, where he studied at the Ministry of Communications' research institute while working as a literary technician at the Hakubunkan Printing Office. He started printing and binding in 1924, and in 1932 he joined Manrikaku, edited the magazine "Gang," and serialized "Hentai Ginza Decameron."

In 1938, he got selected for "Sunday Mainichi Taishuu Bungei" for his work "Yakusoku." In 1939, he published his first book, "Karayuki Gunka." Since 1942 he was active as a military writer.

Yamaoka received the Noma Literary Encouragement Award for his work "Kaitei Senki". In 1958, he received the Chunichi Cultural Award. Five years later, in1963, he became the director of Shintakakai.

In 1967, "Tokugawa Ieyasu" was completed. He received the Shin Hasegawa Award for the book and the second Yoshikawa Eiji Literature Award in 1968. He received the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1973.

On September 30, 1978, he developed acute pneumonia with Hodgkin lymphoma and died at the Cancer Research Association General Hospital in Tokyo. After his death, he was ranked second in the Order of the Sacred Treasure.

(Source: chunyu at kisskh) Edit Biography