was a Japanese travel writer and editor. He wrote over 40 books in his lifetime, mostly focused on rail transport in Japan and overseas. He was the recipient of the 47th Kikuchi Kan Prize in 1999 for "establishing railway travelogues as a genre of literature".
Career and works
Editor Miyawaki was raised in Shibuya, Tokyo. After graduating from the Department of Western History at the University of Tokyo Faculty of Letters, he joined the publisher Chuokoron-Shinsha as an editor. He eventually went on to serve as both editor-in-chief and managing director of the company, and helped launch the career of novelist Morio Kita.
Travel writer His first book was published by Kawade Shobō Shinsha on July 10, 1978, titled , chronicling his journey of riding all lines of the Japanese National Railways. Upon publication, he resigned from his position at Chuokoron-Shinsha. The book became a bestseller, led to widespread recognition in Japan of "riding trains" as a hobby in and of itself, and helped established "railway travel literature" as a non-fiction literary genre in Japan.
The following year, he published his second travelogue via Shinchosha, . His future works were published by various companies, including JTB, Bungeishunjū, Kodansha, Kadokawa Shoten, and others.
Miyawaki's other notable works include , published 1980, and , published 1984. His 1985 mystery novel was awarded the 13th Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature. He also wrote short stories, essays, and historical novels.
Death Miyawaki died of pneumonia in 2003, at age 76.
References