Junichi Watanabe (渡辺 淳一, Watanabe Jun’ichi , October 24, 1933 – April 30, 2014) was a Japanese writer, known for his portrayal of the extra-marital affairs of middle-aged people.
His 1997 novel A Lost Paradise became a bestseller in Japan and over Asia, and was made into a film and a TV miniseries. He has written more than 50 novels in total, and won awards including Naoki Prize in 1970 for Light and Shadow ( Hikari to kage ), New Current Coterie magazine prize for Makeup , the Yoshikawa Eiji Prize in 1979 for The Setting Sun in the Distance ( Toki rakujitsu ) and The Russian Brothel of Nagasaki ( Nagasaki roshia yujokan ).
He was born in Sunagawamachi (present-day Kamisunagawa ) and died on April 30, 2014 of prostate cancer in Tokyo .
A Lost Paradise (失楽園, Shitsurakuen ) is 1997 Japanese novel by author Junichi Watanabe . It tells the story of a 54-year-old married former magazine editor, his affair with a 37-year-old married typesetter and their double-suicide. The couple, Kūki and Rinko, are modeled after the famous case of Sada Abe .
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The book became a bestseller throughout Asia, selling 3 million copies in Japan. Shitsurakuen became a slang word for having an affair. It was first serialized in the business newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun in 1995. The book was made into a film and a TV drama the same year. The film Lost Paradise was nominated for 13 Japan Academy Prizes winning one with Hitomi Kuroki for lead actress .