A Lost Paradise
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For other uses, see Lost Paradise (disambiguation) and Paradise Lost (disambiguation).
"Shitsurakuen" redirects here. For the manga series Shitsurakuen, see Shitsurakuen (manga).
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.[1][2][3]
Quick Facts Author, Original title ...
Author | Junichi Watanabe |
---|---|
Original title | 失楽園 (Shitsurakuen) |
Translator | Juliet Winters Carpenter |
Country | Japan |
Language | Japanese |
Genre | Novel |
Publisher | Kodansha |
Publication date | 1997 |
Published in English | 2000 |
Media type | Print (paperback) |
Pages | 372 pp |
ISBN | 4-7700-2324-3 |
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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.[2][4] It was first serialized in the business newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun in 1995.[3][5][6] The book was made into a film and a TV drama the same year.[2] The film Lost Paradise was nominated for 13 Japan Academy Prizes winning one with Hitomi Kuroki for lead actress.[7]