Jun'ya Yokota
He also used the pseudonyms 横田順弥 (same pronunciation) and . Biography. Yokota was born 11 November 1945 in Saga Prefecture, Japan. He became known for his knowledge of classic science fiction and his use of humor and gags in his writing. Together with Shingo Aizu, he wrote "", the definitive work on Japanese science fiction author Shunrō Oshikawa. This work won the Nihon SF Taisho Award and nominated for a Seiun Award in 1988. His 2011 work, , won a Taisho Award, the Mystery Writers of Japan Award, and the Ozaki Hokki Memorial Popular Literature Research Prize. The Science Fiction and  Fantasy Writers of Japan awarded him the Special Services Award for lifetime achievements in the field of science fiction in 2018. He died of heart failure on 4 January 2019 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. A funeral was held for close relatives. His daughter, Masako Suzuki, lead the mourning, and an open memorial services was held afterward. Awards and honors. Yokota received the following awards and honors: