Photo/Illutration Hidetoshi Sotooka in 2014 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Although I know my personal impressions are not suitable for this column, I want to pay tribute to a former Asahi Shimbun reporter who was my senior.

When I recently heard that Hidetoshi Sotooka died suddenly at the age of 68, I felt a pain as if I was being beaten by something.

I first read his writing when I took up “Hokkiko” (Return to the north), which depicts a journey tracing the life path of poet Takuboku Ishikawa (1886-1912).

The novel, which Sotooka wrote when he was a student at the University of Tokyo, won the Bungei Prize, an award for up-and-coming authors.

It is said that editors at literary magazines were bitterly disappointed when Sotooka decided to join a newspaper instead of pursuing a literary career.

Sotooka parlayed his talent into news stories during his stints in Niigata, Tokyo, New York, Hong Kong and elsewhere. He had a passion for writing about natural disasters and international conflicts.

While working on the front line of news reporting, he was never preoccupied with hunting for scoops and focused instead on shining a journalistic light on the essence of the problems.

When he was stationed in London, Sotooka wrote a series of essays, titled “Letters from the Sidelines,” for a literary magazine.

He offered a sharp insight into the zeitgeist of the era by writing about day-to-day news events through the filter of European history and literature.

Not bound by the job of a newspaper reporter, Sotooka freely transcended the boundary between news reporting and commentary.

After he became a senior editor at The Asahi Shimbun, he addressed issues concerning the responsibility of newspapers for their roles during the war.

A comment I heard as a rank-and-file news editor is unforgettable.

“Recently, many stories use the word ‘kuni’ (nation, government) as subject or object,” Sotooka said. “Does it mean the prime minister’s office or a government ministry? If it is a ministry, which ministry exactly? The meaning of the word should be made clear.”

He was very sensitive to the risk of coasting along in a rut.

After leaving The Asahi Shimbun in 2011, Sotooka penned science fiction and mystery novels, such as “Canon,” “Dragon Option” and “Hito no Kurekata,” under the pseudonym of Seiichiro Nakahara.

He drew on his extensive experience of news coverage to write these novels.

I have been deeply saddened by his death, which brought a premature end to his career as both a reporter and a writer.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Jan. 9

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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