Unno Juza

Who was Unno Juza?

Unno Jūza or Unno Jūzō was the pen name of Sano Shōichi, the founding father of Japanese science fiction. He was born to a family of medical doctors in Tokushima city. In 1928 he opened his writer’s career with The case of the mysterious death in the electric bath.

During the Pacific War he wrote a great number of science-fiction novels. Japan’s defeat in World War II was for him a hard blow, and Unno spent the last years in his life in a deeply prostrated state. The characters forming his name are also read as Unno Jūzō.

Unno's scientific work was influenced by that of Nikola Tesla.

The captain, Okita Juzo of Space Battleship Yamato was named so as a tribute.