Ira Ishida (石田 衣良, Ishida Ira, born March 8, 1960) is a Japanese novelist and TV commentator.
After graduating from Seikei University, he worked for a number of different advertising production companies and as a freelance copywriter. In 1997, he published his first short story collection, Ikebukuro West Gate Park, which won the 36th All Yomimono New Mystery Writer's Prize. In 2003, he won the Naoki Prize for 4teen.
His novels describe the culture of young people in Japan, particularly young women and otaku without a college education. Many of his works have been adapted for manga and television. As an actor, he made his first appearance in a leading role in the 2006 film Love My Life.
Ishida's pen name, Ishida Ira, was derived by splitting his real family name Ishidaira.
Novel
Call Boy (original title: Shōnen), trans. Lamar Stone (Shueisha English Edition, 2013)
Short story
Ikebukuro West Gate Park (Digital Geishas and Talking Frogs: The Best 21st Century Short Stories from Japan, Cheng & Tsui Company, 2011)
Awards and nominations
1997 - All Yomimono New Mystery Writer's Prize: Ikebukuro West Gate Park (short story)
2001 - Nominee for Naoki Prize: Call Boy
2002 - Nominee for Naoki Prize: Kotsuon: Ikebukuro West Gate Park 3
2003 - Naoki Prize: 4teen
Short story collections
Ikebukuro West Gate Park (池袋ウエストゲートパーク), 1998
Ikebukuro West Gate Park (池袋ウエストゲートパーク)
Ekisaitaburu bōi [Excitable boy] (エキサイタブルボーイ)
Oashisu no koibito (オアシスの恋人)
Sanshain-dōri shiviru wō (サンシャイン通り内戦)
Ikebukuro West Gate Park 2: Shōnen keisūki (池袋ウエストゲートパーク2 少年計数機), 2000
Ikebukuro West Gate Park 3: Kotsuon (池袋ウエストゲートパーク3 骨音), 2002
Ikebukuro West Gate Park 4: Denshi no hoshi (池袋ウエストゲートパーク4 電子の星), 2003
Ikebukuro West Gate Park 5: Han-jisatsu kurabu (池袋ウエストゲートパーク5 反自殺クラブ), 2005
Ikebukuro West Gate Park 6: Haiiro no Pītāpan (池袋ウエストゲートパーク6 灰色のピーターパン), 2006
Ikebukuro West Gate Park 7: G bōizu fuyu sensō (池袋ウエストゲートパーク7 Gボーイズ冬戦争), 2007
Ikebukuro West Gate Park 8: Hiseiki rejisutansu (池袋ウエストゲートパーク8 非正規レジスタンス), 2008
Ikebukuro West Gate Park 9: Doragon tiāzu Ryūrui (池袋ウエストゲートパーク9 ドラゴン・ティアーズ 龍涙), 2009
Ikebukuro West Gate Park 10: Puraido [Pride] (池袋ウエストゲートパーク10 PRIDE), 2010
Shōnen (娼年), 2001 (Call Boy, Shueisha English Edition, 2013)
Seinen (逝年), 2008
Standalone novels
Utsukushii Kodomo (うつくしい子ども), 1999
Enjeru [Angel] (エンジェル), 1999
Nami no ue no majutsushi (波のうえの魔術師), 2001
Burū tawā [Blue Tower] (ブルータワー), 2004
Akihabara@DEEP (アキハバラ@DEEP), 2004
Surō guddobai [Slow Good-bye] (スローグッドバイ), 2002
4teen (4TEEN), 2003
TV and film adaptations
Japanese TV dramas
Ikebukuro West Gate Park (TV series) (2000)
4teen (2004)
Akihabara@DEEP (2006)
Japanese film
Akihabara@DEEP (2006)
