Takeshi Kaiko (1930 - 1989) was a popular Japanese author of late 20th century, active in novels, short stories, essays, criticism, and even television scripting. KaikÅ was a teenager when World War II ended and his nation left in ruin, but matured as a writer while Japan grew into its post-War economic boom. His first published work, "Nameless City" (1953), was ignored by the media, but in 1957 he won the Akutagawa Prize with "The Naked King," examining the pressures on school children in Japan. As a war correspondent in Vietnam with the Asahi Shimbun he was imprisoned by the Viet Cong.
