Eiji Yoshikawa (吉川 英 治 Yoshikawa Eiji ?, Kanagawa prefecture, August 11, 1892-Tokyo, September 7, 1962) was a Japanese historical novelist, probably one of the best and most famous authors of the genre. Among his best-known novels, many are reviews of previous works. He was influenced mainly by classics such as Heike Monogatari, Genji Monogatari, Outlaws of the Marsh and The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, many of which were subsequently narrated by him. For example, Yoshikawa took the manuscript of the Taiko, of approximately 15 volumes, and then narrate it in a simpler and more understandable language. His other books also have similar purposes and, although many of his novels are not original, he created a lot of works and a renewed interest in past history. He was awarded the Cultural Order of Merit in 1960 (the greatest prize for a man of letters), the Order of the Sacred Treasure and the Mainichi Art Award just before he died of cancer in 1962. He is recognized as one of the best historical novelists from Japan and even the world as a whole.