Takeshi Kitano is the recipient of the Golden and Silver Lion Prizes, Venice Film Festival, for "Hana-bi" and "Zatoichi," He is also the author of many prose works ranging from memoirs and fiction to social criticism and interview collections. Before he achieved worldwide fame he was one of Japan's most popular television personalities, which he continues to be, thanks to his sharp eye and irreverent sense of humor.Boy is the first literary work by Japan's "Renaissance man" to be translated into English. Mr. Kitano lives and works in Tokyo.