dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi z nˌækɐɡˈɑːmi wʌz ɐn ˈæktɪv ænd kˌɑːntɹəvˈɜːʃəl fˈɪɡjɚɹ ɪnðə dʒˌæpənˈiːz lˈɪɾɚɹˌɛɹi wˈɜːld, ænd hɪz wˈɜːk wʌzðə sˈʌbdʒɛkt ʌv mˈʌtʃ dᵻbˈeɪt ɐmˌʌŋ skˈɑːlɚz ænd lˈɪɾɚɹˌɛɹi kɹˈɪɾɪks.
During the 1980s Nakagami was an active and controversial figure in the Japanese literary world, and his work was the subject of much debate among scholars and literary critics.