Jiro Fukushima, a writer who revealed he had a romantic relationship with the late novelist Yukio Mishima, died Wednesday at a hospital in Kumamoto Prefecture, his family said. He was 76.

Fukushima authored a book depicting his relationship with Mishima, but Mishima's family filed a lawsuit seeking a ban on further publication of the book, released in March 1998. Fukushima lost the court battle in November 2000.

The book, "Yukio Mishima -- Ken to Kankou" ("Yukio Mishima -- Sword and Winter Red"), contains 15 letters written by Mishima.

Fukushima was nominated for the Akutagawa Award twice.