Japanese novelist noted for his historical fiction, notably Tempyō no iraka (1957; The Roof Tile of Tempyō), which depicts the drama of 8th-century Japanese monks traveling to China and bringing back Buddhist texts and other artifacts to Japan.

Inoue graduated from Kyōto University in 1936. He served as literary editor of the Mainichi shimbun, a newspaper, for 12 years except for a brief period of military service in northern China in 1937. His fascination with China and its history grew from this experience. Inoue's first work, Ryōjū (1949; The Hunting Gun), about loneliness in the modern world, attracted critical acclaim; it was followed by Tōgyū (1949; “The Bullfight”), which secured his reputation. Among his many other successes are the novel Tonkō (1959; Tun-huang), which re-created 11th-century China and centred on the Buddhist treasure troves hidden in the Tun-huang (Dunhuang) caves, as well as Hyōheki (1956; “Wall of Ice”), Futo (1963; Wind and Waves), and Saiiki monogatari (1969; Journey Beyond Samarkand). His short stories are collected in Aru gisakka no shogai (1951; The Counterfeiter) and Lou-Lan (1959; Lou-lan and Other Stories).

Inoue is also known for his autobiographical narratives. Waga haha no ki (1975; Chronicle of My Mother), his moving and humorous account of his mother's decline, exemplifies the characteristics of a Japanese poetic diary as well as the classical zuihitsu, a highly personal mode of recording experiences and observations. One of his late novels is Kōshi (1989; Confucius), a fictionalized account of the life of Confucius.