Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Mitsuko Abe

あべ みつこ

Abe Mitsuko

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1912-12-25 （Tokyo, Japan）
Died
2008-02-26 age 95
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Religion
Christianity
Residence History
Tokyo, Japan → Izumi-Tamagawa, Tokyo, Japan

Career

Occupations
Writer, Christian evangelist, Pastor
Active Years
1930-2003
Affiliations
The Salvation Army, United Church of Christ in Japan, Izumi-Tamagawa Church
Influenced By
Sasaki Nobutsuna, Indo Masatsuna, Yamamuro Gunpei
Nominations
Akutagawa Prize nominee (1941) - 'Neko Yanagi'

Education

Japan Women's University
Period: 在学中中退
Country: Japan
Dropped out before graduation
Nihon Seisho Seminary (Japan Bible Seminary)
Period: 1962-1969
Year of Graduation: 1969
Country: Japan
Graduated in 1969

Awards

Akutagawa Prize
1941
Work: Neko Yanagi
Result: 候補
Tamura Toshiko Prize
1964
Work: Though Late to Awaken; 'First Year at Seminary'
Result: 受賞
Women's Literature Award
1968
Work: Though Late to Awaken
Result: 受賞
Christian Meritorious Service Award
1994
Organization: Japan Christian Cultural Association
Result: 表彰

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Neko Yanagi (Cat Willow)

1943 Short fiction

A short piece published in the wartime period that sensitively depicts a woman's inner life and everyday subtleties.

female interioritylonelinesseveryday life

Though Late to Awaken

1969 Novel / Essays

A signature work exploring the conflicts of faith and life, interweaving seminary experiences with personal reminiscences.

faithremembrancepersonal awakening

Not the End of the Journey

1970 Essays

An essay collection reflecting on the journey of life.

philosophy of lifeagingfaith

By the Springside

1970 Essays

A quietly observed essay collection on everyday life and faith.

tranquilityfaitheveryday life

The Left Minister of the Evil Spirit

1976 Novel

A figurative novel suggested by its title, dealing with religious and human themes.

religionhuman relationsethics

The Aging Cinderella

1981 Essays

Essays written from the perspective of a woman confronting aging.

agingwomenself-acceptance

Abe Mitsuko's Sarashina Diary & The Tale of Tsutsumi Chūnagon

1986 Literary commentary / Essays on waka

Work including familiarity with and commentary on classics such as the Sarashina Diary.

classicswaka poetryinterpretation

Offering Flowers

1987 Essays

A set of short pieces themed around reminiscence and memorial.

memorialmemoryprayer

Bibliography

  • Neko Yanagi
  • Gunpei Yamamuro: Friend of the People
  • The Story of Ruth
  • The Shining Star
  • Though Late to Awaken
  • Not the End of the Journey
  • By the Springside
  • A Life With the Bible
  • Flowers Will Bloom Next Year Too
  • To Unknown Worlds: People I Met
  • The Left Minister of the Evil Spirit
  • When I Think Quietly: My Philosophy of Life
  • To Live Better
  • The Aging Cinderella
  • Daily Reading: With the Bible
  • The Life of 'A Certain Woman'
  • The Tree of Life
  • Elegance of the Heart
  • A Refreshing Life
  • What is Ikigai?
  • Looking Toward the Ladder of Clouds
  • To a Friend in the Trials
  • Abe Mitsuko's Sarashina Diary & The Tale of Tsutsumi Chūnagon
  • Offering Flowers
  • Living Mass in the Midst of Society (co-authored)
  • Praying from Life: Spiritual Exercises in the Midst of Society (Vol.1-2)
  • The Joy of Living Together
  • Within That Smile
  • Books I Recommend by Mitsuko Abe
  • Unforgettable People
  • Continued: Elegance of the Heart

Style & Themes

Literary Style
devotional, gentle essayistic proseJapanese expressions influenced by waka and classical literature
Recurring Motifs
faithaging and reminiscenceempathy toward others

Legacy

Mitsuko Abe was both a writer and a Christian evangelist, known for fiction and essays exploring faith and life. She received the Tamura Toshiko Prize and the Women's Literature Award, and in 1994 was honored by the Japan Christian Cultural Association. Her deep knowledge of waka and classical literature and her contributions to religious literature and essays are well regarded.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Christian Cultural Association

Archives

  • Tama Cemetery (gravesite)

Trivia

  • In 1941 she was an Akutagawa Prize nominee for 'Neko Yanagi'.
  • She won the Tamura Toshiko Prize in 1964 and the Women's Literature Award in 1968.
  • She graduated from Nihon Seisho Seminary in 1969 and served as pastor at Izumi-Tamagawa Church from 1968 to 2003.
  • In 1994 she was honored by the Japan Christian Cultural Association for her contributions to Christian culture.
  • She wrote for many years in the fields of essays and religious literature.