Japan Children's Literature Association Newcomer Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 9 (1959) award
Erika Tachihara
たちはら えりか
Tachihara Erika
Aliases:
渡辺 久美子 / Watanabe Kumiko
Pen Names:
Erika Tachihara（Pen name taken in reference to poet Tachihara Dōzō）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1937-10-13 （Tokyo, Japan）
- Died
- 2025-07-01 age 87
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Tokyo, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- Children's literature writer, Poet, Essayist, Translator, Visiting professor
- Active Years
- 1957-2025
- Affiliations
- Member of the Japan Children's Literature Association, Visiting professor, Department of Character Design, Osaka University of Arts
- Memberships
- Japan Children's Literature Association
- Influenced By
- Tachihara Dōzō, Hans Christian Andersen / Western fairy-tale tradition
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Metropolitan Hakuo High School | — | — | — | — | Japan |
Tokyo Metropolitan Hakuo High School
Country:
Japan
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Japan Children's Literature Association Newcomer Award | The Mermaid's Shoes | — | Japan Children's Literature Association | Winner |
| 1961 | Kodansha Children's Literature Newcomer Award | Yuri and the Tale of Big People and Tiny People (later published as "Big People and Tiny People") | — | Kodansha | Winner |
Japan Children's Literature Association Newcomer Award
1959
Work:
The Mermaid's Shoes
Organization:
Japan Children's Literature Association
Result:
Winner
Kodansha Children's Literature Newcomer Award
1961
Work:
Yuri and the Tale of Big People and Tiny People (later published as "Big People and Tiny People")
Organization:
Kodansha
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Kodansha Children's Literature Newcomer Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 2 (1961) award
Works
Major Works
The White Ship with a Rocking Horse
1960 Children's tale / FantasyA collection of fairy tales and short stories that depict children's emotions with lyrical, fantastical motifs.
FantasyChildhood emotionsNature
Big People and Tiny People
1961 Children's literatureA children's story portraying the worlds of big and small beings with humor and fantasy.
GrowthEmpathy and contrastImagination
The Mermaid's Shoes
1959 Fairy tale / Children's taleA fairy tale told with delicate emotion and fantastical settings; one of her award-winning pieces.
FantasySelf-discoverySea imagery
Bibliography
- The White Ship with a Rocking Horse
- Big People and Tiny People
- The Mermaid's Shoes
- The Little Fairy's Little Guitar
- Snow Maiden
- The Fairies
- Flower Tales
- Morning's Bouquet: Small Tales
- Ghost Stories
- A Journey to Andersen
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Lyrical and gentle narrationFairy-tale like fantastical imageryConcise prose, often in short-story form
- Recurring Motifs
- Sea and waterFlowersChildren and growthAnimals and fairies
Legacy
Erika Tachihara was a significant postwar Japanese writer of children's literature and fairy tales, beloved for her lyrical, fantastical style. She collaborated widely with illustrators and contributed to the popularization of children's literature and the mentoring of younger creators.
Academic Societies
- Japan Children's Literature Association
Trivia
- Her pen name was chosen in reference to poet Tachihara Dōzō.
- Her husband, Fujiichi Watanabe, illustrated many of her works.
- She began her writing career by self-publishing a collection in 1957.
- She served as a visiting professor at Osaka University of Arts.