Japanese Literary Awards

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Riko Imahashi

いまはし りこ

Imahashi Riko

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Minato, Tokyo (birthplace)

Career

Occupations
Art historian, Researcher, University professor
Active Years
1992-
Affiliations
Tokai University, Gakushuin Women's College, Faculty of International Cultural Exchange, International Research Center for Japanese Studies (visiting associate professor)

Education

Gakushuin Women's High School
Period: 〜1983
Year of Graduation: 1983
Country: Japan
Gakushuin University, Faculty of Letters
Faculty of Letters / Department of Philosophy
Period: 1983-1987
Year of Graduation: 1987
Country: Japan
Entered graduate school at the same university after undergraduate studies
Gakushuin University Graduate School of Humanities
Master's/Doctoral program (Philosophy) / Philosophy
Degree: 博士（哲学）
Period: 1987-1994
Year of Graduation: 1994
Country: Japan
Earned PhD in Philosophy (Gakushuin University)

Awards

Suntory Academic Award (17th)
1995
Work: Edo Bird-and-Flower Painting: Culture and Its Representation around Natural History
Organization: Suntory Foundation
Result: 受賞
Art Encouragement Prize, New Artist (Minister of Education) (46th)
1995
Work: Edo Bird-and-Flower Painting: Culture and Its Representation around Natural History
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs (Art Encouragement Prize)
Result: 受賞
Kokka Prize (12th)
1999
Work: Edo Painting and Literature: A Cultural History of 'Depiction' and 'Words'
Organization: Kokka-sha
Result: 受賞
Tetsuro Watsuji Cultural Award (22nd)
2010
Work: The Akita Ranga School and The Cultural Context in Edo Japan
Organization: Tetsuro Watsuji Cultural Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Japan Translation Publishing Culture Award (52nd)
2016
Work: The Akita Ranga School and The Cultural Context in Edo Japan (translated)
Organization: Japan Translation Publishing Culture Award Committee
Result: 受賞（翻訳版に対する賞）

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Edo Bird-and-Flower Painting: Culture and Its Representation around Natural History

1995 Scholarly monograph 320 pages

A scholarly study examining Edo-period bird-and-flower paintings from a natural-history perspective, exploring representation and cultural contexts.

bird-and-flower paintingnatural historyrepresentation

Edo Painting and Literature: A Cultural History of 'Depiction' and 'Words'

1999 Scholarly monograph 280 pages

A historical analysis of the relationship between Edo painting practices and literary texts.

painting and literaturetheory of representationEdo culture

Edo Animal Painting: Archaeology of Early Modern Art and Culture

2004 Scholarly monograph 360 pages

Focuses on animal representation to investigate the cultural background of early modern Japanese art.

animal paintingrepresentationearly modern culture

The Akita Ranga School and The Cultural Context in Edo Japan

2009 Scholarly monograph 240 pages

A study centered on the Akita ranga school, examining Western influences and processes of modernization in Japanese painting.

ranga (Dutch-influenced painting)Western influencemodernization
Translations
  • The Akita Ranga School and The Cultural Context in Edo Japan (translated by Ruth S. McCreery)

Rabbits and Forms in Japanese Culture

2013 Essays / Research 200 pages

Cultural-historical considerations of the motif and forms of rabbits in Japanese culture.

animal motifscultural history

The Mania of Sakura: The World of Edo Cherry-blossom Painting

2019 Scholarly monograph 220 pages

Examines the development and contexts of cherry-blossom painting in the Edo period, including groups such as the Mikuma school.

sakura paintingEdo artgenealogy

Bibliography

  • Edo Bird-and-Flower Painting: Culture and Its Representation around Natural History (1995)
  • Edo Painting and Literature: A Cultural History of 'Depiction' and 'Words' (1999)
  • Edo Animal Painting: Archaeology of Early Modern Art and Culture (2004)
  • The Akita Ranga School and The Cultural Context in Edo Japan (2009)
  • Rabbits and Forms in Japanese Culture (2013)
  • The Mania of Sakura: The World of Edo Cherry-blossom Painting (2019)

Translations of Works

  • The Akita Ranga School and The Cultural Context in Edo Japan (English translation, 2016)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
scholarly and analytical prosecomparative cultural perspective
Recurring Motifs
bird-and-flower paintinganimal motifsnatural-history perspectivesakura painting

Legacy

Known for clarifying intersections between Edo painting history and natural history, contributing to the re-evaluation of bird-and-flower painting, animal painting, and ranga. Active in university education and exhibition criticism, helping disseminate art-historical scholarship.

Archives

  • National Diet Library holdings / authority records
  • Gakushuin University Library (research materials)

Trivia

  • Her elder sister is Emiko Imahashi, a comparative literature and culture scholar.
  • Her 1995 book (based on her doctoral dissertation) won the Suntory Academic Award and the Art Encouragement Prize (New Artist).