Japanese Literary Awards

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Taeko Ishii

いしい たえこ

Ishii Taeko

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1969-01-01 （Chigasaki, Kanagawa, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
non-fiction writer, writer
Active Years
2006-

Education

Shirayuri Women's University
Faculty of Letters, Japanese Literature / Department of Japanese Literature
Degree: 修士
Country: Japan
Completed master's program at the same university

Awards

15th Shincho Document Award
2016
Work: The Truth of Setsuko Hara
Organization: Shinchosha
Result: winner
52nd Ohya Soichi Nonfiction Award
2021
Work: The Empress: Yuriko Koike
Organization: Japan Literary Promotion Association
Result: winner
Shincho Document Award (finalist)
2006
Work: Osome
Organization: Shinchosha
Result: finalist
Kodansha Nonfiction Award (finalist)
2006
Work: Osome
Organization: Kodansha
Result: finalist
Ohya Soichi Nonfiction Award (finalist)
2006
Work: Osome
Organization: Japan Literary Promotion Association
Result: finalist
Editors' Choice Magazine Journalism Award — Work Prize
2018
Work: Yuriko Koike 'The Glossy Resume' (essay in Bungei Shunju)
Organization: Editors' Choice Magazine Journalism Award Committee
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Power of Go

2002 Non-fiction / Introductory

An introductory non-fiction work about the game of Go, including observations of matches and the appeal of the game.

Gomatch reportage

Osome: The Remarkable Life of a Legendary Ginza Madame

2006 Non-fiction

A biographical nonfiction based on five years of reporting about Ueba Shu, depicting postwar Ginza and the life of a woman.

biographyGinzapostwar history

Bloodlines of Japan

2013 Non-fiction

A nonfiction work examining lineage and networks within Japanese society, analyzing familial ties and power structures.

family lineagepower structures

The Truth of Setsuko Hara

2016 Non-fiction (film history / biography)

An investigative account of Setsuko Hara, an important figure in Japanese cinema, examining her life and changing public image.

film historywomen's historybiographical research

Japan's Ceiling: The Women Who Were 'Firsts' and Changed the Era

2019 Non-fiction (women's history)

Chronicles of pioneering women in Japan, questioning gender and social-structural change.

women's historysocial history

The Empress: Yuriko Koike

2020 Non-fiction (political profile / investigative)

A reportage-based profile of Yuriko Koike, including investigation into her education, career and public statements.

politicsinvestigative reportingmedia criticism

Capturing the Soul: Eugene Smith and Irene's Minamata

2021 Non-fiction (photography / social issues)

A nonfiction account of photographer Eugene Smith and his family's involvement with Minamata.

photographypollutionbiography

Bibliography

  • The Power of Go
  • Osome: The Remarkable Life of a Legendary Ginza Madame
  • Bloodlines of Japan
  • The Truth of Setsuko Hara
  • Japan's Ceiling: The Women Who Were 'Firsts' and Changed the Era
  • The Empress: Yuriko Koike
  • Capturing the Soul: Eugene Smith and Irene's Minamata
  • Man'ei and Me (co-authored)
  • Secret History of Man'ei: Glory, Collapse, the Birth of Chinese Cinema (co-authored)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
reportage based on interviews and archival researchfact-checking oriented narrative
Recurring Motifs
women's life and statusrelations between power and media

Legacy

Known for meticulous reportage-based nonfiction, praised for work on Setsuko Hara and investigative reporting on political figures; recipient of multiple major nonfiction awards.

Trivia

  • Worked as a commentator/reporter for the Honinbo Go tournament coverage organized by Mainichi Shimbun from 1997.
  • Gained attention and controversy for investigative reporting and a book on Yuriko Koike.
  • Graduated from Shirayuri Women's University and completed its graduate master's program.