Japanese Literary Awards

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Miku Itou

いとう みく

Itou Miku

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1970-01-16 （Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
children's literature author
Active Years
2012-
Memberships
Member of 'Kisetsufu' (National Association of Children's Literature Doujinshi)

Education

Musashino Junior College
Country: Japan

Awards

Japan Children's Literature Association Newcomer Award (46th)
2012
Work: Itoko's Scale
Organization: Japan Children's Literature Association
Result: winner
Japan Association of Children's Literature Award (39th)
2014
Work: To the Sky
Organization: Japan Association of Children's Literature
Result: winner
Noma Children's Literature Award
2020
Work: Saku and Aki
Organization: Kodansha (Noma Children's Literature Award)
Result: winner
Hirosuke Children's Story Award (31st)
2021
Work: Kimihiro-kun
Organization: Hirosuke Award Committee
Result: winner
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award (69th) - Nippon Broadcasting Award
2022
Work: Tsukushi-chan and Her Big Sister
Organization: Sankei Shimbun / Nippon Broadcasting System
Result: winner
Kawai Hayao Story Award (10th)
2022
Work: Tomorrow's Happiness
Organization: Kawai Hayao Story Award Committee
Result: winner
Tsubota Jōji Literary Prize (38th)
2023
Work: The Story of the Cat at My House
Organization: Tsubota Jōji Literary Prize Committee
Result: winner
Japan Children's Literature Association Award (65th)
2025
Work: The Mouth of Truth
Organization: Japan Children's Literature Association
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Itoko's Scale

2012 children's book

A short children's work examining family and self from a child's perspective.

familyself-acceptance

To the Sky

2014 children's literature

A moving work about children's growth and hope.

growing uphope

Saku and Aki

2020 children's literature

A longer work depicting friendship and family through two children.

friendshipfamily

Bibliography

  • Itoko's Scale
  • Being an Older Sister Is Tough!
  • Being an Older Sister Is Really Hard!
  • Is the Older Sister Always Patient?!
  • Being an Older Sister Is Worrying Every Day!
  • Being an Older Sister Is So Frustrating!
  • Mother Instruction Manual
  • Midnight Nursery
  • Class 5-2's Yokoama Raita Runs for Student Council!
  • To the Sky
  • Caution: Power Outage★
  • Crescent Moon
  • Rickshaw Man
  • Kinako
  • Chicken!
  • Aporia: The Wind of Tomorrow
  • Invitation to the Cat Festival
  • Hiina
  • Today We Eat Yakiniku (Food Stories: Yakiniku)
  • Big Brother's Tear Switch
  • Carnation
  • The Karakida Family Stories
  • Wonderful 3K: Stories of Work - Nurse
  • Our Step: 30 People, 31-Leg Relay
  • Trigger
  • I Can Do Anything
  • Adventure on the Bus
  • Kimihiro-kun
  • The Angel's Parcel
  • The Sheep's Confession
  • Big Traffic Jam
  • Saku and Aki
  • The Lost Grim Reaper
  • Happy Everyday
  • The Story of the Cat at My House
  • The Mouth of Truth

Style & Themes

Literary Style
gentle, accessible prosenarration sympathetic to a child's perspective
Recurring Motifs
familysmall everyday eventsgrowing up and friendship

Legacy

A widely supported contemporary Japanese children's author. Praised for warm portrayals of children and families and a record of multiple awards.

Trivia

  • Wikipedia clarifies she is a different person from other public figures with the same reading of her name.
  • She has an official X (formerly Twitter) account (@rxm07272).