Japanese Literary Awards

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Kaori Komori

こもり かおり

Kaori Komori

Aliases: 橋本 香折 / はしもと かおり
Pen Names: Kaori Hashimoto（Pen name used on some picture books and children's works）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1958 （Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese, German

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Translator, Children's author
Active Years
1997-

Education

Aoyama Gakuin University
Faculty of Letters
Degree: 学士
Country: Japan
Graduated from the Faculty of Letters
Gakushuin University Graduate School, Graduate School of Letters
Graduate School of Letters / German Literature
Country: Japan
Completed coursework in doctoral program but withdrew before degree (German literature)

Awards

“Small Fairy Tales” Grand Prize
Work: A Job Perfect for Me
Organization: Small Fairy Tales Prize Committee
Result: winner
Chuden Children's Literature Award
2002
Work: Nicole's Tower
Organization: Chuden Children's Literature Award Committee
Result: winner
Nankichi Niimi Children's Literature Award
2004
Work: Nicole's Tower
Organization: Nankichi Niimi Award Committee
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Nicole's Tower

2003 Fantasy

A children's fantasy novel focusing on adventure and coming-of-age themes; award-winning and aimed at young readers.

adventurecoming-of-agefriendship

A Job Perfect for Me

Children's literature

A short work that won the Small Fairy Tales Grand Prize.

workself-discovery

Dinosaur Cider

1997 Picture book / Children's book

A picture book illustrated by Eiichi Ito.

animalsadventure

Sakura, Hikaru.

2006 Children's literature

A children's story dealing with friendship and seasonal motifs.

friendshipseason

Bibliography

  • Dinosaur Cider
  • I'll Stay By Your Side
  • The Water Door
  • Black Wings, Assemble
  • The Moon's Egg
  • Power of May
  • Seven Mysteries That Begin with 'I Heard a Voice'
  • Nicole's Tower
  • The Offering Is Chocolate
  • There's a Cow in Your House Too
  • Sakura, Hikaru.
  • Behind, the Front
  • To the Thirteenth Month Castle: Ezel Chronicle
  • Sun's Wine
  • Parallel World
  • Kaedama
  • Until the Day I Become a Butterfly
  • Rena and the House of Climbing Roses
  • The Timeless Garden
  • The Suspicious Yokai Doctor
  • Upara Sleeps
  • Dream Interpreter Fana: The Bracelet of the Land of the Dead
  • Cross Time with Lightning!
  • Otter Mogu
  • The Blue Reader

Translations by Author

Translations of Works

  • Die Farbe der Königin (original title unknown)
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • Hansel and Gretel

Style & Themes

Literary Style
gentle narrative voice for childrenclear metaphors and vivid imagery
Recurring Motifs
animalsadventurefamily

Legacy

Kaori Komori is recognized as a children's author and translator, noted for her children's fantasy novels and picture books. She has introduced many German-language works to Japanese readers through translation.

Trivia

  • Uses the pen name Kaori Hashimoto for some publications.
  • Has translated many German picture books into Japanese.
  • Born in Tokyo; graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University's Faculty of Letters.
  • Completed coursework in the doctoral program in German literature at Gakushuin University but withdrew before earning the degree.