Kaoruko Himeno - Japanese Literary Awards

Profile

Gender: Female
Born: 1958-08-27 （Koka, Shiga, Japan）
Nationality: Japan
Languages: Japanese
Residence History: Koka, Shiga (birthplace) → Tokyo, Japan (residence/work base)

Career

Occupations: Novelist, Essayist
Active Years: 1990-
Influenced By: Michel Polnareff
Nominations: Junan, Tsui, I, Ra, Ku, Haruka Eighty, Real Cinderella

Education

Institution	Faculty	Department	Degree	Period	Country
Aoyama Gakuin University	Faculty of Letters	Department of Japanese Literature	—	—	Japan

Aoyama Gakuin University

Faculty of Letters / Department of Japanese Literature

Country: Japan

Graduated

Awards

Year	Award	Work	Category	Organization	Result
2014	Naoki Prize	Showa no Inu	—	Naoki Prize Selection Committee	受賞
2019	Shibata Renzaburo Prize	Because She Is Stupid	—	Shibata Renzaburo Prize Selection Committee	受賞

Naoki Prize

2014

Work: Showa no Inu

Organization: Naoki Prize Selection Committee

Result: 受賞

Shibata Renzaburo Prize

2019

Work: Because She Is Stupid

Organization: Shibata Renzaburo Prize Selection Committee

Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Naoki Sanjugo Award 1 appearances

Edition 150 (2013, held 2 times in year) award

Shibata Renzaburo Award 1 appearances

Edition 32 (2019) award

Works

Major Works

Hito Yonde Mitsuko

1990 Novel

A debut novel published by Kodansha; marked her book debut at age 32.

SolitudeWomenComing-of-age

Junan

1997 Novel

A novel exploring individual and familial suffering; adapted into a film in 2013.

SufferingFamily

Adaptations

[Film] Junan (film) / 吉田良子 (2013)

Tsui, I, Ra, Ku

2003 Novel

Published in 2003; notable for its experimental prose.

Experimental styleIdentity

Momo

2005 Novel/Short story

'Momo', a short piece included in a collection, was adapted as a segment in the omnibus film 'female' (2005).

Female identityMemory

Adaptations

[Film] female (segment: 'Momo') / 篠原哲雄 (2005)

Showa no Inu

2013 Novel

A semi-autobiographical novel that won the 150th Naoki Prize.

Showa eraFamilySelf-expression

Because She Is Stupid

2018 Novel

A socially critical novel on portrayals of women; recipient of the Shibata Renzaburo Prize.

Women in societySocial critique

Bibliography

Reijou Naburi (1986; contribution)
Hito Yonde Mitsuko (1990)
Confessions of Glass Mask (1990)
Planes Living in the Sky (1992)
Shikaku Kankei (1992)
Variations (1992)
Mourning Record (1994)
Short Stories H (1994)
Ai wa Hitori (1995)
Love Letter (1996)
Junan (1997)
Plastic Surgery Beauty (1999)
Love at a Soba Shop (2000)
Psyche (2000)
Kodama on the Tokaido Line (2001)
Yoruneko (2002)
Tsui, I, Ra, Ku (2003)
Momo (2005)
Haruka Eighty (2005)
Corset (2006)
Oh, True Wife (2007)
You Might Not Understand Me Anymore (2009)
Real Cinderella (2010)
Showa no Inu (2013)
Kinjo no Inu (2014)
Because She Is Stupid (2018)
Seishun to wa, (2020)
Abuse and Happiness (2023)

Adaptations

female (2005 omnibus film; includes 'Momo' segment)
Junan (2013 film)

Style & Themes

Literary Style: Provocative narrative voiceHumor combined with acerbic critiqueExperimental expression
Recurring Motifs: Female interiorityFamily woundsMemories of the Showa era

Legacy

A writer known for her distinctive voice and social critique from a female perspective. Her 2014 Naoki Prize win brought increased critical recognition and commercial attention.

In Popular Culture

At the University of Tokyo's 2019 entrance ceremony, Professor Chizuko Ueno mentioned 'Because She Is Stupid', which was covered in TV news.

Quotes

As an artist, a nomination makes me happy, but as a businessman the prize is welcome because it sells books.

Source: Naoki Prize (150th) award press conference (2014)

Trivia

She made her book debut at age 32 with 'Hito Yonde Mitsuko' submitted to Kodansha.
Uses an art-name (gagō): Himeno Kaobei.
Known as a fan of French pop singer Michel Polnareff.
At one point she described herself as a 'pre-festival writer' (maeya-sai sakka).