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Edition 1 (1984) prize winner
Kashiwagi Kaoru
かしわぎ かおる
Kashiwagi Kaoru
Aliases:
谷 幸子
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1930-12-26 （Shodoshima, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan）
- Died
- 2023-03-09 （a care facility in Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan） age 92
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Shodoshima (birthplace) → Kobe (long-term residence and activity)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Writer, Biographical researcher
- Active Years
- 1950-2023
- Affiliations
- Kusaka Yoko Research Association (chair)
- Influenced By
- Kusaka Yoko
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teikoku Women's Vocational School (now Sagami Women's University) | Department of Japanese Literature | Department of Japanese Literature | — | — | Japan |
Teikoku Women's Vocational School (now Sagami Women's University)
Department of Japanese Literature
/ Department of Japanese Literature
Country:
Japan
Studied in the Japanese literature department. The institution later became Sagami Women's University.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Oda Sakunosuke Prize (1st) | — | — | — | 入賞 |
| — | Kojima Terumasa Literary Prize (3rd) | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| 2003 | Kobe City Cultural Activity Merit Award (2003) | — | — | Kobe City | 受賞 |
| 2009 | Handon no Kai Cultural Prize (2009) | — | — | Handon no Kai | 受賞 |
| 2012 | Iue Culture Prize (36th) | — | — | — | 受賞 |
Oda Sakunosuke Prize (1st)
Result:
入賞
Kojima Terumasa Literary Prize (3rd)
Result:
受賞
Kobe City Cultural Activity Merit Award (2003)
2003
Organization:
Kobe City
Result:
受賞
Handon no Kai Cultural Prize (2009)
2009
Organization:
Handon no Kai
Result:
受賞
Iue Culture Prize (36th)
2012
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Murdered Sea
1983 NovelA novel treating the suicide of Kusaka Yoko; known for blending research and fiction.
Kusaka Yokosuicideresearch and fictionthe sea
The Sea Where No One Is
1985 NovelA work that depicts solitude and loss using imagery of the sea.
solitudethe sealoss
Girl-Boy Rhapsody: Short Stories
1991 Short story collectionA collection of short stories portraying youths' emotions and escapism.
youthescapismcoming of age
Diary of an Étranger
1999 Essays/DiaryAn essay-like work recording feelings of foreignness and interior observation.
sense of othernessintrospectionmemory
Alone I Am
2004 EssaysA frank essay collection reflecting personal thoughts and life.
personal historysolitudedaily life
Whispers of the Years
2005 EssaysA short essay collection reflecting on years and memories.
timereminiscenceaging
Confessions of the Sea
2009 Novel (autobiographical elements)A confessional work that addresses the author's own experience of gender identity disorder.
gender identity disorderconfessionidentitythe sea
The Kusaka Yoko of That Day
2011 Biography / ResearchA biographical and research work on Kusaka Yoko.
Kusaka Yokobiographyliterary research
Glass Love
2013 NovelA novel symbolically depicting delicate human relationships and emotions with the image of glass.
human relationshipsdelicacylove
Views on Life and Death (haiku collection)
2016 Haiku collectionA haiku collection themed on life and death.
life and deathhaikureflection
Bibliography
- The Sea Where No One Is (1985)
- Girl-Boy Rhapsody: Short Stories (1991)
- Diary of an Étranger (1999)
- Alone I Am (2004)
- Whispers of the Years (2005)
- Confessions of the Sea (2009)
- The Kusaka Yoko of That Day (2011)
- Glass Love (2013)
- Views on Life and Death (haiku collection, 2016)
- The Murdered Sea (1983)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Confessional/autobiographical narrationIncorporation of biographical research into fictionIntrospective and quiet prose
- Recurring Motifs
- the seasolitudewomen's life and gendermemory
Health
-
Gender identity disorder / gender dysphoriaAddressed her own experience as a subject in works such as 'Confessions of the Sea'.
-
Senility / age-related decline晩年Died of age-related decline in 2023. Continued writing activities into old age.
Legacy
Kashiwagi Kaoru was a leading proponent of research on Kusaka Yoko and known for blending biographical research with confessional, autobiographical writing. She was recognized for contributions to local culture in Kobe through publications and cultural activities and received several cultural awards.
Academic Societies
- Kusaka Yoko Research Association
Trivia
- Real name: Tani Sachiko.
- Founded the Kusaka Yoko Research Association in 1978 and served as its chair.
- 'Confessions of the Sea' treats her own experience of gender identity disorder as one of its subjects.
- During her student years she worked as an office worker for a US occupation forces' exclusive cabaret for financial reasons.
- Died of age-related decline on March 9, 2023 in a facility in Kobe at age 92.