Akutagawa Prize
1 appearances
Mieko Kawakami
かわかみ みえこ
Kawakami Mieko
Pen Names:
Mieko Kawakami (as singer)（Stage name used when debuting as a singer (2002)）,
Mieko (stage name)（Used as a stage name during music activities）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1976-08-29 （Joto-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Joto-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan → Tokyo, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Poet, Singer, Essayist
- Active Years
- 2007-
- Memberships
- Akutagawa Prize selection committee member (from 2024)
- Influenced By
- Hitoshi Nagai, Ichiyo Higuchi, Haruki Murakami
- Nominations
- Booker International Prize (Translated Works) nominee (Heaven) — 2022
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nihon University (Correspondence Studies) | College of Arts and Sciences | Philosophy | — | — | Japan |
Nihon University (Correspondence Studies)
College of Arts and Sciences
/ Philosophy
Country:
Japan
Reported to have attended as a non-degree/auditing student at times
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Waseda University Tsubouchi Shoyo Award (Encouragement, 1st) | Selected early works (Watasukushi-ritsu In Ha—, etc.) | — | Waseda University | Winner |
| 2008 | Akutagawa Ryunosuke Prize (138th) | Breasts and Eggs | — | Akutagawa Prize Selection Committee | Winner |
| 2008 | Ikeda Akiko Memorial "I, That Is, Nobody" Prize (1st) | Selected early works (Watasukushi-ritsu In Ha—, etc.) | — | Ikeda Akiko Memorial Award Committee | Winner |
| 2009 | Nakahara Chuya Prize (14th) | Sentan de, sasu wa ... (poetry collection) | — | Nakahara Chuya Prize Committee | Winner |
| 2010 | Kinema Junpo Best Ten - Best New Actress (83rd) | Pandora's Box (appearance) | Film | Kinema Junpo | Winner |
| 2010 | Osaka Cinema Festival - Best New Actress (5th) | Pandora's Box (appearance) | Film | Osaka Cinema Festival Committee | Winner |
| 2010 | Arts Encouragement Prize - Minister of Education New Artist Award (60th) | Heaven | — | Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan) | Winner |
| 2010 | Murasaki Shikibu Literary Prize (20th) | Heaven | — | Murasaki Shikibu Literary Prize Committee | Winner |
| 2013 | Takami Jun Prize (43rd) | Mizugame (Water Jar) | — | Takami Jun Prize Committee | Winner |
| 2013 | Tanizaki Jun'ichiro Prize (49th) | Love Dreams, etc. | — | Tanizaki Jun'ichiro Prize Committee | Winner |
| 2016 | Granta Best of Young Japanese Novelists 2016 | Marie's Proof of Love (short story) | — | Granta | Selected |
| 2016 | Watanabe Junichi Literary Award (1st) | Longing | — | Watanabe Junichi Literary Award Committee | Winner |
| 2019 | Mainichi Publishing Culture Award (73rd) | Summer Story (Breasts and Eggs expanded) | — | Mainichi Newspapers | Winner |
| 2022 | GQ Men of the Year 2022 - Best Author | Overall literary activities | — | GQ Japan | Winner |
| 2023 | Yomiuri Literature Award (75th) - Fiction | Sisters in Yellow | 小説賞 | Yomiuri Shimbun | Winner |
Waseda University Tsubouchi Shoyo Award (Encouragement, 1st)
2007
Work:
Selected early works (Watasukushi-ritsu In Ha—, etc.)
Organization:
Waseda University
Result:
Winner
Akutagawa Ryunosuke Prize (138th)
2008
Work:
Breasts and Eggs
Organization:
Akutagawa Prize Selection Committee
Result:
Winner
Ikeda Akiko Memorial "I, That Is, Nobody" Prize (1st)
2008
Work:
Selected early works (Watasukushi-ritsu In Ha—, etc.)
Organization:
Ikeda Akiko Memorial Award Committee
Result:
Winner
Nakahara Chuya Prize (14th)
2009
Work:
Sentan de, sasu wa ... (poetry collection)
Organization:
Nakahara Chuya Prize Committee
Result:
Winner
Kinema Junpo Best Ten - Best New Actress (83rd)
2010
Work:
Pandora's Box (appearance)
Category:
Film
Organization:
Kinema Junpo
Result:
Winner
Osaka Cinema Festival - Best New Actress (5th)
2010
Work:
Pandora's Box (appearance)
Category:
Film
Organization:
Osaka Cinema Festival Committee
Result:
Winner
Arts Encouragement Prize - Minister of Education New Artist Award (60th)
2010
Work:
Heaven
Organization:
Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan)
Result:
Winner
Murasaki Shikibu Literary Prize (20th)
2010
Work:
Heaven
Organization:
Murasaki Shikibu Literary Prize Committee
Result:
Winner
Takami Jun Prize (43rd)
2013
Work:
Mizugame (Water Jar)
Organization:
Takami Jun Prize Committee
Result:
Winner
Tanizaki Jun'ichiro Prize (49th)
2013
Work:
Love Dreams, etc.
Organization:
Tanizaki Jun'ichiro Prize Committee
Result:
Winner
Granta Best of Young Japanese Novelists 2016
2016
Work:
Marie's Proof of Love (short story)
Organization:
Granta
Result:
Selected
Watanabe Junichi Literary Award (1st)
2016
Work:
Longing
Organization:
Watanabe Junichi Literary Award Committee
Result:
Winner
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award (73rd)
2019
Work:
Summer Story (Breasts and Eggs expanded)
Organization:
Mainichi Newspapers
Result:
Winner
GQ Men of the Year 2022 - Best Author
2022
Work:
Overall literary activities
Organization:
GQ Japan
Result:
Winner
Yomiuri Literature Award (75th) - Fiction
2023
Work:
Sisters in Yellow
Category:
小説賞
Organization:
Yomiuri Shimbun
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Nakahara Chuya Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 14 (2009) award
Murasaki Shikibu Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 20 (2010) award
Art Encouragement Newcomer Award of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
1 appearances
-
Edition 60 (2010) award
Tanizaki Junichiro Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 49 (2013) award
Takami Jun Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 43 (2013) award
Watanabe Junichi Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (2016) award
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 73 (2019) award
Yomiuri Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 75 (2023) award
Works
Major Works
Watakushi-ritsu In Ha—, or The World
2007 Fiction (debut novel/collection)Debut work composed of short and mid-length pieces using a distinctive first-person, fragmentary voice to explore youth, bodily experience and the power of language.
selfhoodthe bodylanguage
Breasts and Eggs
2008 Fiction (novella)A novella that examines the female body, motherhood and social pressures through family and interpersonal relationships; winner of the Akutagawa Prize.
motherhoodthe bodysociety
Translations
- English translation: Breasts and Eggs
Heaven
2009 Fiction (novel)A novel dealing with bullying and isolation, sharply portraying characters' interiority and structures of violence.
bullyingisolationviolenceempathy
Translations
- English translation: Heaven
All the Lovers in the Night
2011 Fiction (novel)A novel that delicately depicts adult sexuality, loneliness and the slips of everyday life from a woman's perspective.
sexualitylonelinessinterpersonal relationships
Translations
- English translation: All the Lovers in the Night
Love Dreams, etc.
2013 Short story collection / FictionA collection of short stories that capture themes of love, desire and the tremors of everyday life.
lovedesireeveryday life
Adaptations
- [Film] Ice Cream Fever (2023)
Longing
2015 FictionA work exploring longing, alienation and the distance between people; recipient of the Watanabe Junichi Literary Award.
alienationdesirerelationships
Wisteria and Three Women
2018 Short story collection / FictionA short-story collection depicting women's memories and intergenerational bonds, characterized by poetic description and nuanced dialogue.
memorygenerationswomen
Summer Story / Breasts and Eggs (expanded novel)
2019 Fiction (novel)An expanded novel based on themes from Breasts and Eggs, addressing motherhood, the body and personal choice.
motherhoodthe bodychoice
Translations
- English translation: Breasts and Eggs (Summer Story)
Sisters in Yellow / Yellow House
2023 FictionA recent novel focusing on family, memory and relationships among women; recipient of the Yomiuri Literature Award (Fiction).
familymemoryfemale relationships
Bibliography
- Watakushi-ritsu In Ha—, or The World (2007)
- Breasts and Eggs (2008)
- Heaven (2009)
- All the Lovers in the Night (2011)
- Love Dreams, etc. (2013)
- Longing (2015)
- Wisteria and Three Women (2018)
- Summer Story / Breasts and Eggs (2019)
- Scary Things of Spring (2022)
- Sisters in Yellow / Yellow House (2023)
Adaptations
- Ice Cream Fever (film) — based on "Ice Cream Heat" from Love Dreams, etc. — 2023
Translations of Works
- Breasts and Eggs — English translation: Breasts and Eggs
- Heaven — English translation: Heaven
- All the Lovers in the Night — English translation: All the Lovers in the Night
- Summer Story — English translation: Breasts and Eggs (expanded novel)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Colloquial, rhythmic proseInterior monologues often in first personCombination of poetic imagery and direct expression
- Recurring Motifs
- motherhoodembodimentlanguage and voicelonelinessurban life
Legacy
Regarded as an important contemporary Japanese writer who addresses the female body, motherhood and the politics of language. International translations and recognition (including Booker International Prize nomination) have brought wider attention.
In Popular Culture
- TV appearances (e.g., Jounetsu Tairiku, Our Music)
- Film appearances / film awards (appearance in Pandora's Box; awarded Best New Actress)
Trivia
- Debuted as a singer under the name Kawakami Mieko (川上三枝子)
- Worked in a bookstore and as a hostess in North Shinchi to support family after high school
- Married writer Kazushige Abe in 2011
- Her younger brother is rugby player Toshiaki Kawakami