Contemporary Tanka Criticism Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 26 (2008) award
Keiko Imai
いまい けいこ
Keiko Imai
Pen Names:
Keiko Kimura（Pen name used when awarded runner-up in the Kadokawa Tanka Prize）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1952-01-01 （Tokyo）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Tokyo
Career
- Occupations
- tanka poet, adjunct lecturer
- Active Years
- 1973-
- Affiliations
- Modern Tanka Poets Association, Japan Tanka Poets Club, Japan Literary Artists Association, Saitama Prefecture Tanka Association, Saitama Literary Artists Group, Institute for Contemporary Women's Culture
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waseda University | Faculty of Education | Department of Japanese Language and Literature | — | 〜1975 | Japan |
Waseda University
Faculty of Education
/ Department of Japanese Language and Literature
Period:
〜1975
Year of Graduation:
1975
Country:
Japan
Joined the tanka circle 'Mahiruno' while a student
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Kadokawa Tanka Prize (Runner-up) | — | — | Kadokawa Shoten | 次席 |
| 2008 | Modern Tanka Criticism Prize | "Words Required of Contemporary Times" (essay) | — | Tanka Kenkyusha | 受賞 |
| 2022 | Sato Sataro Tanka Prize | Unkobu Me, Unmarkeru Me | — | Sato Sataro Tanka Prize Committee | 受賞 |
Kadokawa Tanka Prize (Runner-up)
1977
Organization:
Kadokawa Shoten
Result:
次席
Modern Tanka Criticism Prize
2008
Work:
"Words Required of Contemporary Times" (essay)
Organization:
Tanka Kenkyusha
Result:
受賞
Sato Sataro Tanka Prize
2022
Work:
Unkobu Me, Unmarkeru Me
Organization:
Sato Sataro Tanka Prize Committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Dissonant Chords
1984 tanka collectionFirst collection. Features close observation of language and an intellectual perspective.
languageselfeveryday life
Helga's Naked Body
1992 tanka collectionSecond collection blending the inner self with perspectives on others.
interiorityothernessthe body
Broad Daylight
2001 tanka collectionThird collection examining life through everyday scenes and questions.
everyday lifelightlife
Dry Season
2005 tanka collectionFourth collection centered on poems confronting lack and longing.
longingabsencenature
Keiko Imai: Selected Tanka
2008 selected tanka collectionSelf-selected collection compiling representative works.
selectionretrospective
A Softly Clouded Winter Day
2011 tanka collectionFifth collection delicately depicting winter scenes and seasonal sensibilities.
seasonwinternature
Carried Eyes, Carrying Eyes
2022 tanka collectionA recent culminating collection focusing on observation, movement, and exchanged gazes.
gazemovementnature
Bibliography
- Dissonant Chords (Fushiki Shoin, 1984)
- Helga's Naked Body (Kashinsha, 1992)
- Broad Daylight (Sunagoya Shobo, 2001)
- Dry Season (Sunagoya Shobo, 2005)
- Keiko Imai: Selected Tanka (Sunagoya Shobo, 2008)
- A Softly Clouded Winter Day (HokuTosha, 2011)
- Carried Eyes, Carrying Eyes (Gendai Tanka Sha, 2022)
- Poetry Book: "Songs of Tomiko Tomiko" (Gan Shokan, 2002)
- Editor: "Higuchi Ichiyo Waka Collection" (Chikuma Bunko, 2005)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- careful attention to language and an intellectual styleconcise expressions that contain sincere questioning
- Recurring Motifs
- natureexistential questionsexploration of the self
Legacy
A tanka poet who established a solid place in contemporary tanka through deep attention to language and a sincere gaze. Her teaching and critical work have had significant influence on later generations.
Academic Societies
- Modern Tanka Poets Association
- Japan Tanka Poets Club
- Japan Literary Artists Association
Trivia
- In 1977 she was runner-up in the Kadokawa Tanka Prize under the pen name 'Keiko Kimura'.
- Served as an adjunct lecturer at Ferris University from 1996 to 2021.