Japanese Literary Awards

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Masayo Koike

こいけ まさよ

Koike Masayo

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1959-07-17 （Fukagawa, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
poet, novelist, translator, essayist, editor
Active Years
1988-

Education

Tsuda University
Faculty of Liberal Arts / Department of International Relations
Country: Japan

Awards

La Mer Newcomer Prize (6th)
1989
Organization: La Mer
Result: winner
Gendai-shi Hanatsubaki Prize (15th)
1997
Work: The Bus That Never Comes (Eien ni Konai Basu)
Organization: Shichosha (Gendai-shi Hanatsubaki Prize)
Result: winner
Hagiwara Sakutaro Prize ( nominee)
1997
Work: The Bus That Never Comes
Organization: Hagiwara Sakutaro Prize Committee
Result: nominated
Takami Jun Prize (30th)
2000
Work: The Most Sensual Room
Organization: Takami Jun Prize Committee
Result: winner
Kodansha Essay Award (17th)
2001
Work: Temptation to the Roof (Okujo e no Yuuwaku)
Organization: Kodansha
Result: winner
Noma Literary New Face Prize ( nominee)
2004
Work: Light-Sensitive Life (Kanko Seikatsu)
Organization: Noma Literary New Face Prize Committee
Result: nominated
Kawabata Yasunari Literary Prize (33rd)
2007
Work: Tatado
Organization: Kawabata Yasunari Literary Prize Committee
Result: winner
Ono Jusaburo Prize (10th)
2008
Work: Baba, Basara, Saraba
Organization: Ono Jusaburo Prize Committee
Result: winner
Hagiwara Sakutaro Prize (18th)
2010
Work: Kolkata (Korukata)
Organization: Hagiwara Sakutaro Prize Committee
Result: winner
Izumi Kyoka Literary Prize (42nd)
2014
Work: Tamamono
Organization: Izumi Kyoka Literary Prize Committee
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Bus That Never Comes

1997 poetry

A collection of poems weaving everyday fragments and memories with delicate imagery. It brought the author significant attention and won the Gendai-shi Hanatsubaki Prize.

memorycityeveryday life

Tatado

2007 novel

A novel (with short pieces) composed with distinctive narration and imagery, which won the Kawabata Yasunari Literary Prize.

languagememoryself

Kolkata

2010 poetry

A poetic depiction of foreign landscapes and gazes toward others. This work won the Hagiwara Sakutaro Prize.

travelotherslandscape

Tamamono

2014 short stories / fiction

A collection of short stories that won the Izumi Kyoka Literary Prize. It features diverse character portrayals and experiments with language.

human relationshipsmemorylanguage

Bibliography

  • Walking Out from the Town of Water (poetry) 1988
  • Fruit Market Festival (poetry) 1991
  • The Bus That Never Comes (poetry) 1997
  • The Most Sensual Room (poetry) 1999
  • Ten Minutes Before Dawn (poetry) 2001
  • Light-Sensitive Life (fiction) 2004
  • Tatado (novel) 2007
  • Kotobajiru (short stories) 2008
  • Kolkata (poetry) 2010
  • Tamamono (short stories) 2014
  • Yashou Noemi (poetry) 2017
  • Red Ox and Mass (poetry) 2018

Translations by Author

  • When Snow Begins to Fall (translation) 2001
  • Chasing the Round Moon (translation) 2005

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lyric, image-focused poetic stylemodern narration with experiments in language
Recurring Motifs
citymemorymusicfragments of daily life

Legacy

An author acclaimed in both contemporary poetry and fiction. Recipient of multiple major literary awards for poetry and novels, influencing contemporary Japanese literature through linguistic experiments and distinctive imagery.

Trivia

  • Her family ran a lumber shop since her grandfather's generation.
  • She studied piano from elementary school and learned the viola in high school.
  • Her 1997 poetry collection The Bus That Never Comes won the Gendai-shi Hanatsubaki Prize.
  • In 2007 she won the Kawabata Yasunari Literary Prize for the novel Tatado.
  • She served as a visiting professor at Rikkyo University from 2007 to 2012.