Rennyo Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 5 (1998) award
Natsumi Kuga
くが なつみ
Kuga Natsumi
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1954-07-24 （Kyoto, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
Career
- Occupations
- essayist, writer, former painter
- Active Years
- 1998-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doshisha Women's High School | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| Doshisha University | Faculty of Letters | Department of English | 学士 | — | Japan |
Doshisha Women's High School
Country:
Japan
Doshisha University
Faculty of Letters
/ Department of English
Degree:
学士
Country:
Japan
Graduated from Faculty of Letters, Department of English
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Rennyo Prize | Fenollosa and the Witch Town | — | Honganji Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2005 | Japan Essayist Club Award | Tiffany Who Loved Japan | — | Japan Essayist Club | 受賞 |
Rennyo Prize
1998
Work:
Fenollosa and the Witch Town
Organization:
Honganji Foundation
Result:
受賞
Japan Essayist Club Award
2005
Work:
Tiffany Who Loved Japan
Organization:
Japan Essayist Club
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Nihon Essayist Club Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 53 (2005) award
Works
Major Works
Fenollosa and the Witch Town
1999 Non-fiction (art & culture)An essay exploring Ernest Fenollosa's contributions to art history and the towns in Kyoto shaped by his influence.
art historycultural historyFenollosa
New York Trap: Stolen Ukiyo-e
2000 Non-fiction (art)Investigates the loss and movement of ukiyo-e abroad, focusing on circulation and collections in New York.
ukiyo-ecultural dispersioncollections
Tiffany Who Loved Japan
2004 Non-fiction (art & biography)Introduces Louis C. Tiffany and his works' connections with Japan, discussing the exchange between stained glass/decorative arts and Japanese culture.
Tiffanystained glassJapan–US cultural exchange
Kyoto within Masterpieces
2006 Essay (art & regional studies)Reads the relationship between artworks and the city by examining depictions of Kyoto's landscapes and landmarks in paintings.
Kyotointerpreting artworksregional culture
Japanese Who Changed America: Kuniyoshi Yasuo, Isamu Noguchi, Yoko Ono
2011 Non-fiction (biography & cultural history)A critical work tracing the footprints of Japanese figures such as Kuniyoshi Yasuo, Isamu Noguchi, and Yoko Ono who influenced American culture.
biographyJapan–US exchangecultural history
Great Writers and Eccentrics: From Ihara Saikaku to Haruki Murakami
2021 Literary criticism & essaysCovers writers from Ihara Saikaku to Haruki Murakami, discussing authors who set literary trends and their characteristics and influence.
Japanese literatureliterary historystudy of authors
Bibliography
- Fenollosa and the Witch Town (1999)
- New York Trap: Stolen Ukiyo-e (2000)
- Tiffany Who Loved Japan (2004)
- Kyoto within Masterpieces (2006)
- Japanese Who Changed America (2011)
- Great Writers and Eccentrics (2021)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- accessible, essayistic proseexpository commentary that introduces art history and cultural history
- Recurring Motifs
- intersection of art and cultureJapan–international (particularly US) exchangestories behind masterpieces and authors
Legacy
Known for accessible writings centered on art and culture; through popular explanations of art history and essays on Japanese culture, she has influenced a broad readership.
Museums
- Nitadori Museum (Otaru Art Village) Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan
Trivia
- Both parents, Kunimitsu Shirō (邦光史郎) and Ariko Tanaka (田中阿里子), are writers.
- Graduated from Doshisha Women's High School and Doshisha University Faculty of Letters, Department of English.
- Studied art while working as an English instructor at the YMCA.
- Former painter; was selected multiple times for the Shin-seisaku exhibitions.
- Received the 5th Rennyo Prize (1998) and the 53rd Japan Essayist Club Award (2005).