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Natsuko Kuroda

くろだ なつこ

Kuroda Natsuko

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1937-03-23 （Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Religion
Catholicism
Residence History
Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan → Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Proofreader (former), Japanese language teacher (former)
Active Years
1963-
Influenced By
Naoshirō Tsuji, Shuji Terayama, Taichi Yamada

Education

Waseda University, Faculty of Education
Faculty of Education / Department of Japanese Literature
Degree: 学士
Country: Japan
Founded and edited the literary doujinshi 'Sunashiro' while at university

Awards

Yomiuri Short Story Prize (Selected)
1963
Work: Mari
Organization: Yomiuri Shimbun
Result: 入選
Waseda Bungaku Newcomer Prize
2012
Work: ab Sango
Organization: Waseda Bungaku (editorial committee)
Result: 受賞
Akutagawa Prize
2013
Work: ab Sango
Organization: Akutagawa Prize Selection Committee
Result: 受賞
Murasaki Shikibu Literary Prize
2021
Work: Suite Wasurekouji
Organization: Murasaki Shikibu Literary Prize Selection Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Ruiseitai Meijaku

2010 Fiction

An experimental collection of short pieces that use fragmentary prose to depict sensitivity, memory and the nuances of language.

memorysensory perceptionlanguageloneliness

ab Sango

2013 Short fiction

Released in book form in 2013 after appearing in Waseda Bungaku; the collection that won the Waseda Newcomer Prize and the Akutagawa Prize. Includes pieces such as 'ab Sango', 'Mari', 'Tamie no Hana', and 'Rainbow'.

memoryaginglanguage and expressionisolation

The Dance of the Receptors

2013 Short fiction / Essays

A volume collecting shorter works centered on sensitivity and perception.

sensationinner worldlanguage

ab Sango / The Dance of the Receptors (Collected Edition)

2015 Short story collection (collected edition)

A paperback collected edition containing 'ab Sango' and 'The Dance of the Receptors'.

memorysensory perceptionlanguage

I Lived This Way: No Herding, No Flattery

2014 Essay (co-authored)

A co-authored essay with Akiko Shimoge reflecting on life, language and independence.

independenceviews on lifelanguage

Suite Wasurekouji

2020 Fiction

Published in 2020, this work uses distinctive narration and a fragmentary structure to handle themes of memory and the passage of time.

memorytimeloss

Mari

1963 Short story

A short piece first published in 1963 that was selected by the Yomiuri Short Story Prize; later included in collections such as 'ab Sango'.

childhoodmemory

Bibliography

  • Ruiseitai Meijaku (2010)
  • ab Sango (2013)
  • The Dance of the Receptors (2013)
  • ab Sango / The Dance of the Receptors (2015, Bunshun Bunko)
  • I Lived This Way: No Herding, No Flattery (2014, co-authored)
  • Suite Wasurekouji (2020)
  • Mari (1963, short story)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
fragmentarypoeticexperimental
Recurring Motifs
memoryfragments of childhoodlanguage and expressionsolitude

Legacy

After writing for many years without public recognition, she was re-evaluated from 2012 and achieved a late breakthrough, winning the Akutagawa Prize in 2013 at age 75 years 9 months. Her distinctive fragmentary and experimental prose has earned critical acclaim and a unique place in contemporary Japanese literature.

Trivia

  • Won the Akutagawa Prize in 2013; at the time (75 years and 9 months) she became the oldest recipient in the prize's history.
  • Her legal name has been reported as not publicly disclosed.
  • Reportedly began writing stories at the age of five.
  • While at Waseda University she edited and led the literary doujinshi 'Sunashiro'.
  • Worked in various jobs including as a Japanese language teacher and as a proofreader before later recognition.