Chōkū Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 5 (1971) award
Kuzuhara Taeko
くずはら たえこ
Kuzuhara Taeko
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1907-02-05 （Hongo, Tokyo City (now Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo)）
- Died
- 1985-09-02 （Den-en-chofu Central Hospital, Ota, Tokyo, Japan） age 78
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Religion
- Catholicism Baptized in 1985
- Residence History
- Tokyo (Hongo / Sendagi) → Fukui City (with paternal uncle) → Chiba City → Fukuoka City → Ota, Tokyo (Sanno / Den-en-chofu)
Career
- Occupations
- tanka poet, poet, editor, publisher
- Active Years
- 1950-1983
- Affiliations
- Choon (Tide Sound poetry circle), Nyonin Tanka-kai (Women's Tanka Association), Gendai Kajin Kyokai (Modern Poets Association), Japan Tanka Poets Club, Minami-Nippon Shimbun (song/poetry section selector)
- Memberships
- Choon (associate member), Nyonin Tanka-kai (member), Gendai Kajin Kyokai (founding member), Japan Tanka Poets Club (member)
- Influenced By
- Ota Mizuho, Shiga Mitsuko
- Influenced
- Tsukamoto Kunio (critic/essayist on her work), Nakajii Hideo (critic/novelist who commented on her work)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Prefectural First Higher Girls' School (now Tokyo Metropolitan Hakuoh High School) | — | Higher course, Japanese literature | — | 〜1926 | Japan |
Tokyo Prefectural First Higher Girls' School (now Tokyo Metropolitan Hakuoh High School)
Higher course, Japanese literature
Period:
〜1926
Year of Graduation:
1926
Country:
Japan
Graduated from prewar higher girls' school
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Japan Tanka Poets Club Prize | — | — | Japan Tanka Poets Club | 受賞 |
| 1971 | Chokuu Prize | — | — | Chokuu Prize Selection Committee | 受賞 |
Japan Tanka Poets Club Prize
1964
Organization:
Japan Tanka Poets Club
Result:
受賞
Chokuu Prize
1971
Organization:
Chokuu Prize Selection Committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Tōkō (Daiden)
1950 tankaEarly collection containing postwar poems that show the emergence of her characteristic visionary, surreal tanka style.
surrealismvisionary imagerydefamiliarization of the everyday
Hikō (Flight)
1954 tankaA mid-period collection notable for poems that increasingly break conventional forms.
irregular rhythmdreamfantasy
Genyu (Prime Ox)
1960 tankaOne of her representative collections, praised for vivid visual imagery and use of irregular meter.
visual imagerythe non-routineirregular meter
Budō Kidachi (Grape Grove)
1963 tankaContains poems where landscape and visionary elements intertwine.
landscapehallucinatory imagery
Shurei (Vermilion Spirit)
1970 tankaA mature-period collection characterized by strong metaphors and symbolism.
symbolismfemininityvisionary sight
Taka no Ido (Hawk's Well)
1977 tankaA later collection condensing her unique worldview.
lonelinessvisionary perception
Bara Mado (Rose Window)
1978 tankaA collection composed earlier but published later; shows religious and symbolic themes.
symbolismreligious imagery
Bibliography
- Tōkō (1950)
- Hikō (1954)
- Genyu (1960)
- Budō Kidachi (1963)
- Shurei (1970)
- Collected Poems of Kuzuhara Taeko (San'ichi Shobo, 1974)
- Taka no Ido (1977)
- Bara Mado (1978)
- Complete Poems of Kuzuhara Taeko (Tanka Shinbunsha, 1987)
- Various collected editions and reprints (post-1974)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- surrealist expressiontanka using irregular meterfrequent use of visual and visionary imagery
- Recurring Motifs
- visionary sightdefamiliarization of the everydayfemininity and symbolism
Health
-
multiple cerebral infarctions1985年（晩年）Suffered multiple cerebral infarctions in 1985 and developed pneumonia; resulted in death.
-
pneumonia1985年（晩年）Complicated the cerebral infarctions and proved fatal.
Legacy
Kuzuhara Taeko is regarded as a leading surrealist tanka poet in postwar Japan. Her use of irregular meter and visionary imagery influenced contemporaries and subsequent generations of tanka poets.
Academic Societies
- Gendai Kajin Kyokai (Modern Poets Association)
- Japan Tanka Poets Club
Archives
- National Diet Library (related materials)
Quotes
-
She 'sees what ought not to be seen and hears what ought not to be heard.'
Source: Hishikawa Yoshio (commentary on Kuzuhara Taeko) (1950)
Trivia
- She received Catholic baptism from her daughter in 1985 late in life.
- Often described as 'a modern witch' or 'queen of visionary sight.'
- Founded and served as editor-publisher of the quarterly journal 'Ogatama' (1981).