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Meiko Matsudaira

まつだいら めいこ

Matsudaira Meiko

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1954-07-24 （Okazaki, Aichi, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
tanka poet, Japanese language teacher, editor of tanka magazine, editor
Active Years
1977-
Affiliations
Cosmos Tanka Association, Editor/Chief of the tanka magazine 'Petit Monde', Judge for Yomiuri Shimbun local edition 'Yomiuri Bungei'

Education

Nanzan University
Faculty of Literature / Department of Japanese Language and Literature
Country: Japan
Graduated from the Department of Japanese Language and Literature; worked as a Japanese language teacher before full-time literary activity

Awards

Kadokawa Tanka Prize
1977
Work: Like a Father Hoisting Sails (50 tanka)
Organization: Kadokawa Shoten
Result: winner
Kono Aiko Prize
1990
Work: Platinum Blues
Organization: Kono Aiko Prize Committee
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Like a Father Hoisting Sails (tanka collection)

1979 tanka

Debut tanka collection focusing on family and father motifs with lyrical poems.

familyfatherremembrance

Blue Night (tanka collection)

1983 tanka

A collection from the early 1980s characterized by quietness and nocturnal imagery.

nightsolitudeintrospection

Sugar: Meiko Matsudaira Tanka Collection

1989 tanka

Published by Sunagoya Shobo; features poems that capture everyday details.

everyday lifesensory detailfemale perspective

Platinum Blues: Meiko Matsudaira Tanka Collection

1990 tanka

Award-winning collection (Kono Aiko Prize) combining emotional expression with urban landscapes.

urbanitylosslove

Dream Daffodil

1991 tanka

Collection using metaphors and natural imagery, published by Ochiazasha.

naturedreamsymbolism

Tamayura Zoushi: Meiko Matsudaira Tanka Collection

1992 tanka

Published by Kawade Shobo Shinsha; mixes domestic sensibility and lyricism.

daily lifememoriesemotion

Usaharashi: Meiko Matsudaira Tanka Collection

1996 tanka

Published by Sunagoya Shobo; contains poems with lightness and wit.

humoreveryday lifehuman relationships

Opium: Meiko Matsudaira Tanka Collection

1997 tanka

Published as part of a contemporary female tanka series; focuses on introspective works.

interioritydesirememory

Embracing Paris (Les quatre saisons de Paris)

2000 essay / travel

An essay collection about Paris blending urban observation and personal memories.

Paristravelurban observation

As the Wooden Cafe Chair Creaks

2000 essays / tanka criticism

Essays and tanka commentary inspired by cafes and everyday scenes.

cafeobservationpoetics

Accessing Bunraku

2003 non-fiction / theater introduction

An introductory guide to Bunraku (puppet theater), encouraging theatre attendance.

traditional performing artstheaterviewing guide

Meiko Matsudaira Tanka Collection (Modern Tanka Library)

2003 tanka

A collected edition of representative works.

overviewretrospective

Heaven's Sand: Tanka Collection

2010 tanka

A recent collection emphasizing lyricism and symbolism.

symbolismtimememory

Parent and Child Enjoy Tanka Workshop

2010 education / children's

Introductory book for parents and children to compose tanka together.

educationtanka instructionparent-child

Ark of Love: Tanka Collection

2011 tanka

A tanka collection centered on the theme of love; published by Kadokawa Gakugei.

lovesolidarityemotion

Studies on Platinum Blues: Meiko Matsudaira Tanka Collection (co-authored)

2012 study / criticism

A study and criticism volume on 'Platinum Blues', co-authored.

researchcriticism

Pearl Time: The Marriage of Tanka and Essay

2018 essays / tanka

A collection combining tanka and essays; a conjunction of sensory prose and poems.

essaysfusion of poetry and prose

Bibliography

  • Like a Father Hoisting Sails (tanka collection)
  • Blue Night (tanka collection)
  • Sugar: Meiko Matsudaira Tanka Collection
  • Platinum Blues: Meiko Matsudaira Tanka Collection
  • Dream Daffodil
  • Tamayura Zoushi: Meiko Matsudaira Tanka Collection
  • Usaharashi: Meiko Matsudaira Tanka Collection
  • Opium: Meiko Matsudaira Tanka Collection
  • Embracing Paris (Les quatre saisons de Paris)
  • As the Wooden Cafe Chair Creaks
  • Accessing Bunraku
  • Meiko Matsudaira Tanka Collection (Modern Tanka Library)
  • Heaven's Sand: Tanka Collection
  • Parent and Child Enjoy Tanka Workshop
  • Ark of Love: Tanka Collection
  • Studies on Platinum Blues: Meiko Matsudaira Tanka Collection (co-authored)
  • Pearl Time: The Marriage of Tanka and Essay
  • Mother's Love (editor)
  • Read Yosano Akiko in the Bath (editor)
  • Fill-in Practice Book for Hyakunin Isshu (annotated/introduced)

Translations by Author

  • Fill-in Practice Book for Hyakunin Isshu (annotated/introduced)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
modern tankalyricalrich in metaphor
Recurring Motifs
familyfatherPariscafeslove

Legacy

A contemporary Japanese tanka poet active since the late 1970s. Winner of the Kadokawa Tanka Prize and Kono Aiko Prize; she has led a tanka magazine and served as a literary judge for regional newspapers, earning recognition in the tanka community.

Trivia

  • Has authority identifiers such as ISNI, VIAF and WorldCat.
  • Alumna of Nanzan University Faculty of Literature.
  • Chief/editor of the tanka magazine 'Petit Monde'.