Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Tatsuhide Matsuoka

まつおか たつひで

Matsuoka Tatsuhide

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1944-01-01 （Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan → Kawaguchi (Atelier), Niigata, Japan

Career

Occupations
picture book author, illustrator, naturalist, lecturer (part-time)
Active Years
1967-

Awards

Ministry of Health and Welfare Children's Welfare Culture Award
1974
Work: Wonderful World of Nature series
Organization: Ministry of Health and Welfare
Result: winner
Ehon Nippon Prize
1980
Work: Tropical Exploration Picture Book
Organization: Kaisei-sha / related awarding body
Result: winner
Japan Science Reading Prize
1993
Work: Jungle
Organization: Japan Science Reading Prize Committee
Result: winner
Ministry of Health and Welfare Children's Welfare Culture Award
1993
Work: Jungle
Organization: Ministry of Health and Welfare
Result: winner
International Andersen Award (noted)
1994
Work: My Robot Dinosaur Expedition
Organization: International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) / related
Result: winner
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award
2006
Work: Shindo 7 (Don't Forget the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake)
Organization: Sankei Shimbun
Result: winner
Shogakukan Children's Publishing Culture Award
2008
Work: One Hundred Years of Satoyama Field Guide
Organization: Shogakukan
Result: winner
Japan Picture Book Award
2016
Work: Imori-kun Yamori-kun
Organization: Japan Picture Book Award Committee
Result: winner
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award (Art Prize)
2019
Work: Grasshopper Robot Adventure
Category: 美術賞
Organization: Sankei Shimbun
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Jungle

1993 natural science picture book

A richly illustrated natural-picture book based on extended fieldwork in Costa Rica, presenting observations and explanations of jungle life.

tropical ecosystemsfield observationbiodiversity

The Tree Frog Travel Company

2004 children's picture book

A children's picture book featuring a tree frog, based on fieldwork at ponds in Kawaguchi.

amphibianssatoyama wildlifeobservation and discovery

Shindo 7 (Don't Forget the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake)

2005 children's non-fiction / picture book

A book recounting experiences from the 2004 Chuetsu earthquake, conveying earthquake impact and recovery to younger readers.

earthquakesdisaster and recoverylocal community

Bibliography

  • Knowledge Picture Books (10 volumes)
  • Wonderful World of Nature (5 volumes)
  • Tropical Exploration Picture Book (5 volumes)
  • When Father Was Little
  • Jungle
  • My Robot Dinosaur Expedition
  • Tooty's Little Adventure
  • Pyon
  • The Tree Frog Travel Company
  • Shindo 7: Don't Forget the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake
  • Field Play Encyclopedia
  • One Hundred Years of Satoyama Field Guide
  • Imori-kun Yamori-kun
  • Grasshopper Robot Adventure

Adaptations

  • Tobidasu Ehon 3D (features 'Pyon' and 'Shiritori')

Style & Themes

Literary Style
realistic illustrations grounded in close nature observationexpository passages incorporating scientific explanationchild-friendly narrative voice
Recurring Motifs
field observationinsects and amphibianssatoyama lifedisaster and recovery (earthquake experience)

Legacy

Known for picture books rooted in extensive fieldwork, he contributed to children's nature education and promotion of satoyama culture. He has received numerous awards and is recognized for community activities centered on his atelier/gallery.

Museums

  • Atelier GreenWorks Gallery Kawaguchi, Niigata (now within Nagaoka area), Japan Opened in 2007

Archives

  • National Diet Library (holdings / authority data)
  • Publishers' archives and records (Kaisei-sha, Fukuinkan, Poplar, etc.)

Trivia

  • He became a freelance illustrator in 1967 and began extensive fieldwork.
  • His atelier was damaged in the 2004 Niigata Chuetsu earthquake; he published work based on that experience.
  • He opened a gallery attached to his atelier in 2007.