Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Miki Sawada

さわだ みき

Sawada Miki

Aliases: 澤田美喜 / 澤田幹
Pen Names:

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1901-09-19 （Hongo Ward, Tokyo City (now Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo)）
Died
1980-05-12 （Mallorca Island, Spain） age 78
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Religion
Christianity (Anglican Church in Japan) Baptized in 1922
Residence History
Hongo Ward, Tokyo City, Tokyo Prefecture (now Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo)

Career

Occupations
social worker
Active Years
1920-1980

Education

Tokyo Women's Higher Normal School Attached High School for Girls
Country: Japan
withdrew
Home tutoring by Tsuda Umeko
Country: Japan
Home tutoring

Awards

Elizabeth Blackwell Award
1960
Result: 受賞
Asahi Social Service Award
1962
Result: 受賞
International Orphans World Women's Award
1965
Result: 受賞
French National Order of Merit, Grand Croix
Organization: Government of France
Result: 受賞
Prime Minister's Commendation
1966
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 受賞
Order of the Sacred Treasure, Second Class
1972
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 受章
Kikuchi Kan Prize, Adelaide Listorti Prize
1978
Result: 受賞
Senior Fourth Rank
1980
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 追贈

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Mother of Mixed-Race Children, Elizabeth Sanders Home

1953 Non-fiction

A book documenting the establishment and activities of a child care facility dedicated to the protection and upbringing of mixed-race children.

social welfareorphans supportracial issues

The Lost Children of History: Ten Years of Elizabeth Sanders Home

1958 Non-fiction

A record of the ten-year history of the Elizabeth Sanders Home.

social welfareorphans support

Black Skin and White Heart

1963 Autobiography

An autobiographical work depicting mixed-race children and Japanese society through her personal experiences.

autobiographysocial issuesracial issues
Translations
  • English edition

Agatha of the Black Cross

1967 Non-fiction

A work describing activities at the Elizabeth Sanders Home.

social welfare

The Bond of Mother and Child: Thirty Years of Elizabeth Sanders Home

1980 Non-fiction

A book looking back on thirty years of history at the Elizabeth Sanders Home.

social welfareorphans support

Bibliography

  • Mother of Mixed-Race Children, Elizabeth Sanders Home (1953)
  • The Lost Children of History: Ten Years of Elizabeth Sanders Home (1958)
  • Black Skin and White Heart (1963)
  • Agatha of the Black Cross (1967)
  • The Bond of Mother and Child: Thirty Years of Elizabeth Sanders Home (1980)

Adaptations

  • Being a Mother is Like Hell: The Fiery Woman Miki Sawada (1981, Nippon TV)
  • Story of Miki Sawada, Mother of Two Thousand Orphans (2006, Nippon TV)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Non-fiction focusing on social issuesIncludes autobiographical elements
Recurring Motifs
orphansracial discriminationmaternity

Health

  • Heart attack
    1980年5月12日
    Died suddenly at age 78 due to heart attack.

Legacy

Miki Sawada was a pioneering figure in Japanese social welfare, devoted to the rescue of mixed-race children. Her work has had a significant impact on contemporary social welfare efforts.

Museums

  • Miki Sawada Memorial Museum Oiso Town, Nakagun, Kanagawa Prefecture

Archives

  • Collected and preserved valuable Hidden Christian materials from across Japan

In Popular Culture

  • Guest appearance on NHK Hall program in 1958
  • Judge at the NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen in 1958
  • Portrayed in numerous television dramas

Quotes

  • Turning abandoned children into beloved individuals is a wonderful magic.
    Source: Words of the director of the Bernard S. Home

Trivia

  • Granddaughter of Mitsubishi heir Yataro Iwasaki.
  • Dedicated her life to supporting the socially vulnerable.
  • Served as a judge at the NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen.