Japanese Literary Awards

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Karen Miura

みうら かれん

Miura Karen

Pen Names: Date Mizukagami（Pen name used while in university; used when submitting to the Kodansha Children's Literature Newcomer Award.）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1993-01-11 （Ashiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
children's author, novelist, writer
Active Years
2011-

Education

Osaka University of Arts
Department/Faculty of Literature / Department of Literary Arts
Country: Japan
Received an honorable mention in the 52nd Kodansha Children's Literature Newcomer Award while a student (pen name: Date Mizukagami).

Awards

Kodansha Children's Literature Newcomer Award (Honorable Mention)
2011
Work: Yoake no Rakugo
Organization: Kodansha
Result: 佳作 / Honorable Mention

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Yoake no Rakugo

2012 children's literature

A work published while she was a university student. It intertwines young characters with rakugo (traditional comic storytelling), told from a children's literature perspective.

coming of agetraditional performing artspersonal growth

Nanchatte Hero

2013 juvenile fiction

A light-hearted hero story for children, characterized by humorous developments.

heroesfriendshiphumor

Onayami Soudan-bu

2015 children's literature

A work themed around children's worries and consultations. It portrays problem-solving and growth through interactions among characters.

seeking advicegrowthrelationships

Bake-neko Rakugo 1: Welcome to the Strange Yose!

2017 children's series

The first volume of a children's series featuring a bake-neko (ghost cat). It offers a fantastical story set against the backdrop of rakugo stages and characters.

yokai (supernatural creatures)traditional performing artsadventure

Bake-neko Rakugo 2: Is the Rival a Black Cat!?

2017 children's series

Second volume of the series. The story centers on interactions with a rival black cat.

rivalryfriendshipsupernatural

Stories About Jobs: Newspaper Reporter — Are Reporters Allies of Justice?

2018 children's informational/fiction

A volume in a series introducing occupations. Through the job of a newspaper reporter, it encourages thinking about society and professional ethics.

career educationsocial understandingethics

Bibliography

  • Yoake no Rakugo (Kodansha, 2012)
  • Nanchatte Hero (Kodansha, 2013)
  • Onayami Soudan-bu (Kodansha, 2015)
  • Bake-neko Rakugo 1: Welcome to the Strange Yose! (Kodansha Aoitori Bunko, 2017)
  • Bake-neko Rakugo 2: Is the Rival a Black Cat!? (Kodansha Aoitori Bunko, 2017)
  • Stories About Jobs: Newspaper Reporter (Kodansha Aoitori Bunko, 2018)
  • Anthology: Himitsu (Kodansha YA! Anthology, 2015) — coauthor
  • Anthology: 14-sai = FOURTEEN (Kodansha YA! Anthology, 2016) — coauthor
  • Coauthored: Kazoku Complex (NHK Otona no Novel / Kin no Hoshi, 2017)
  • Coauthored: Cheer☆Dan Novel (Kadokawa Tsubasa Bunko, 2017)
  • Coauthored: Love Trouble - Stalker (Kin no Hoshi, 2017)
  • Coauthored: 13-sai wa Kowai (Kodansha Aoitori Bunko, 2018)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
accessible, child-friendly prosewarm narrative voice with humor
Recurring Motifs
traditional performing arts (rakugo)yokai / bake-neko (supernatural cats)friendship and growthwork and social roles

Legacy

As a young children's author, she is known for works that weave traditional performing arts and yokai elements. She has published a range of children's books, including informational titles about occupations.

Trivia

  • Born in Ashiya, Hyōgo Prefecture.
  • Graduate of Osaka University of Arts, Department of Literature.
  • Received an Honorable Mention in the 52nd Kodansha Children's Literature Newcomer Award in 2011 (pen name: Date Mizukagami).