Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Jun Nasuda

なすだ じゅん

Nasuda Jun

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1959-06-20 （Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Hamamatsu, Shizuoka (birthplace) → Berlin, Germany (resident since c.1995)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Novelist, Children's author, Translator, Editor, Part-time lecturer
Active Years
1988-
Affiliations
Wako University (part-time lecturer), Seisen University (part-time lecturer)
Memberships
Japanese PEN Club, Japan YA Writers Club, Japan Board on Books for Young People (JBBY)

Education

Waseda University
Country: Japan

Awards

Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award
2005
Work: Peter the Wolf
Organization: Sankei Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Tsubota Jōji Literary Prize
2005
Work: Peter the Wolf
Organization: Tsubota Jōji Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Hamamatsu Cultural Artist Commendation
2006
Organization: Hamamatsu City
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Yellow Pajamas on a Calico Cat's Tail

1988 Young adult (near-future)

Debut YA near-future novel focusing on childhood emotions and coming-of-age themes.

childhoodcoming-of-agefriendship

Peter the Wolf

2003 Young adult (set in a foreign country)

A YA novel set in Germany, depicting boys living abroad and cultural contrasts.

foreignnessidentityfriendship

A Rabbit Living a Hundred Million Light-Years Away

2006 Young adult

YA novel set in Shonan, notable for its depiction of youth and coastal landscapes.

youthlandscapegrowth

The Day of the Wishing Cat

2011 Children's / YA

A story about a boy who dies in an accident; explores emotional upheaval and recovery.

death and rebirthlossfriendship

Starry Sky Rock

2013 Road-movie style YA novel

A road-movie style tale of a rock boy traveling alone to Berlin; later adapted for the stage and as a reading play.

journeymusicself-discovery
Adaptations
  • [Stage play] Starry Sky Rock (Stage) (2016)
  • [Reading play] Starry Sky Rock (Reading Play) (2017)

Scarlet Madonna: The Story of Potter Kiyoko Kamiyama

2019 Novel

A novel with biographical elements about potter Kiyoko Kamiyama.

artcreationlife

Bibliography

  • Yellow Pajamas on a Calico Cat's Tail
  • The Story of Borupi
  • Goodbye Baltimore
  • The King of Sweden
  • Hello from Wakaba School
  • Orefant: The Boy Nipponzaemon
  • Peter the Wolf
  • Catching the Wind
  • A Rabbit Living a Hundred Million Light-Years Away
  • The Continuation of Dreams
  • Star-Polishing Rabbit
  • Mountain Cat Kindergarten
  • The Day of the Wishing Cat
  • Yoko Pirika Moo: Born on This Planet
  • Starry Sky Rock
  • Scarlet Madonna: The Story of Potter Kiyoko Kamiyama

Adaptations

  • Starry Sky Rock (stage adaptation, 2016)
  • Starry Sky Rock (reading play, 2017)

Translations by Author

  • The Very Very Little King (co-translated, Kodansha)
  • The Whale That Lives with the Giraffe (co-translated, Kodansha)
  • The Flying Classroom (new translation, co-translated)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
A voice attuned to young readersLyrical yet realistic descriptionsClear, accessible prose for children
Recurring Motifs
childhoodjourney and foreign landsfriendship and growthmusic and landscape depiction

Legacy

A long-active writer in YA and children's literature who has also engaged in translation and teaching. Living in Germany since the mid-1990s, his work often reflects international settings. Notable works include Peter the Wolf.

Academic Societies

  • Japanese PEN Club
  • Japan YA Writers Club
  • JBBY

Archives

  • National Diet Library (holdings)
  • Listed in international authority databases (VIAF, ISNI, etc.)

In Popular Culture

  • Stage and reading-play adaptations of Starry Sky Rock

Trivia

  • His wife is translator Sakae Kimoto.
  • His elder brother is music critic Tsutomu Nasuda; his father is children's author Minoru Nasuda, founder of Hikuma Publishing.
  • Resident of Berlin since around 1995.