Sankei Children’s Publishing Culture Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 8 (1961) award
Nankichi Niimi
にいみ なんきち
Niimi Nankichi
Aliases:
新美 正八
Pen Names:
Nankichi（Pen name used for children's songs and stories）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1913-07-30 （Yanabe (Handa), Aichi, Japan）
- Died
- 1943-03-22 （Handa, Aichi, Japan） age 29
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Religion
- Buddhism
- Residence History
- Handa, Aichi Prefecture (birthplace and lifelong base) → Tokyo (studied at Tokyo Foreign Language School; period in Tokyo) → Anjo, Aichi Prefecture (worked as a teacher)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Teacher
- Active Years
- 1931-1943
- Influenced By
- Hakushu Kitahara, Kenji Miyazawa
- Influenced
- Japanese children's authors
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Foreign Language School (old system) | English Department (Literature) | Literature | — | 1932-1936 | Japan |
| Aichi Prefectural Handa Middle School (old system) | — | — | — | 1926-1931 | Japan |
Tokyo Foreign Language School (old system)
English Department (Literature)
/ Literature
Period:
1932-1936
Year of Graduation:
1936
Country:
Japan
Old-system Tokyo Foreign Language School. Studied English.
Aichi Prefectural Handa Middle School (old system)
Period:
1926-1931
Year of Graduation:
1931
Country:
Japan
Began creative writing during middle school.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Honorary Citizen of Handa | — | — | Handa City | 受賞 |
Honorary Citizen of Handa
Organization:
Handa City
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Gon, the Little Fox
1932 Children's storyThe representative tale of an impish young fox named Gon; themes of misunderstanding, atonement and poignant sorrow.
misunderstandingatonementnostalgia
Adaptations
- [Animation] Gon, the Little Fox (animation)
Translations
- Gon, the Little Fox
The Sadness of a Snail
1935 Children's song / Story (katakana stories)One of the katakana children's stories; anthropomorphic perspective depicting the sadness of a small creature.
personificationlonelinesspathos
The Old Man's Lamp
1942 Children's storyTitle story of a collection; contains short tales that portray everyday life and feelings in a simple narrative voice.
humanitylocality
The Camellia Tree to Which the Cow Was Tied
1943 Children's storyA story in a collection portraying rural scenes and children's feelings with delicacy.
rural lifechildrengrowing up
Buying a Pair of Gloves
1943 Children's storyA short story that portrays human warmth and loss through events in a poor household.
povertycompassion
Bibliography
- Mado (Window) — children's song, 1931
- Gon, the Little Fox — children's story, 1932
- Dendenmushi no Kanashimi — 1935
- Ryokan Monogatari: Temari to Hachinoko — 1941
- The Old Man's Lamp — story collection, 1942
- The Camellia Tree to Which the Cow Was Tied — story collection, 1943
- The Flower-Tree Village and the Thieves — story collection, 1943
Adaptations
- Gon, the Little Fox (frequently adapted as animation, stage plays, and school materials)
Translations of Works
- Gon, the Little Fox — English translation
- Buying a Pair of Gloves — English translation
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- simple narrative voiceemotional and lyrical expressionstrong local color in descriptions
- Recurring Motifs
- children and boysanimals (especially foxes)rural landscapes and nostalgia
Health
-
Tuberculosis1934-1943Long-term illness limiting creative activity and premature death at age 29
Legacy
Although his output was limited by early death, works such as Gon, the Little Fox have been included in elementary school textbooks and led to a museum and commemorative events in Handa; his influence on postwar Japanese children's literature is considerable.
Museums
- Nankichi Niimi Memorial Museum Yanabe Nishi-machi, Handa, Aichi, Japan
Academic Societies
- Nankichi Niimi Study Group
Archives
- Nankichi Niimi Memorial Museum (holds manuscripts, diaries, letters)
In Popular Culture
- Frequently included in elementary school language textbooks and school plays
- 'Gon, the Little Fox' has been adapted into animation and educational materials
Quotes
-
I threw a pebble toward the pond. I wanted to see the ripples spread wide before I died, and it is very regrettable to die without seeing that through.
Source: Words spoken while ill (1943) (1943)
Trivia
- The anniversary of his death on March 22 is called 'Kaigaki' and events are held at the memorial museum
- 'Gon, the Little Fox' has been repeatedly included in elementary school language textbooks
- He was not prolific during his lifetime, but his works were promoted and became widely known after his death