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Saburo Nishiki

にしき さぶろう

Nishiki Saburō

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1914-01-01 （Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan）
Died
1997-05-08 （Yamagata Prefecture, Japan） age 83
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Yamagata City → Nanyo City

Career

Occupations
essayist, tanka poet, arachnologist (spider researcher), elementary school teacher
Active Years
1929-1997
Affiliations
Araragi (tanka group/magazine), Japanese Arachnological Society, Sanroku (tanka association)
Memberships
Japanese Arachnological Society, Araragi
Influenced By
Yuki Aisōka

Education

Yamagata Normal School
Period: 〜1936
Year of Graduation: 1936
Country: Japan
Became an elementary school teacher after graduation

Awards

Japan Essayists' Club Prize
1964
Work: Hundred Forms of Spiders
Organization: Japan Essayists' Club
Result: 受賞
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award
1975
Work: The Spider That Flies
Organization: Sankei Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Ministry of Health and Welfare Children's Welfare Cultural Encouragement Award
1975
Organization: Ministry of Health and Welfare (Japan)
Result: 受賞
Junior Non-Fiction Literature Award
1975
Organization: (organizer unknown)
Result: 受賞
Saitō Mokichi Culture Award
1975
Organization: Saitō Mokichi Memorial Association
Result: 受賞
NHK Tohoku Furusato Award
1992
Organization: NHK
Result: 受賞
Minister of Education Award
1992
Organization: Ministry of Education (Japan)
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Flying Spiders

1972 natural science / essays

An essayistic study combining observations and reflections on spider ecology and ballooning behavior.

spidersnatural observationecology

The Spider That Flies

1974 children's book / natural science

A children's non-fiction book explaining spider ballooning and ecology in an accessible way.

children's sciencespiderseducation

Spider Superpowers

1986 natural science / popular science

A popular-science book explaining spiders' remarkable abilities and behaviors.

spider ecologyphysiologybehavioral biology

Collected Works of Nishiki Saburō: The Silver Age

1989 essays / tanka collection

A volume collecting essays and tanka poems.

essaystankalocal life

Collected Works of Nishiki Saburō: The Bronze Age

1993 essays / tanka collection

A later collection of essays and tanka poems.

essaystanka

Floating Insects

1996 natural science

A book summarizing floating phenomena of insects and small animals' airborne movements.

insectsballooningnatural observation

Bibliography

  • Flying Spiders (1972)
  • The Spider That Flies (1974)
  • Spider Superpowers (1986)
  • Collected Works: The Silver Age (1989)
  • Collected Works: The Bronze Age (1993)
  • Floating Insects (1996)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
observational, accessible essaystraditional tanka style
Recurring Motifs
spidersinsectsnature and local life

Legacy

An essayist and tanka poet who popularized spider ballooning and contributed to natural observation and children's science education. He was active in local cultural promotion in Nanyo.

Academic Societies

  • Japanese Arachnological Society
  • Araragi (tanka group)

Archives

  • Nanyo City historical compilation archives

Trivia

  • Known for research on spider ballooning.
  • Served as president of the Nanyo City Arts and Culture Association in 1975.
  • Joined the Japanese Arachnological Society in 1958.