Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Oikawa Kazuo

おいかわ かずお

Oikawa Kazuo

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1933-10-13 （Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan）
Died
2019-03-10 （Hospital in Ōshū, Iwate, Japan） age 85
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Ikebukuro, Tokyo (birthplace) → Hinohara Village, Minamiaizu District, Fukushima Prefecture (evacuated) → Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture (from 1946)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Novelist, Children's writer, Non-fiction writer
Active Years
1971-2019
Affiliations
Iwate Shokusan Bank (later Iwate Bank), Ichinoseki City Library (Honorary Director)
Memberships
Japan Writers' Association, Japan PEN Club, Japan Association of Children's Literature, Shimazaki Toson Study Society, Japan Democratic Literary Alliance (member 1970–1987; later resigned)
Influenced By
Hikojiro Suzuki

Education

Iwate Prefectural Ichinoseki First High School
Period: 〜1952年
Year of Graduation: 1952
Country: Japan
Joined Iwate Shokusan Bank (later Iwate Bank) after high school and began writing while employed; resigned in 1976 to become a full-time writer.

Awards

Takiji–Yuriko Prize
1975
Work: Becoming a Deep Current
Result: 受賞
National Reading Reflections Contest (selected book)
1993
Work: The Forest Is Calling
Category: 小学校高学年課題図書
Organization: National School Library Association (Japan)
Result: 選定
Farmer Culture Award
1994
Work: A Man Who Lived for Rice: Fujihara Nagasaku
Result: 受賞
Ichinoseki City Cultural Award
1995
Organization: Ichinoseki City
Result: 受賞
Northern Children's Literature Prize
1999
Work: We'll Take Any Consultation
Result: 受賞
National Reading Reflections Contest (selected book)
2003
Work: Life Can Be Seen
Category: 小学校低学年課題図書
Organization: National School Library Association (Japan)
Result: 選定
Inochi no Tomoshibi Culture Award
2010
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Becoming a Deep Current

1974 Novel

A novel serialized in the magazine 'Minshu Bungaku' depicting human relationships centered on local communities and labor; recipient of the Takiji–Yuriko Prize.

local communitylaborhuman relations

Hina Dolls

1971 Short story

A short story published in 'Minshu Bungaku' that marked the beginning of Oikawa's literary career.

familypostwar life

When the Forest Moves

1977 Essay/Serial

A collection of articles serialized in the Nikkei newspaper, reflecting on regional conditions and nature.

natureregional life

Muracho Ariki (later retitled 'The Man Who Turned Resignation into Hope')

1984 Non-fiction/Biography

A non-fiction biography of Fukasawa Masao, who built the medical system in Sawauchi Village; adapted for NHK, stage, and film.

community healthcarelocal governancehuman dignity
Adaptations
  • [Television] NHK broadcast ('Muracho Ariki')
  • [Stage] Burning Snow
  • [Film] Life's Mountains and Rivers

A Man Who Lived for Rice: Fujihara Nagasaku

1993 Non-fiction

A non-fiction account of Fujihara Nagasaku, a lifelong rice producer; adapted into a Sino-Japanese co-produced TV drama.

agricultureJapan–China relationslocal communities
Adaptations
  • [Television] Northern Rice (1993)

We'll Take Any Consultation

1998 Children's literature

A children's book addressing everyday worries and consultations; received the Northern Children's Literature Prize.

advicechildrencommunity

Life Can Be Seen

2002 Picture book/Children's literature

A picture book for young children; selected for the 2003 National Reading Reflections Contest for lower elementary school students.

lifeempathy

Bibliography

  • Becoming a Deep Current
  • Hina Dolls
  • When the Forest Moves
  • Lived and Loved
  • Small Family
  • Teachers Opening the Wilderness: Striving for Zero Delinquency and Dropouts at Mizusawa First High
  • River of Hope
  • Muracho Ariki (later retitled)
  • Spring Shore
  • Life Village Mayor: The Story of Fukasawa Masao
  • Journey to Young Lives: Original Landscapes of Northern Literature
  • Notes of Wild Grass
  • Warabi-za School Trip
  • Facing Life, Embracing Hope
  • A Long Road to Koshien
  • Ring the Bell and Depart: Midori School Care Record
  • A Nursing Staff's Writing Reader
  • Mother is a Nurse
  • Phantom Play Ball
  • I Want a Good Birth
  • Ihatov Correspondence
  • The Forest Is Calling
  • A Man Who Lived for Rice: Fujihara Nagasaku
  • Come Again, Mac
  • Hometown of the White Forest
  • Teru, I'm Sorry
  • We'll Take Any Consultation
  • Sukeko Sato: Toson's Eternal Lover
  • Mystery of the Amber Tears
  • Life Can Be Seen
  • Facing Life, Stirring the Heart: A Study of 'Life Village Mayor' Fukasawa Masao
  • The Wind of Zashikibokko
  • Hamando's Forest 2011
  • Bell of the Heart: Scenes of Literature
  • Boshin Phantoms: Miyuki Women's Oral Legends

Adaptations

  • Muracho Ariki — NHK broadcast / stage 'Burning Snow' / film 'Life's Mountains and Rivers'
  • A Man Who Lived for Rice — Sino-Japanese TV drama 'Northern Rice'

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Regional realism rooted in local communitiesResearch-based, non-fictional narrative styleGentle narrative voice for children's literature
Recurring Motifs
rural life and rice cultivationhealthcare and communityforests and nature

Health

  • Multiple organ failure
    2019年3月（逝去）
    Died of multiple organ failure on 10 March 2019 at age 85.

Legacy

Recognized for portraying the realities of Iwate and local communities through region-focused fiction and non-fiction. Also known for contributions to children's literature, local cultural promotion, and library activities.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Writers' Association
  • Japan PEN Club
  • Japan Association of Children's Literature
  • Shimazaki Toson Study Society

Archives

  • Holdings of Ichinoseki City Library

In Popular Culture

  • Media adaptations including NHK broadcasts, stage production by Gekidan Dora, and film adaptations.

Trivia

  • Started his literary career while working at Iwate Shokusan Bank (later Iwate Bank).
  • Evacuated to Hinohara Village after the Tokyo air raids; his evacuation experience and life in Ichinoseki informed much of his work.
  • Served as honorary director of Ichinoseki City Library.