Nihon Essayist Club Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 30 (1982) award
Emiko Okada
おかだ えみこ
Okada Emiko
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1932-03-29 （Tokyo）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese, Persian
- Residence History
- Tokyo → Tehran, Iran
Career
- Occupations
- Persian literature scholar, University professor, Translator, Researcher
- Active Years
- 1955-2001
- Affiliations
- Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Chuo University (Visiting professor / Faculty of Policy Studies), Japan-Iran Cultural Exchange Association (Chair)
- Influenced By
- Ferdowsi, Nizami, Omar Khayyam
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Gakugei University | Japanese Language Faculty | — | 学士 | 1951-1955 | Japan |
| University of Tehran | Faculty of Literature (Doctoral program) | — | 博士（文学） | 1963-1967 | Iran |
Tokyo Gakugei University
Japanese Language Faculty
Degree:
学士
Period:
1951-1955
Year of Graduation:
1955
Country:
Japan
Worked as a junior-high school Japanese teacher before studying abroad
University of Tehran
Faculty of Literature (Doctoral program)
Degree:
博士（文学）
Period:
1963-1967
Year of Graduation:
1967
Country:
Iran
One of the earliest Japanese to complete the doctoral program in literature at the University of Tehran
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Japan Essayist Club Award | The Heart of Iranians | — | Japan Essayist Club | 受賞 |
Japan Essayist Club Award
1982
Work:
The Heart of Iranians
Organization:
Japan Essayist Club
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Heart of Iranians
1981 Essay / Cultural studiesAn essay collection introducing Iranian culture, customs, and mentality to Japanese readers, combining on-site observations with explanations of history and mythology.
Iranian culturecultural comparisondaily life
Basic Persian Vocabulary: Persian→Japanese
1976 Language referenceA basic vocabulary collection for learners of Persian, an applied word list edited by the Japan-Iran Association.
language educationPersian language
Persian Myths: The Struggle of Light and Darkness
1982 Folklore / MythologyAn accessible introduction to Persian myths and traditions, presenting them around the central theme of the struggle between light and darkness.
mythologyfolklorelight and darkness
Our Neighbour Iranians
1998 Cultural reportage / EssaysEssays and reportage on the connections between Japan and Iran and mutual understanding between the peoples of both countries.
Japan-Iran exchangecultural understanding
Iran, the Land of Words, and Me: The World's Most Talkative People
2019 Essay / Cultural commentaryA late-career essay collection on Iran, portraying people's characters through language and conversational culture.
language cultureconversationcharacter portrayal
Bibliography
- Basic Persian Vocabulary: Persian→Japanese (1976)
- Japanese-Persian Basic Vocabulary (1977, new edition 1993)
- Easy Persian: Conversation (1978)
- The Heart of Iranians (1981, expanded edition 2020)
- Persian Myths: The Struggle of Light and Darkness (1982, revised 2023)
- Our Neighbour Iranians (1998)
- Iran, the Land of Words, and Me: The World's Most Talkative People (2019)
Translations by Author
- Khosrow and Shirin (Nizami) — Toyo Bunko edition (1977)
- Layla and Majnun (Nizami) — Toyo Bunko edition (1981)
- Shahnameh (Ferdowsi) — Iwanami Bunko edition (1999)
- Rubaiyat (Omar Khayyam) — Heibonsha Library edition (2005)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- scholarly yet accessible narrationexplanatory style combining field observation and textual research
- Recurring Motifs
- Iranian daily life and customsre-examination of myths and traditionslanguage and conversational culture
Legacy
Regarded as a pioneer of Persian (Iranian) studies and cultural exchange in Japan. Made significant contributions to introducing Persian literature and Iranian culture through translation, research, and teaching.
Academic Societies
- Japan-Iran Cultural Exchange Association
Archives
- Tokyo University of Foreign Studies Library (holds related materials)
Trivia
- One of the earliest Japanese to obtain a doctoral degree in literature from the University of Tehran.
- Won the Japan Essayist Club Award for 'The Heart of Iranians'.
- Known for photographs taken at the University of Tehran.
- Her husband is noted as Naotsugu Okada, a French literature scholar (limited public information).