Japanese Literary Awards

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Naoko Okada

おかだ なおこ

Okada Naoko

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1961-01-01 （Tokyo, Japan）
Died
2025-02-05 age 64
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Tokyo, Japan

Career

Occupations
Children's literature author
Active Years
1991-2025

Education

Tokyo Metropolitan Komyo Special School
Country: Japan
Tokyo Metropolitan Fukazawa High School
Country: Japan
Japan Children's Literature Association — Children's Literature School / Creative Workshop
Country: Japan
Completed courses run by the Japan Children's Literature Association

Awards

Noma Children's Literature Newcomer Award (30th)
1991
Work: Kaoring
Result: 受賞
Japan Children's Literature Association Award (43rd)
2002
Work: Walking the Road with Hinako-chan
Organization: Japan Children's Literature Association
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Kaoring

1991 Children's literature

A young-adult novel published in 1991 as her debut, exploring friendship and self-discovery.

coming-of-agefriendshipidentity

Midsummer Scene

1993 Children's literature / Young adult

A collection of short and mid-length pieces set in summer, sensitively portraying adolescent feelings.

adolescenceseasonal atmosphere

Futarikko

1994 Children's literature

A children's book with picture-book elements, dealing with family and sibling relationships.

familysiblings

The Shooting Star I Wrote in My Notebook

1996 Children's literature

A children's work chronicling small discoveries and dreams in everyday life.

dreamseveryday life

The Day I Become Naoko

1998 Children's literature

A children's literature piece reflecting on self-acceptance and identity.

self-acceptancegrowth

Slowly, Slowly

2001 Kamishibai (barrier-free picture-story show)

A barrier-free kamishibai for inclusive audiences; the author wrote the script and it is designed with visual accessibility in mind.

inclusionaccessibility
Adaptations
  • [Kamishibai] Slowly, Slowly (kamishibai) (2001)

Walking the Road with Hinako-chan

2002 Children's literature

Portrays coexistence and the walk of daily life through characters including a protagonist with a disability.

coexistencedisability awarenesseveryday life

Someday

2007 Children's literature

A work themed around hope for the future and small wishes.

hopefuture

Konatsu-chan @ Fansite: The Mysterious Marmalade

2009 Children's literature

Depicts children interacting through the internet in a contemporary setting.

internetfriendship

Birthstone Is the Moonstone

2009 Children's literature

A children's story using a symbolic gemstone as a motif.

symbolismgrowth

Bibliography

  • Kaoring
  • Midsummer Scene
  • Futarikko
  • The Shooting Star I Wrote in My Notebook
  • The Day I Become Naoko
  • We Are J2 Special!
  • Slowly, Slowly
  • Walking the Road with Hinako-chan
  • Someday
  • Konatsu-chan @ Fansite: The Mysterious Marmalade
  • Birthstone Is the Moonstone

Adaptations

  • Slowly, Slowly (kamishibai, barrier-free)

Translations by Author

  • My Sister and Me (co-translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
gentle and accessible prosenarration sympathetic to a child's perspective
Recurring Motifs
disability and coexistencedetailed depictions of everyday lifefriendship and growth

Health

  • Cerebral palsy
    Causes impairment of limbs and trunk; physical limitations have influenced her perspective and thematic concerns in writing.

Legacy

Left works in children's literature addressing disability and coexistence; her perspective as a writer with a disability has been recognized.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Children's Literature Association

Trivia

  • A children's literature author from Tokyo living with cerebral palsy affecting limbs and trunk.
  • Won the Noma Children's Literature Newcomer Award in 1991 for 'Kaoring'.
  • Won the Japan Children's Literature Association Award in 2002 for 'Walking the Road with Hinako-chan'.