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Edition 11 (2005) nominee
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Edition 15 (2009) nominee
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Edition 17 (2011) nominee
Reiko Morota
もろた れいこ
Morota Reiko
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1954-03-07 (Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan)
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Shizuoka City → Tokyo
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Translator, Novelization writer, Former freelance announcer
- Active Years
- 1996-
- Nominations
- Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award nominee (2000, '誰そ彼れ心中'), Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize nominee (2000, '幽恋舟'), Naoki Prize nominee (2002, 'あくじゃれ瓢六'), Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award nominee (2002, '笠雲'), Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize nominee (2002, '源内狂恋'), Nakayama Yoshihide Literary Prize nominee (2003, '犬吉'), Nakayama Yoshihide Literary Prize nominee (2005, '山流し、さればこそ')
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty of Letters, Sophia University | Faculty of Letters | Department of English Literature | 学士(文学) | — | Japan |
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award | — | — | — | 候補 |
| 2000 | Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize | — | — | — | 候補 |
| 2002 | Naoki Prize | — | — | — | 候補 |
| 2002 | Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award | — | — | — | 候補 |
| 2002 | Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize | — | — | — | 候補 |
| 2003 | Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| 2003 | Nakayama Yoshihide Literary Prize | — | — | — | 候補 |
| 2005 | Nakayama Yoshihide Literary Prize | — | — | — | 候補 |
| 2007 | Nitta Jirō Literary Award | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| 2009 | Nakayama Yoshihide Literary Prize | — | — | — | 候補 |
| 2011 | Nakayama Yoshihide Literary Prize | — | — | — | 候補 |
| 2012 | Historical Period Fiction Writers Club Award (Work Award) | — | 作品賞 | — | 受賞 |
| 2013 | Booksellers' Choice Period Novel Award | — | — | — | 候補 |
| 2018 | Shinran Prize | — | — | — | 受賞 |
Awards & Nominations
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Edition 26 (2007) award
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Edition 1 (2012) award
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Edition 10 (2018) award
Works
Major Works
Genwaku
1996 Short story collectionDebut short story collection by Reiko Morota, containing a number of short works that mark her literary debut.
Otorimi Nyōbō
2001 Period novel (jidaigeki)First entry in a series set in the Edo period, portraying daily life and relationships from a woman's perspective.
Akujare Hyōroku
2001 Period detective novelA period detective novel in the classic 'torimono' style, following investigations and life among swordsmen and townspeople.
Tennyo-yu Oren
2005 Period novelA retitled work from a serialized piece, centered on a public bathhouse and the ensemble of people who gather there.
Sono Ichinichi
2002 Short story collectionA collection of short stories that includes the work for which she received the Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award in 2003.
The Forty-Eighth Loyal Retainer
2011 Historical novelA historical novel based on the Chūshingura story, depicting the dramas of figures around the incident with careful historical research.
Kanpu ni Arazu
2006 Historical novelA historical novel that reconsiders women's lives and societal judgments; recipient of the Nitta Jirō Literary Award in 2007.
Imahitotabi no, Izumi Shikibu
2017 Historical/biographical novelA historical novel about the Heian-period poet Izumi Shikibu, focusing on psychological portraiture; awarded the Shinran Prize.
Bibliography
- Genwaku
- Karakuri Midarechō
- Mayakashi Sōshi
- Karakkaze
- Shakunren
- Oni Azami
- Hyōsō
- At Horai Bridge
- Kasagumo
- Higemaro
- Sono Ichinichi
- Inukichi
- Adabana
- Keiko
- Kanpu ni Arazu
- Seiran
- Koinui
- Kirikiri Mai
- The Forty-Eighth Loyal Retainer
- Imahitotabi no, Izumi Shikibu
- Tozan Daimyō
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Narration based on meticulous historical researchDepictions that empathize with women's inner livesA voice that alternates between short stories and long-form novels
- Recurring Motifs
- Women's lives and social evaluationLoyalty and human sympathyConflicts hidden in everyday life
Legacy
Reiko Morota, a Sophia University graduate, is known as a writer of historical period novels that emphasize women's perspectives. She has received awards such as the Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award, the Nitta Jirō Literary Award, the Historical Period Fiction Writers Club Award and the Shinran Prize, earning steady recognition in contemporary historical fiction.
Trivia
- Her father was the poet Masaichi Morota.
- She debuted as a novelist in 1996 with the short story collection 'Genwaku'.
- After graduating from Sophia University (Department of English), she worked as a freelance announcer and at a cosmetics company before becoming a novelist and translator.
- She has multiple award wins and nominations and is known for works in the jidaigeki and historical novel genres.
- She serialized 'Tozan Daimyō' in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun from 2024 to 2025 (through March 2025).