Japanese Literary Awards

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Yoko Sano

さの ようこ

Sano Yōko

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1938-06-28 （Beiping (now Beijing), Republic of China）
Died
2010-11-05 （Hospital in Tokyo, Japan） age 72
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Beiping (now Beijing), China → Dalian, China → Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan (repatriated) → Shizuoka City, Japan → Shimizu (now Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka), Japan → Kita-Karuizawa, Japan → Tokyo, Japan

Career

Occupations
Picture-book author, Essayist, Scriptwriter, Translator, Illustrator
Active Years
1962-2010

Education

Musashino Art University
Department of Design / Design
Period: 1958-1962
Year of Graduation: 1962
Country: Japan
Berlin Art Institution (short-term study)
Lithography studies / Printmaking / Lithography
Period: 1966-1967
Country: Germany
Short-term (about half-year) study; no formal degree recorded

Awards

Kodansha Publishing Culture Award (Picture-book)
1977
Work: My Hat
Category: 絵本賞
Organization: Kodansha
Result: 受賞
Niimi Nankichi Children's Literature Prize
1983
Work: When I Was a Younger Sister
Organization: Niimi Nankichi Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award
1988
Work: I Am Here
Organization: Sankei Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Japan Picture Book Award (Translation)
2000
Work: Hello, Red Fox! (translation of Eric Carle)
Category: 翻訳賞
Organization: Japan Picture Book Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Japan Picture Book Award
2002
Work: Hey, Dad
Organization: Japan Picture Book Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Shogakukan Children's Publication Culture Award
2002
Work: Hey, Dad
Organization: Shogakukan
Result: 受賞
Purple Ribbon Medal
2003
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 受章
Kobayashi Hideo Award
2004
Work: There Are Neither Gods Nor Buddhas
Organization: Kobayashi Hideo Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Iwaya Sazanami Literary Award
2008
Organization: Iwaya Sazanami Award Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Cat That Lived a Million Times

1977 Picture book 32 pages

A lyrical picture book about a cat that lives and dies a million times until it finally learns about true love and death. Simple text and striking illustrations have made it a long-selling classic.

life and deathloverebirthcats
Adaptations
  • [Documentary film (about the author and the book)] Documentary: The Cat That Lived a Million Times / 不詳 (2012)
Translations
  • The Cat That Lived a Million Times (English translation)

Bibliography

  • The Goat's Move
  • Suu-chan and the Cat
  • The Man's Umbrella
  • My Hat
  • The Cat That Lived a Million Times
  • My Cats, Forgive Me
  • When I Was a Younger Sister
  • The Right Heart
  • There Are Neither Gods Nor Buddhas
  • Ready to Die (title posthumous essay collection)

Adaptations

  • Documentary film 'The Cat That Lived a Million Times' (2012)
  • NHK programme 'Yoko-san's Words' (series introducing her essays)

Translations by Author

  • Hello, Red Fox! (translation of Eric Carle)

Translations of Works

  • The Cat That Lived a Million Times (Japanese original translated into English)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Concise prose that uses whitespace and integrates text with illustrationA voice combining humor and wistfulness
Recurring Motifs
catsfamilydeath and rebirthmemory and loneliness

Health

  • Breast cancer
    2004-2010
    Mastectomy, bone metastasis, prognosis disclosed (she wrote about her illness in essays)

Legacy

A beloved author of picture books and essays, best known for 'The Cat That Lived a Million Times'. She left a lasting influence in children's literature and essays; her works have been adapted and translated, gaining international recognition.

In Popular Culture

  • Documentary 'The Cat That Lived a Million Times' (2012)
  • NHK program 'Yoko-san's Words' (2014 broadcast)

Quotes

  • The cat lived one million times.
    Source: The Cat That Lived a Million Times (1977)

Trivia

  • Born in Beiping (now Beijing) and repatriated to Japan after the war.
  • Was married to poet Shuntaro Tanikawa (1990–1996).
  • By 2009 she had about 173 works to her name.