Japanese Literary Awards

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Kakuko Sasaki

ささき かくこ

Sasaki Kakuko

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1939-01-16 （Kobe, Hyōgo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
children's literature author
Active Years
1970-
Affiliations
Japan Association of Children's Literature
Memberships
Japan Association of Children's Literature
Influenced By
Hideo Seki, Makoto Oishi
Influenced
Yumi Ishii, Junko Miyauchi

Education

Okayama University
Faculty of Education
Country: Japan

Awards

Child Welfare Culture Award (Encouragement Prize)
1973
Work: Tabi-Shibai no Kurukoro
Result: winner
Japan Fairy Tale Association Prize
1983
Work: Tomorrow Will Be Rain
Organization: Japan Fairy Tale Association
Result: winner
Japan Association of Children's Literature Award
1983
Work: Classmates
Organization: Japan Association of Children's Literature
Result: winner
Niimi Nankichi Children's Literature Prize
1983
Work: Classmates
Result: winner
Shogakukan Literature Prize
1988
Work: Vanishes on a Moonlit Night
Organization: Shogakukan
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Tabi-Shibai no Kurukoro

1973 children's literature

A novel based on evacuation experience depicting resilient children and the warmth of community; a lengthened work based on the author's early short piece.

evacuationcommunitycoming of age

Tomorrow Will Be Rain

1983 children's literature

A collection of short stories sensitively portraying children's lives and emotions; critically acclaimed and awarded the Japan Fairy Tale Association Prize.

everyday discoverieschild psychology

Classmates

1983 children's literature

Stories about school and friendships that explore bonds and conflicts; recipient of the Japan Association of Children's Literature Award.

friendshipschool life

Take It Easy — Kickoff

1985 children's literature

A lighthearted work depicting children's everyday life with humorous narration.

humoreveryday life

Vanishes on a Moonlit Night

1988 ghost stories (for children)

A collection of ghost stories for children mixing fright and humor; awarded the Shogakukan Literature Prize.

ghost storiesfear and humor

Landscapes of Peace in Children's Literature

2006 criticism / essays

An essay collection discussing representations of peace in children's literature, focusing on children exposed to war and violence.

peacememory of warchildren's literature studies

Bibliography

  • Tabi-Shibai no Kurukoro
  • We Always Meet in the Evening
  • You Can Get Good Grades Without Studying
  • Tomorrow Will Be Rain
  • Classmates
  • Take It Easy — Kickoff
  • Three Acorns, Knock and Pop
  • Vanishes on a Moonlit Night
  • The Neighbor Yu-chan
  • Landscapes of Peace in Children's Literature

Style & Themes

Literary Style
warm, humorous narrative voicecombination of realistic depiction with occasional fantastical elementsdetailed psychological portrayal from a child's perspective
Recurring Motifs
evacuation and the shadow of warchildren's independence and communityhumorfamiliar animals such as cats

Legacy

Known for works drawing on wartime evacuation experiences, as well as humorous ghost stories and everyday tales for children. She has contributed to mentoring younger writers and to criticism, earning long-standing recognition in the children's literature field.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Association of Children's Literature

Archives

  • National Diet Library (Japan)

Trivia

  • Born January 16, 1939 in Kobe, Hyōgo.
  • Graduated from the Faculty of Education, Okayama University.
  • Member of the Japan Association of Children's Literature.
  • Her husband is education and social clinical scholar Ken Sasaki.