Japanese Literary Awards

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Yasuo Segawa

せがわ やすお

Segawa Yasuo

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1932-04-05 （Okazaki, Aichi, Japan）
Died
2010-02-18 age 77
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Okazaki, Aichi, Japan → Yotsuya, Tokyo, Japan → Kita-Karuizawa, Gunma, Japan → Aoki-mura, Nagano, Japan

Career

Occupations
painter, printmaker, children's book author/illustrator, illustrator
Active Years
1957-2010
Influenced By
Yamamoto Keisen, Teiji Seta, Seiichi Horiuchi

Education

Aichi Prefectural Okazaki Kita High School
Country: Japan
Entered Okazaki Kita High School after school system reform; began painting in the art club.

Awards

BIB (Bratislava) Grand Prix
1967
Work: Taro and the Bamboo Shoot
Organization: BIB (Bratislava International Biennial of Illustrations)
Result: winner
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award (Grand Prize)
1973
Work: Near Kachi-Kachi Mountain
Organization: Sankei Shimbun (Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award)
Result: grand prize
Ehon Nippon Award (Grand Prize)
1987
Work: The Hat
Organization: Ehon Nippon Award Committee
Result: grand prize
Kodansha Publishing Culture Award (Picture Book)
1988
Work: The Hat
Organization: Kodansha
Result: winner
Hans Christian Andersen Award — runner-up (illustrator)
1988
Organization: Hans Christian Andersen Award (IBBY-related)
Result: runner-up
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award (Grand Prize)
1992
Work: Illustrated Heike Monogatari (picture scroll series)
Organization: Sankei Shimbun (Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award)
Result: grand prize
BIB Golden Apple Award
1989
Work: Kiyomori (from Illustrated Heike Monogatari)
Organization: BIB (Bratislava International Biennial of Illustrations)
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Taro and the Bamboo Shoot

1963 Picture book (folk tale adaptation)

A picture-book adaptation of a Chinese folktale; Segawa's dynamic imagery and narrative approach earned it the BIB Grand Prix.

folk talegrowthnature
Adaptations
  • [translation / English edition] Taro and the Bamboo Shoot (1963)
Translations
  • Taro and the Bamboo Shoot (Random House, 1963)

Peek-a-boo

1967 board/picture book for infants

An iconic infant picture book (text by Miyoko Matsutani) using simple imagery and playful composition; a long-selling classic.

infantsvisual playparent-child
Translations
  • Peek-a-Boo (English translation, R.I.C./2006)

The Hat

1983 picture book

One of Segawa's self-authored picture books, employing tempera and varied techniques; it received high domestic acclaim.

everyday lifesymbolic motifs

Illustrated Heike Monogatari (picture scroll series)

1984 picture scroll / illustrated classic

A monumental nine-volume illustrated Heike Monogatari (text by Junji Kinoshita), based on extensive research; it won major awards including the Sankei Grand Prize.

historywar chroniclestradition

Bibliography

  • Shinano Folktales (1957) — illustrations
  • The Fox's Marriage (1960)
  • Tsuki o Iru (1962)
  • Taro and the Bamboo Shoot (1963)
  • Peek-a-boo (1967)
  • The Adventures of Little Black Sambo (1966) — lithograph picture book
  • Two (Futari) (1981)
  • The Hat (1983)
  • Kiyomori (Illustrated Heike Monogatari, 1987)
  • Hina (2004)
  • Hina and the Tengu (2004)

Translations of Works

  • Peek-a-Boo (English translation, R.I.C. Publications, 2006)
  • Smiley Face (English translation, R.I.C. Publications, 2006)
  • Sleepy Time (English translation, R.I.C. Publications, 2006)
  • Taro and the Bamboo Shoot (Random House, 1963)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Delicate line work on washi (classic thin paper) — 'ten-gubyo' techniqueUse of lithograph and tempera alongside other techniquesReworking of folktales and traditional narratives into contemporary picture books
Recurring Motifs
folk tales and traditional storiesanimals (notably rabbits and dogs)nursery rhymes and children's playhistorical themes (e.g. Heike Monogatari)

Health

  • tuberculosis
    1950s（入院・療養）
    Long hospitalization and convalescence in early years; affected life course but he continued to draw during recovery.
  • rectal cancer
    2000年代後半〜2010年（闘病の末2010年に死去）
    Became the cause of death in 2010; affected late-career productivity and health.

Legacy

Yasuo Segawa used techniques across picture books, illustration and printmaking, creating works from infant books to historical picture scrolls. With awards such as the BIB Grand Prix and major domestic prizes, he significantly contributed to the development of children's publishing art.

Museums

  • Aoki Village Local Art Museum (related exhibitions) Aoki-mura, Nagano, Japan

Archives

  • Holdings in the National Diet Library (author records)
  • Authority records (VIAF / ISNI / WorldCat etc.)

Trivia

  • His original family name was Suzuki; he later used the surname Segawa.
  • He created picture books featuring his dog Hina ('Hina' and 'Hina and the Tengu').
  • He acquired a second-hand lithograph press and produced lithograph-based picture books.