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Seiko Tanabe

たなべ せいこ

Tanabe Seiko

Pen Names: Seiko Tanabe (alternative kanji)（Birth name / alternate kanji spelling）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1928-03-27 （Osaka City (Konohana-ku, now Fukushima-ku), Osaka, Japan）
Died
2019-06-06 （Kobe, Hyogo, Japan） age 91
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Osaka → Itami, Hyogo → Kobe, Hyogo

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Essayist
Active Years
1956-2018
Influenced By
Yasunari Kawabata, Kobayashi Issa

Education

Shōin Women's College (now Osaka Shoin Women's University)
Japanese Literature / Department of Japanese Literature
Degree: 得業士
Country: Japan
Graduated from a former-system women's vocational college

Awards

Osaka Citizens' Literary Award
1956
Work: Niji (Rainbow)
Organization: City of Osaka
Result: 受賞
Akutagawa Prize
1964
Work: Sentimental Journey
Organization: Bungeishunjū
Result: 受賞
Women's Literary Award
1987
Work: Hanagoromo... My Love for Sugita Hisako
Result: 受賞
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Award
1993
Work: Hinekure Issa
Result: 受賞
Kikuchi Kan Prize
1994
Result: 受賞
Izumi Kyōka Literary Prize
1998
Work: Since Parting in Dotonbori Rain: Senryū Poet Kishimoto Suifu and His Era
Result: 受賞
Yomiuri Literary Prize
1999
Work: Since Parting in Dotonbori Rain: Senryū Poet Kishimoto Suifu and His Era
Category: 評論・伝記賞
Organization: Yomiuri Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Rennyo Prize
2003
Work: Ubazukari no Hana no Tabigasa
Result: 受賞
Asahi Prize
2007
Organization: Asahi Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Medal with Purple Ribbon
1995
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 受章
Person of Cultural Merit
2000
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 選出
Order of Culture
2008
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 受章
Junior Third Rank
2019
Organization: Government of Japan (posthumous honor)
Result: 叙位（没時）

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Hanagari

1958 Novel

Debut novel exploring daily life and interpersonal relationships with delicate observation.

lovefamily

Sentimental Journey

1964 Short story collection

A representative short story collection containing pieces that portray love and life from the perspective of young women.

loveOsaka local lifefemale perspective

New Genji Monogatari

1978 Historical / Classic adaptation

A modern reinterpretation of the Tale of Genji incorporating its essence into a serial novel.

reinterpretation of classicslove and human relationships
Adaptations
  • [Stage (Takarazuka Revue)] New Genji Monogatari (Takarazuka stage adaptation) (1981)

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish

1984 Short story

A poignant short story about the love between a young couple; later adapted into film.

lovedisability and coexistencecoming of age
Adaptations
  • [Film] Josee, the Tiger and the Fish (live-action film) / 犬童一心 (Isshin Inudo) (2003)

Hinekure Issa

1992 Biography / Historical novel

A biographical novel centered on haiku poet Kobayashi Issa; winner of the Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Award.

biographyhaikai poetryhuman drama

Bibliography

  • Hanagari
  • Sentimental Journey
  • New Genji Monogatari
  • Josee, the Tiger and the Fish
  • Hinekure Issa
  • Ubazukari
  • It's Tough... My Earthquake Record
  • Seiko Tanabe Complete Works (Collected Editions)

Adaptations

  • Imo Tako Nankin (NHK Asadora TV drama, 2006)
  • Josee, the Tiger and the Fish (film, 2003)
  • Stage adaptations by Takarazuka Revue (e.g. Mai e Mai Katatsumuri, Hayabetaōji no Hanran)

Translations by Author

  • Mai e Mai Katatsumuri (adaptation of Otokubomono)
  • New Genji Monogatari (classic adaptation)
  • Taketori Monogatari / Ise Monogatari (classical adaptations)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Witty, approachable prose often infused with Kansai dialectA gentle narrative voice informed by knowledge of classical literature
Recurring Motifs
lovefood culture and everyday scenesfemale perspectivequotations and reinterpretations of classical literature

Health

  • Cholangitis due to choledocholithiasis
    2019
    Hospitalized after complication and died in 2019

Legacy

She won a wide readership through an approachable Kansai-inflected style and deep affection for classical literature, receiving numerous awards and honors. Her essays, adaptations of classics and works adapted for stage and screen have had a broad impact on popular culture.

Museums

  • Seiko Tanabe Literary Museum Osaka Shoin Women's University, Kosaka Campus Library, Osaka, Japan Opened in 2007

Archives

  • Osaka Shoin Women's University Library (Seiko Tanabe related materials)

In Popular Culture

  • NHK Asadora 'Imo Tako Nankin' (2006)
  • Stage reading 'The World of Seiko Tanabe' (2009)

Quotes

  • I would have preferred the Naoki Prize.
    Source: Paraphrase from a later interview

Trivia

  • Avid collector of Snoopy goods
  • Fan of Takarazuka Revue; several works were adapted for the stage
  • Lived in a common-law marriage with Kawano Sumio for 36 years
  • Participated in Awa Odori dance