Japanese Literary Awards

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Katsushige Shibata

しばた かつも

Shibata Katsushige

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1949 （Shimosone, Hakui, Ishikawa, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Resident of Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan

Career

Occupations
children's author, writer, theater director, lyricist/composer
Active Years
1981-
Affiliations
Japan Children's Literature Association, Japan Society of Children's Literature (Nihon Jidou Bungei-kai), Japan PEN Club
Memberships
Japan Children's Literature Association, Japan Society of Children's Literature, Japan PEN Club

Education

Ishikawa Prefectural Hakui High School
Country: Japan

Awards

Jidō Bungei Newcomer Award (13th)
1984
Work: Journey Wandering Toward the Rainbow
Organization: Japan Society of Children's Literature
Result: winner
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award (38th)
1991
Work: Home Is Summer
Organization: Sankei Shimbun
Result: winner
Japan Society of Children's Literature Award (30th)
2006
Work: Seeds of Truth, Seeds of Lies
Organization: Japan Society of Children's Literature
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Tales of the Dome County

1981 fantasy

A high-fantasy long novel and the author's debut, set in an original regional setting.

fantasyadventurecoming-of-age

Journey Wandering Toward the Rainbow

1983 children's literature / fantasy

An early long fantasy novel for young readers describing a poetic, fantastic journey.

journeyfriendshipfantasy

Home Is Summer

1990 children's literature

A nostalgic coming-of-age story set in summer. Recipient of the Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award.

nostalgiagrowing upsummer

Seeds of Truth, Seeds of Lies

2005 children's literature / fantasy

Part three of the Dome County series. Contains allegorical elements about truth and falsehood.

truth and liesallegoryadventure

Our Summer Camp

2008 children's literature

Based on the author's experience directing summer camps; depicts camp experiences and friendships.

campfriendshipcoming-of-age

Bibliography

  • Tales of the Dome County
  • Journey Wandering Toward the Rainbow
  • Children of the Night
  • Home Is Summer
  • Aim to Be an Idol!
  • Idol! Toward Tomorrow
  • Daughter of Time
  • Fortress of Stars
  • I Want to See You
  • Astasha, Where Are You?
  • Sarashina
  • Maybe Can't Lose to Rain
  • Magical Mystery Shadow
  • The Adventures of the Princess Who Loved Insects
  • Our Summer Camp
  • Theory of Evolution
  • Seeds of Truth, Seeds of Lies
  • Anthology 'Stories that Broaden Dreams' series (editor)
  • Edited/translated 'Gulliver's Travels'
  • Edited/translated 'Journey to the West'
  • Edited/translated 'Robinson Crusoe'
  • Aircraft Carrier Setatama Elementary School, Launch!

Style & Themes

Literary Style
fantastical and allegorical settings in long works for childrendescriptive, scene-focused narration
Recurring Motifs
camp and outdoor experiencesjourney and adventurenostalgia and coming-of-agetime travel / time-slip (in some works)

Legacy

A prominent author of children's fantasy long novels, noted for incorporating his hands-on experience directing summer and ski camps into his fiction. Recognized for works that resonate with multiple generations of young readers.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Children's Literature Association
  • Japan Society of Children's Literature

Trivia

  • Credited with discovering the poet Yūko Fuzuki (Fudzuki Yumitsu) after finding their poem on his website's bulletin board when the poet was an elementary-school student.
  • Composed lyrics and music for Mizuho Elementary School (Hakui) school song in 2006.
  • Longtime director of summer and ski camps for elementary, junior-high and high school students; his camp experience influences his fiction.
  • Has run a theater troupe and staged his own plays.