Mainichi Publishing Culture Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 38 (1984) special award
Shizuka Shirakawa
しらかわ しずか
Shirakawa Shizuka
Pen Names:
Shizuka Shirakawa（Real name and used in academic activities）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1910-04-09 （Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture, Japan）
- Died
- 2006-10-30 （Japan (due to multiple organ failure)） age 96
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Fukui City → Osaka City → Kyoto City
Career
- Occupations
- Sinologist, Oriental scholar, Professor, Professor Emeritus
- Active Years
- 1930-2006
- Affiliations
- Ritsumeikan University
- Influenced
- Kazumi Takahashi, Takeshi Umehara, Masamitsu Miyagitani
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ritsumeikan University | Specialized Department | Department of Chinese and Japanese Studies (evening) | — | 1926-1936 | Japan |
| Ritsumeikan University | Faculty of Law and Literature | Department of Chinese Literature | — | 1941-1944 | Japan |
| Kyoto University | — | Ph.D. in Literature | 文学博士 | — | Japan |
Ritsumeikan University
Specialized Department
/ Department of Chinese and Japanese Studies (evening)
Period:
1926-1936
Year of Graduation:
1936
Country:
Japan
Studied at night school and graduated
Ritsumeikan University
Faculty of Law and Literature
/ Department of Chinese Literature
Period:
1941-1944
Year of Graduation:
1944
Country:
Japan
Also worked as a teacher during enrollment
Kyoto University
Ph.D. in Literature
Degree:
文学博士
Year of Graduation:
1962
Country:
Japan
Submitted doctoral thesis 'Study on Ki'
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Mainichi Publishing Culture Prize Special Award | — | — | Mainichi Newspaper Company | 受賞 |
| 1991 | Kikuchi Kan Prize | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| 1996 | Asahi Prize | — | — | Asahi Shimbun Company | 受賞 |
| 1996 | Kyoto Prefecture Cultural Award Special Meritorious Service Award | — | — | Kyoto Prefecture | 受賞 |
| 1998 | Person of Cultural Merit | — | — | Japanese Government | 叙勲 |
| 1999 | Order of the Sacred Treasure, 2nd Class | — | — | Japanese Government | 叙勲 |
| 2001 | Inoue Yasushi Culture Award | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| 2002 | Fukui Prefecture Citizens' Award | — | — | Fukui Prefecture | 受賞 |
| 2003 | Kyoto City Educational Merit Award | — | — | Kyoto City | 受賞 |
| 2004 | Order of Culture | — | — | Japanese Government | 叙勲 |
| 2005 | Honorary Citizen of Fukui City | — | — | Fukui City | 叙勲 |
| 2005 | Honorary Citizen of Kyoto City | — | — | Kyoto City | 叙勲 |
Mainichi Publishing Culture Prize Special Award
1984
Organization:
Mainichi Newspaper Company
Result:
受賞
Kikuchi Kan Prize
1991
Result:
受賞
Asahi Prize
1996
Organization:
Asahi Shimbun Company
Result:
受賞
Kyoto Prefecture Cultural Award Special Meritorious Service Award
1996
Organization:
Kyoto Prefecture
Result:
受賞
Person of Cultural Merit
1998
Organization:
Japanese Government
Result:
叙勲
Order of the Sacred Treasure, 2nd Class
1999
Organization:
Japanese Government
Result:
叙勲
Inoue Yasushi Culture Award
2001
Result:
受賞
Fukui Prefecture Citizens' Award
2002
Organization:
Fukui Prefecture
Result:
受賞
Kyoto City Educational Merit Award
2003
Organization:
Kyoto City
Result:
受賞
Order of Culture
2004
Organization:
Japanese Government
Result:
叙勲
Honorary Citizen of Fukui City
2005
Organization:
Fukui City
Result:
叙勲
Honorary Citizen of Kyoto City
2005
Organization:
Kyoto City
Result:
叙勲
Awards & Nominations
Kikuchi Kan Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 45 (1991) award
Works
Major Works
Jitō (Dictionary of Chinese Characters)
1984 LexicographyA dictionary detailing the origins and backgrounds of Chinese characters.
Chinese charactersLinguisticsCulture
Jikun (Dictionary of Character Readings)
1987 LexicographyA dictionary explaining the readings and interpretations of Chinese characters.
Chinese charactersPronunciationReadings
Jitsū (Comprehensive Dictionary of Chinese Characters)
1996 LexicographyA comprehensive dictionary of Chinese character studies.
Chinese CharactersDictionaryLexicon
Jōyō Jikai (Dictionary of Commonly Used Characters)
2003 LexicographyA basic dictionary of commonly used kanji for junior and senior high school students.
Kanji educationCommon use kanjiLearning
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- ScholarlyDetailed explanationsTraditional Sinological style
- Recurring Motifs
- Origins of Chinese charactersLexicographical compilationAncient Chinese culture
Health
-
Multiple organ failure晩年Died due to multiple organ failure
Legacy
A leading expert in Chinese character studies, he made significant contributions to the development of Sinology and Oriental studies. His trilogy of dictionaries and numerous works continue to influence research and education.
Museums
- Shirakawa Character Study Room Inside Fukui Prefectural Library Opened in 2005
- Shirakawa Shizuka Memorial Institute for Oriental Character Culture Ritsumeikan University Opened in 2010
- Fukui Prefectural Homeland Literature Museum Shirakawa Character Study Room Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture Opened in 2016
Academic Societies
- The Oriental Society
Archives
- Shirakawa Shizuka Library (Ritsumeikan University)
In Popular Culture
- Frequently cited in both academic and general books
- Featured in NHK biographical archives
Quotes
-
"Chinese characters are not mere letters. They are vessels of cultural transmission."
Source: Lecture series 'Character Talks' (2000)
Trivia
- He was an avid Go player with an amateur 6-dan rank.
- In later years, he enjoyed Go and Shogi on the Nintendo DS.
- He was approachable and had a playful side, engaging well with younger people.