Japanese Literary Awards

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Eiji Shono

しょうの えいじ

Shōno Eiji

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1915-11-20 （Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan）
Died
1993-11-26 age 78
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Moved to Osaka shortly after birth → Osaka Prefecture (long-term residence)

Career

Occupations
children's literature author, writer, teacher, university president
Active Years
1955-1993
Affiliations
Tezukayama Gakuin (faculty), Tezukayama Gakuin University (professor, president)
Influenced By
Haruo Sato, Jōji Tsubota

Education

Kwansei Gakuin (Specialized department)
Specialized department / Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Letters
Period: 在学〜1936
Year of Graduation: 1936
Country: Japan
Began creative writing while enrolled

Awards

Japan Essayists' Club Award
1961
Work: The Light of Rotterdam
Organization: Japan Essayists' Club
Result: 受賞
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award
1964
Work: The Star Ranch
Organization: Sankei Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Noma Children's Literature Prize
1964
Work: The Star Ranch
Organization: Noma Publishing / Noma Cultural Foundation
Result: 受賞
Japan Children's Literature Association Award
1964
Work: The Star Ranch
Organization: Japan Children's Literature Association
Result: 受賞
NHK Children's Literature Encouragement Award
1965
Work: Rainbow in the Clouds
Organization: NHK
Result: 受賞
Akai Tori (Red Bird) Literary Prize
1972
Work: Colonel Allen's Signature
Organization: Akai Tori Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Akai Tori (Red Bird) Literary Prize
1977
Work: Alphabet Archipelago
Organization: Akai Tori Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Iwatani Konpaku Literary Award
1989
Organization: Iwatani Konpaku Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Osaka Prefecture Art Award
1961
Organization: Osaka Prefecture
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Star Ranch

1963 Children's literature

A representative collection of children's stories depicting interactions between children, nature, and animals; noted for its warm tone and subtle fantastical elements.

natureanimalscoming-of-ageadventure

Children's Deck

1955 Children's tales

The debut collection of children's tales, a series of short stories told from a child's perspective.

child's perspectivediscoveries in everyday life

Colonel Allen's Signature

1972 Children's literature / novel

A work containing adventurous elements that won the Akai Tori Literary Prize in 1972.

adventurefriendshipexotic locales

Bibliography

  • Jungle Adventure (1948)
  • Children's Deck (1955)
  • The Light of Rotterdam (1960)
  • The Sky of Paints (1962)
  • The Star Ranch (1963)
  • Bird Forest (1965)
  • Rainbow in the Clouds (1965)
  • Colonel Allen's Signature (1972)
  • Alphabet Archipelago (1977)
  • Collected Works of Eiji Shono, 11 vols. (1979-1980)

Translations by Author

  • The Adventures of the Cat King (by Chen Bochui; co-translated, 1982)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lyrical descriptionsnarration closely aligned with a child's viewpointincludes fantastical and allegorical elements
Recurring Motifs
sea and voyagestravelanimalscoexistence with nature

Legacy

He was active for many years in children's literature and fairy tales, and exerted influence as an educator and university administrator. A leading figure in the Kansai literary scene, he is widely respected for works such as The Star Ranch.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Children's Literature Association

Archives

  • Authority records at the National Diet Library and other repositories

Trivia

  • His younger brother was novelist Junzo Shono.
  • Served as a teacher at Tezukayama Gakuin and later as president of Tezukayama Gakuin University.
  • Experienced military service and internment during and after World War II.