Japanese Literary Awards

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Daisuke Takada

たかだ だいすけ

Takada Daisuke

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1968-01-01 （Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Tokyo, Japan → France (resident in Limoges)

Career

Occupations
linguist, novelist
Active Years
2010-
Affiliations
Waseda University (lecturer), Tokyo University of the Arts (lecturer), University of Limoges, EDSHS EHIC (affiliation)
Influenced By
Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Tove Jansson, Charles Dickens, Alexandre Dumas, père, Fyodor Dostoevsky

Education

Waseda University
Faculty of Letters / Linguistics
Degree: 学士
Country: Japan
Waseda University, Graduate School of Letters
Graduate School of Letters / Doctoral program (comparative grammar & contrastive linguistics)
Country: Japan
Withdrew from doctoral program after earning credits (working on doctoral thesis)

Awards

Mephisto Prize (45th)
2010
Work: The Library Witch
Organization: Kodansha / Mephisto Editorial Committee
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Library Witch

2013 Fantasy / Mystery

A long-form fantasy-mystery set around a library. It intertwines mysteries surrounding witches and books with folkloric elements, carefully exploring characters' memories and relationships.

librarieswitchesmemoryfolklorelong-form narration

The Library Witch: Message of the Crow

2015 Fantasy / Mystery

A continuation of 'The Library Witch' series. The story centers on a symbolic crow and its messages, expanding the series' world in a mid-to-long length work.

symbolsmessagesseries continuityfolkloric elements

The Library Witch: The Childlike Heart of the High Tower

2025 Fantasy / Mystery

Published as another installment in the series. Through motifs of towers and childlike hearts, it depicts memory and growth in long-form narrative.

towerschildlike heartgrowthmemory

Mahori

2019 Folklore Mystery

A mystery incorporating folkloric perspectives. It carefully depicts incidents connected to local traditions and rituals in a two-volume long-form work.

folkloretraditionrituallocality

Counterpoint of Memory

2025 Literary / Fantasy

A long-form work themed on memory and time. It uses a contrapuntal structure where multiple perspectives intersect.

memorytimecontrapuntal structureintersecting perspectives

Bibliography

  • The Library Witch (vol. 1-2, Kodansha, 2013)
  • The Library Witch: Message of the Crow (Kodansha, 2015)
  • The Library Witch: The Childlike Heart of the High Tower (Kodansha, 2025)
  • Mahori (KADOKAWA, 2019)
  • Counterpoint of Memory (Tokyo Sogensha, 2025)
  • Short story 'Kagi' ('Key') (tree, 2020)
  • Short story 'Miso o Tsukeru' (Shousetsu Yasei Jidai, 2015)
  • Anthology contribution 'Mahouzai' (Mephisto Readers Club, 2024)

Translations by Author

  • Jacqueline Dangel, 'A History of Latin' (co-translated with Ichiro Toyama, Hakusuisha, 2001)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
a style blending folkloric elements with fantasyaccumulative narration in long-form worksprecise descriptions reflecting linguistic knowledge
Recurring Motifs
librarieswitchesmemorytowersfolklore and tradition

Legacy

A linguist by training who is known for long-form fantasy-mystery works incorporating folkloric elements. Debuted with the Mephisto Prize-winning 'The Library Witch' (45th Mephisto Prize) and has established a distinctive voice as an expatriate writer.

Trivia

  • Won the 45th Mephisto Prize (2010). The winning work 'The Library Witch' was published in 2013.
  • Publication was delayed reportedly due to the author's residence abroad and the substantial length of the manuscript (reported around 3500 pages/manuscript sheets).
  • Resides in France and is affiliated with the University of Limoges, said to be working on a doctoral thesis.
  • Withdrew from Waseda University's doctoral program after earning credits (did not complete the PhD).
  • Has cited Nisio Isin's 'Zaregoto' series (Kodansha Novels) as a favorite.
  • Maintains a weblog and posts about activities on X (formerly Twitter).