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Chizu Takase

たかせ ちず

Takase Chizu

Pen Names: Takase Rishu（Dharma name given after lay ordination and upon receiving the ajari title）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1945-12-05 （Nagayo, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Religion
Esoteric Buddhism (lay ordination; ajari qualification) Baptized in 2007 （Baptismal Name: Takase Rishu）

Career

Occupations
Writer, Translator, Noh producer
Active Years
1984-
Affiliations
Japan Writers' Association, Historical Period Novelists Club
Memberships
Japan Writers' Association, Historical Period Novelists Club
Influenced By
Atsushi Mori, Kenji Nakagami, ,
Nominations
Akutagawa Prize candidate (Ichi no Asa, 1984), Mishima Yukio Prize candidate (Kaze no Ie, 1987), Noma Literary Newcomer Award candidate (Ten no Hikou, 1988)

Education

Kumamoto Prefectural University
Faculty of Letters / Department of English and American Literature
Country: Japan
Graduation thesis on William Saroyan

Awards

Shincho New Writers' Award
1984
Work: Natsu no Fuchi (Summer Abyss)
Organization: Shinchosha
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Ichi no Asa

1984 Novel

Debut work. Later retitled and included in the collection 'Natsu no Kioku'.

Memory

Natsu no Fuchi (Summer Abyss)

1984 Novel

One of the works that won the Shincho New Writers' Award. Later collected into 'Natsu no Kioku'.

MemoryInner life

Kaze no Ie (House of the Wind)

1987 Novel

A novel published by Kodansha in 1987. Detailed synopsis not available.

FamilyMemory

Ten no Hikou

1988 Novel

Published by Kodansha in 1988. Detailed information not available.

HistoryHuman relationships

Natsu no Kioku (Summer Memories)

1996 Novel/Collected works

Collected volume published in 1996 that compiles 'Ichi no Asa' and 'Natsu no Fuchi' under a new title.

MemoryReminiscence

Michizane (Vol. I & II)

1997 Historical novel

A two-volume work depicting the life of Sugawara no Michizane, published by NHK Publishing.

HistoryBiography

How to Solve Problems 100% Without Anyone Knowing — A Self-Therapy Book for Men

2013 Self-help / Psychotherapy

A practical book on self-therapy techniques for men's mental care.

PsychotherapySelf-care

The Woman Who Became a Dragon — The Truth About Hojo Masako

2015 Historical non-fiction

A historical study examining the life and truth of Hojo Masako.

HistoryPortrayal of women

Myoe: Tsuga‑o Takaoji Secrets (Vol. I & II)

2018 Historical novel / Biographical fiction

A long-form work portraying the life and thought of the monk Myoe, incorporating research on esoteric Buddhism.

BuddhismHistoryReligious thought

Bibliography

  • Kaze no Ie (Kodansha, 1987)
  • Ten no Hikou (Kodansha, 1988)
  • Natsu no Kioku (Ashi Shobo, 1996)
  • Michizane Vol. I & II (NHK Publishing, 1997)
  • How to Solve Problems 100% Without Anyone Knowing — A Self‑Therapy Book for Men (Kindai Bungeisha, 2013)
  • The Woman Who Became a Dragon — The Truth About Hojo Masako (Bunzou BOOKS, 2015)
  • Myoe: Tsuga‑o Takaoji Secrets Vol. I & II (Gen Shobo, 2018)
  • Supervising translator: Don Miguel Ruiz, 'Choice of Love' (Cosmos Library, 2000)
  • Supervising translator: Rex Hixson, 'Coming Home: Cross-cultural Theories of Enlightenment' (Cosmos Library, 2001)

Adaptations

  • Noh 'Hagoromo' Paris performance (Alliance Française / UNESCO)
  • New Noh 'Michizane' staged at the National Noh Theatre and Dazaifu Tenmangu

Translations by Author

  • Supervising translator: Don Miguel Ruiz, 'Choice of Love' (2000)
  • Supervising translator: Rex Hixson, 'Coming Home' (2001)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Lyrical, finely detailed proseWorks often focus on historical figures and religious thought
Recurring Motifs
memoryhistoryBuddhismNoh (theatre)

Legacy

Chizu Takase is known for novels that incorporate memory, history and Buddhist themes, and for cultural activities such as producing Noh performances. She has been recognized for historical and biographical fiction and has worked across fields including international performances and supervising translations.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Writers' Association
  • Historical Period Novelists Club

Archives

  • National Diet Library authority file (identifier: id.ndl.go.jp/auth/ndlna/00165947)
  • Wikidata (Q11671919), VIAF, ISNI and other authority records

In Popular Culture

  • Contribution to the promotion of Japanese culture through international Noh performances

Trivia

  • Official website ALOLIKA was closed on 2025-04-30.
  • Received lay ordination in 2007 and obtained the ajari qualification three years later (Dharma name: Takase Rishu).
  • Produced a Noh performance in Paris in 1991, staged with Alliance Française and UNESCO.
  • Was a candidate for major literary prizes including the Akutagawa Prize, the Mishima Yukio Prize and the Noma Literary Newcomer Award.
  • Representative works include 'Kaze no Ie', 'Ten no Hikou', 'Natsu no Kioku' and 'Myoe: Tsuga‑o Takaoji Secrets'.