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Takesaki Yuuhi

たけざき ゆうひ

Takezaki Yūhi

Pen Names: Takesaki Yuuhi (alternate spelling)（Alternate pen name/spelling used for some works）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1923-08-01 （Kyoto Prefecture, Japan）
Died
1993-09-17 （Hoya (now Nishitokyo), Tokyo, Japan） age 70
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Religion
Christianity Baptized in 1938
Residence History
Kyoto Prefecture (birth) → Kumamoto Prefecture (family registry / childhood) → Hoya (now Nishitokyo), Tokyo (later residence)

Career

Occupations
Children's literature author, Writer of children's stories
Active Years
1943-1993
Influenced By
Tsubota Jōji, Matsutani Miyoko, Maekawa Yasuo

Education

Waseda University
Period: 1942–1947（復学したが生活のため中退）
Country: Japan
Enlisted during wartime, returned and re-enrolled after repatriation but subsequently dropped out for livelihood reasons

Awards

Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Prize
1977
Work: People of the Stone‑cutting Mountain
Organization: Sankei Shimbun (organization)
Result: 受賞
Japan Association of Children's Literature Authors Prize
1977
Work: People of the Stone‑cutting Mountain
Organization: Japan Association of Children's Literature Authors
Result: 受賞
Shogakukan Literature Prize
1977
Work: People of the Stone‑cutting Mountain
Organization: Shogakukan
Result: 受賞
Rohonoishi (Robou no Ishi) Literature Prize
1981
Work: Like a Shower of Flower Petals
Organization: Robou no Ishi Literature Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Noma Children's Literature Award
1984
Work: The Deserted Soldier
Organization: Noma Cultural Foundation
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

People of the Stone‑cutting Mountain

1976 Children's literature

A children's novel depicting rural life and human relationships, focusing on community bonds and intergenerational ties.

communityfamilyeveryday human details

Like a Shower of Flower Petals

1980 Children's literature

A coming‑of‑age story seen from a child's perspective, marked by delicate emotional expression.

growing upfarewellfamily

The Deserted Soldier

1983 Children's literature (works addressing war)

A story addressing war, repatriation, and personal memory, conveying the effects of war from a child‑appropriate perspective.

warmemorypeace

Bibliography

  • Go Ro Hachi, Breathe Fire (1969)
  • When the Pie Turns Golden (1972)
  • Jump In, Nobu‑chan (1973)
  • People of the Stone‑cutting Mountain (1976)
  • Like a Shower of Flower Petals (1980)
  • The Deserted Soldier (1983)

Translations by Author

  • Black Beauty retelling (Anna Sewell, 1974)
  • The Prince and the Pauper retelling (Mark Twain, 1978)

Translations of Works

  • Journey to the West (retold, 1986–1987)
  • Romance of the Three Kingdoms (retold, 1989–1990)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Clear, approachable narrationDepictions from a child's perspectiveSkilled at retelling folktales and traditional stories
Recurring Motifs
friendships between children and animalslocal folklorewar and memory

Legacy

Takesaki Yuuhi was recognized in postwar children's literature for depicting rural life, retelling folktales, and portraying war and parting from a child's perspective. He received multiple children's literature awards and his works were widely read in children's book circles.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Association of Children's Literature Authors

Archives

  • National Diet Library (holds bibliographic records)

Trivia

  • Sometimes used the pen‑name spelling "竹ザキ ユウヒ".
  • Published a children's story in 1943 and then was enlisted; returned in 1945 and re‑enrolled at university but later dropped out.
  • Baptized in 1938 (Christian).
  • Worked at Komine Shoten (publisher) and later in the publicity department of Ricoh.