Japanese Literary Awards

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Kaoru Tamaoka

たまおか かおる

Tamaoka Kaoru

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1956-11-06 （Miki, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Miki, Hyōgo Prefecture (birthplace) → Kakogawa, Hyōgo Prefecture (resident)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Writer, Essayist, TV commentator, Radio personality
Active Years
1987-
Influenced By
Ryutaro Kawabata
Nominations
Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize nominee (Onna‑mon: Marobidasu Kawa, 1997)

Education

Miki Municipal Mitsuki Elementary School
Country: Japan
Miki Municipal Miki Junior High School
Country: Japan
Hyōgo Prefectural Ono High School
Country: Japan
Kobe College
Faculty of Letters
Degree: 学士
Country: Japan
Graduated from the Faculty of Letters

Awards

Kobe Literature Award
1987
Work: Blue Goodbye of the Dream‑Eating Fish
Organization: Monthly 'Kobe-kko' (local magazine)
Result: Winner
Oda Sakunosuke Prize
2008
Work: Oie‑san
Organization: Oda Sakunosuke Prize Committee
Result: Winner
Nitta Jirō Literary Prize
2022
Work: Hogami: The Man Who Ran the Kitamae Ships — Kōraku Matsuemon
Organization: Nitta Jirō Literary Prize Committee
Result: Winner
Funahashi Seiichi Literary Award
2022
Work: Hogami: The Man Who Ran the Kitamae Ships — Kōraku Matsuemon
Organization: Funahashi Seiichi Literary Award Committee
Result: Winner
Kakogawa City Special Cultural Award
2000
Organization: Kakogawa City
Result: Winner
Hyōgo Prefecture Cultural Award
2006
Organization: Hyōgo Prefecture
Result: Winner
Regional Cultural Merit Commendation
2020
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan)
Result: Commendation

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Blue Goodbye of the Dream‑Eating Fish

1989 Fiction

Debut work: a collection of accessible stories focused on family and everyday life that marked her literary debut.

FamilyEveryday lifeKansai regional setting

Onna‑mon: The Overflowing River

1997 Historical fiction / Human drama

Set against local history, this is the first in a series exploring women's lives and family continuity.

Women's historyLocal historyFamily

Oie‑san

2007 Fiction (with modern historical elements)

A portrait of family and community life; awarded the Oda Sakunosuke Prize.

HouseholdCommunityWomen

Hogami: The Man Who Ran the Kitamae Ships — Kōraku Matsuemon

2021 Historical novel (biographical elements)

A historical novel centered on the life of merchant Kōraku Matsuemon and the Kitamae‑bune shipping trade, depicting maritime commerce and regional economy.

Maritime tradeEarly modern / modern historyCommercial history

Blooming Woman: Prosperity Stories of Meiji‑Era Women

2017 Historical fiction

Portrays the lives and enterprises of Meiji‑era women with a strong focus on women's history.

Women's historyMeiji eraCommerce

The Tenpyō Empress: Kōken/Shōtoku

2015 Historical fiction

A historical novel focused on Empress Kōken/Shōtoku, depicting politics and personal relations in the Tenpyō period.

Ancient historyImperial familyPower

Wedding Dress: Wishing You Happiness

2016 Contemporary fiction

A contemporary novel depicting relationships around marriage and family with a warm tone.

MarriageFamilyWomen

Bibliography

  • Blue Goodbye of the Dream‑Eating Fish
  • Moonlight Cheers of the Tear Crab
  • Silent Love
  • Tear Drop Planet (later republished as 'It's Not Too Late to Fall in Love')
  • Quarter Moon
  • Kobe Heartbreak Street
  • Discarded Color
  • Last Love
  • Onna‑mon: The Overflowing River
  • Onna‑mon: The River That Runs Through
  • Onna‑mon: The River That Never Stops Overflowing
  • Black Pearl
  • Crystal Wedding
  • Ships of the Horizon (Vol. 1 & 2)
  • Within the Blue
  • Takarazienne and the Pacific War
  • Oie‑san
  • Silver Road Ichijō
  • My Way: Women Who Stayed True and Made History
  • Don't Give Up: The Sowing Days of Maki Vories (Vol. 1 & 2)
  • Blooming in the Aftershoot
  • Let the Rainbow Gather: The Bessho Clan's Grievances
  • Pilgrimage to Japan's Sacred Sites
  • Hop Step Home!
  • The Tenpyō Empress: Kōken/Shōtoku
  • Wedding Dress: Wishing You Happiness
  • Wedding Dress at Dawn
  • Himegimi no Fu: The Tale of Chihime
  • Pilgrimage to Japan's Sacred Sites — Azuma Descent Edition
  • Hogami: The Man Who Ran the Kitamae Ships — Kōraku Matsuemon

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Accessible, reader‑friendly proseHistorical depiction rooted in local historyCharacter‑driven narratives emphasizing everyday life
Recurring Motifs
Local/regional identityLives of womenFamily and inheritanceMaritime trade and sailing (sailing ships)

Legacy

A writer known for historical novels rooted in Hyōgo regional history and works portraying women. She has contributed to local cultural promotion, received multiple literary and cultural awards, and reached a wide readership with accessible prose.

Archives

  • Materials held at the National Diet Library (bibliographic records)
  • Library of Congress (catalog record)
  • National Diet Library authority record (Japan)

In Popular Culture

  • Appearances as a TV commentator on Kansai TV and others
  • Served as a radio program personality (e.g., Radio Kansai)

Trivia

  • Known as an avid Hanshin Tigers fan
  • Also a fan of the Takarazuka Revue
  • Former Fuji TV announcer Daiki Tanaka is a high‑school junior (fellow alumnus)
  • Worked as a junior‑high school teacher in Miki for two years