Art Encouragement Prize for Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
1 appearances
-
Edition 45 (1995) award
Suehiro Tanemura
たねむら すえひろ
Tanemura Suehiro
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1933-03-21 （Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo, Japan）
- Died
- 2004-08-29 （Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan (hospital)） age 71
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Ikebukuro (Toshima), Tokyo → Kamiyamada Onsen, Nagano (evacuation during WWII) → Chigasaki, Kanagawa → Yugawara, Kanagawa → Oiso, Kanagawa → Harumi, Chuo, Tokyo → Chichibu, Saitama → Atagoyama, Minato, Tokyo
Career
- Occupations
- German literature scholar, Translator, Critic, Essayist, University professor
- Active Years
- 1957-2004
- Affiliations
- Komazawa University (part-time → full-time), Tokyo Metropolitan University (Associate Professor, Faculty of Letters), Kokugakuin University (German language lecturer → professor), Kobunsha (editorial staff)
- Influenced By
- E.T.A. Hoffmann, Heinrich von Kleist, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, Traditions of alchemy and mysticism
- Influenced
- Tetsushi Suwa (student, writer), Kayoko Ikeda (disciple, translator), Scholars and critics of Japanese fantastic literature
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Tokyo | Faculty of Letters (German Department) | Aesthetics & Art History → German Department | — | 1951-1957 | Japan |
University of Tokyo
Faculty of Letters (German Department)
/ Aesthetics & Art History → German Department
Period:
1951-1957
Year of Graduation:
1957
Country:
Japan
Entered College of Arts and Sciences then moved to Faculty of Letters to specialize in German literature
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Arts Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education) | The World of Hildegard of Bingen | — | Government of Japan / Agency for Cultural Affairs | winner |
| 1995 | Saito Ryo'u Prize | The World of Hildegard of Bingen | — | Saito Ryoku'u Prize Committee | winner |
| 1996 | Ohara Shosuke Prize (2nd) | Onsen-ism Stones | — | Ohara Shosuke Prize Committee | winner |
| 1997 | Japan Translation & Publishing Culture Award | Udo Tüwolshka 'Wanderings: In Search of the Promised Land' (translation) | — | Japan Translation & Publishing Culture Award Committee | winner |
| 1999 | Izumi Kyoka Literary Prize | Suehiro Tanemura's Neo-Labyrinths (collected works) | — | Izumi Kyoka Literary Prize Committee | winner |
Arts Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education)
1995
Work:
The World of Hildegard of Bingen
Organization:
Government of Japan / Agency for Cultural Affairs
Result:
winner
Saito Ryo'u Prize
1995
Work:
The World of Hildegard of Bingen
Organization:
Saito Ryoku'u Prize Committee
Result:
winner
Ohara Shosuke Prize (2nd)
1996
Work:
Onsen-ism Stones
Organization:
Ohara Shosuke Prize Committee
Result:
winner
Japan Translation & Publishing Culture Award
1997
Work:
Udo Tüwolshka 'Wanderings: In Search of the Promised Land' (translation)
Organization:
Japan Translation & Publishing Culture Award Committee
Result:
winner
Izumi Kyoka Literary Prize
1999
Work:
Suehiro Tanemura's Neo-Labyrinths (collected works)
Organization:
Izumi Kyoka Literary Prize Committee
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Izumi Kyoka Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 27 (1999) award
Works
Major Works
Utopia of Monsters
1968 critical essaysAn early collection of essays introducing Tanemura's interest in the fantastic and heterodox, discussing foreign and Japanese writers and images of monsters.
heterodoxymonstersfantastic literature
Portrait of the Nonsense Poet
1969 criticism / literary studyIntroduces nonsense poets such as Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear, examining their lives and work.
nonsense literaturepoet studieshumor and absurdity
The World of Hildegard of Bingen
1994 scholarship / biographyA study delving into the thought and worldview of the medieval nun Hildegard; awarded the Arts Encouragement Prize.
medieval studiesreligious thoughtmysticism
Suehiro Tanemura's Neo-Labyrinths
1999 collected works / criticismA collected volume of Tanemura's essays and criticism, covering the fantastic, heterodoxy, and cultural commentary.
fantasyheterodoxycultural history
Bibliography
- Utopia of Monsters
- Portrait of the Nonsense Poet
- Vampire Fantasies
- The World of Hildegard of Bingen
- Suehiro Tanemura's Neo-Labyrinths
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- erudite, encyclopedic criticism and essaysblend of scholarly insight and essayistic lightness
- Recurring Motifs
- vampiresmonstersdolls and automataalchemy and magiclabyrinthsonsen (hot springs) and food culture
Health
-
Hepatitis (hospitalized)1960Left Kobunsha and became freelance
-
Cerebral infarction (stroke)1995（10月、金沢で倒れる）Required hospitalization and convalescence
-
malignant lymphoma2002-2003Led to cancer diagnosis and subsequent surgery
-
stomach cancer (cause of death)2004（逝去）Died in 2004
Legacy
Suehiro Tanemura, centered on German literary scholarship and translation, significantly influenced Japanese studies of fantastic literature and cultural criticism through his writings on mysticism and cultural history. His encyclopedic knowledge and unique perspective shaped both avant-garde culture and later scholarship, influencing subsequent writers and researchers.
Museums
- Itabashi Art Museum (exhibition related to 'The Eye of Suehiro Tanemura') Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan Opened in 2014
In Popular Culture
- Suehiro Tanemura's Web Labyrinths (personal site listing works and related materials)
Quotes
-
A singular figure — a 'monster of the infinite labyrinth of knowledge' that twentieth-century Japanese humanities can be proud of.
Source: Tetsushi Suwa, commentary in 'Selected Works of Suehiro Tanemura I' (2013)
Trivia
- His student Tetsushi Suwa became a notable writer.
- Worked in Kobunsha's editorial department early on, left after hepatitis and became freelance.
- In later years he wrote many essays on hot-spring culture and food culture.