Mainichi Publishing Culture Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 40 (1986) special award
Kenichi Tanigawa
たにがわ けんいち
Tanigawa Kenichi
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1921-07-28 （Minamata, Kumamoto, Japan）
- Died
- 2013-08-24 age 92
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Minamata, Kumamoto → Kawasaki, Kanagawa → Osaka (Kinki University) → Miyakojima, Okinawa (fieldwork)
Career
- Occupations
- folklorist, toponymist, writer, tanka poet, editor, professor
- Active Years
- 1946-2013
- Affiliations
- Kinki University, Japan Toponymy Research Institute, Heibonsha (editorial work)
- Influenced By
- Kunio Yanagita, Shinobu Orikuchi
- Nominations
- Naoki Prize nominee (55th) 'The Last Jōi Party'
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Tokyo | Faculty of Letters | French literature | — | — | Japan |
University of Tokyo
Faculty of Letters
/ French literature
Country:
Japan
Contracted tuberculosis during university and underwent periods of sanatorium treatment
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Mainichi Publishing Culture Award | Nihon Shomin Seikatsu Shiryoshusei (co-editor, collected sources) | — | Mainichi Newspapers | 受賞 |
| 1986 | Mainichi Publishing Culture Award (Special Prize) | Nihon Minzoku Bunka Taikei (co-editor) | — | Mainichi Newspapers | 受賞 |
| 1991 | Art Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education Award) | On the Emergence of Southern-Island Literature | — | Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan) | 受賞 |
| 1992 | Minakata Kumagusu Prize | — | — | Minakata Kumagusu Memorial Society | 受賞 |
| 1992 | Kawasaki City Cultural Award | — | — | Kawasaki City | 受賞 |
| 2001 | Tanka Kenkyu Award | Kairei / The Woman of the Water | — | Tanka Kenkyu (journal) | 受賞 |
| 2007 | Person of Cultural Merit | — | — | Government of Japan | 受賞 |
| 2008 | Kanagawa Culture Award | — | — | Kanagawa Prefecture / Japan Toponymy Research Institute (institutional) | 受賞 |
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award
1973
Work:
Nihon Shomin Seikatsu Shiryoshusei (co-editor, collected sources)
Organization:
Mainichi Newspapers
Result:
受賞
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award (Special Prize)
1986
Work:
Nihon Minzoku Bunka Taikei (co-editor)
Organization:
Mainichi Newspapers
Result:
受賞
Art Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education Award)
1991
Work:
On the Emergence of Southern-Island Literature
Organization:
Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan)
Result:
受賞
Minakata Kumagusu Prize
1992
Organization:
Minakata Kumagusu Memorial Society
Result:
受賞
Kawasaki City Cultural Award
1992
Organization:
Kawasaki City
Result:
受賞
Tanka Kenkyu Award
2001
Work:
Kairei / The Woman of the Water
Organization:
Tanka Kenkyu (journal)
Result:
受賞
Person of Cultural Merit
2007
Organization:
Government of Japan
Result:
受賞
Kanagawa Culture Award
2008
Organization:
Kanagawa Prefecture / Japan Toponymy Research Institute (institutional)
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Art Encouragement Prize for Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
1 appearances
-
Edition 42 (1992) award
Tanka Research Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 37 (2001) award
Works
Major Works
The Last Jōi Party
1966 historical novelHis debut novel, a historical work that was nominated for the Naoki Prize.
historymodern Japan
The Stars of the Sea
1981 novelA novel set against sea and archipelago cultures; adapted as an NHK drama in 1988.
the seafolklorehuman relationships
Adaptations
- [TV drama] The Stars of the Sea (NHK dramatization) (1988)
On the Emergence of Southern-Island Literature
1991 scholarly workA major study focusing on southern island chants and traditions (Okinawa, Kagoshima), arguing for southern sources of Japanese literature.
southern-island culturefolkloreliterary history
Footprints of the Bronze Gods
1979 archaeology / folkloreAn examination of Bronze Age culture and ancient beliefs from a folkloristic perspective.
antiquitybeliefarchaeology
Gods, Humans, and Animals: Worlds Living in Tradition
1975 folklore studiesA collection of essays addressing worldviews expressed in folk traditions and popular beliefs.
folklorebeliefworldview
Bibliography
- The Last Jōi Party
- The Stars of the Sea
- Footprints of the Bronze Gods
- On the Emergence of Southern-Island Literature
- Gods, Humans, and Animals
Adaptations
- The Stars of the Sea (NHK dramatization)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- a style combining scholarly analysis and novelistic imaginationnarrative yet essayistic prose
- Recurring Motifs
- the seaplace namesmyths and traditionsviews of life and death
Health
-
tuberculosis大学入学後からの療養期（断続的）Required intermittent sanatorium treatment during and after university, which affected career trajectory (resignation from Heibonsha and emphasis on writing).
Legacy
Left a distinctive body of work at the intersection of folklore studies, toponymy, and Japanese literature. From an independent scholar's stance he compiled folk materials and offered new perspectives on Japan; his collected works and complete editions have influenced both scholars and the general public.
In Popular Culture
- NHK dramatization of 'The Stars of the Sea' (1988)
Quotes
-
Sun-tinted flying fish wings glittering — in the sea the spring tide is born
Source: Utakai Hajime (Imperial Poetry Reading, recitation) (2009)
Trivia
- Born the eldest of six siblings.
- Brothers include poet Gan Tanigawa and East Asian historian Michio Tanigawa.
- His eldest son, Akio Tanigawa, is an archaeologist (professor at Waseda University).
- Worked as an editor at Heibonsha and was the founding editor-in-chief of the magazine 'Taiyo'.