Japan Children's Literature Association Newcomer Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 24 (1991) award
Yoko Tomiyasu
とみやす ようこ
Tomiyasu Yoko
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1959-02-15 （Chihaya-cho, Toshima, Tokyo, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Chihaya-cho, Toshima, Tokyo (birthplace) → Toronto (lived there during early childhood) → Ikeda, Osaka / Senri New Town (childhood–early youth)
Career
- Occupations
- Children's writer, Author
- Active Years
- 1977-
- Influenced By
- Yokai and folktales heard from grandmother and aunt, Heian literature (e.g., The Tale of Genji)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wako University | Faculty of Humanities | Heian literature (specialty in The Tale of Genji, etc.) | — | 1977-1981 | Japan |
Wako University
Faculty of Humanities
/ Heian literature (specialty in The Tale of Genji, etc.)
Period:
1977-1981
Year of Graduation:
1981
Country:
Japan
Specialized in Heian literature; developed a deep interest in yokai traditions and folktales.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Japan Association of Children's Literature Writers Newcomer Award | Kunugi Forest's Zawazawa-so | — | Japan Association of Children's Literature Writers | winner |
| 1991 | Shogakukan Literary Prize | Kunugi Forest's Zawazawa-so | — | Shogakukan | winner |
| 1997 | Nankichi Niimi Children's Literature Award | The Little Suzuna Princess (series) | — | Nankichi Niimi Award Committee | winner |
| 2001 | Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award | Myth That Continues to the Sky | — | Sankei Shimbun | winner |
| 2002 | IBBY Honour List (Literature) | The Mokko of Yamanba Mountain | — | IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) | honour list |
| 2011 | Noma Children's Literature Award | Bon-Maneki | — | Noma Children's Literature Award Committee | winner |
| 2011 | Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award (Fuji TV Prize) | Bon-Maneki | — | Sankei Shimbun | winner (Fuji TV Prize) |
| 2018 | Hans Christian Andersen Award (selected as Japan's candidate) | — | — | JBBY (Japan section of IBBY) | candidate |
| 2021 | Kodansha Picture Book Award | Sakura no Tani | — | Kodansha | winner |
Japan Association of Children's Literature Writers Newcomer Award
1991
Work:
Kunugi Forest's Zawazawa-so
Organization:
Japan Association of Children's Literature Writers
Result:
winner
Shogakukan Literary Prize
1991
Work:
Kunugi Forest's Zawazawa-so
Organization:
Shogakukan
Result:
winner
Nankichi Niimi Children's Literature Award
1997
Work:
The Little Suzuna Princess (series)
Organization:
Nankichi Niimi Award Committee
Result:
winner
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award
2001
Work:
Myth That Continues to the Sky
Organization:
Sankei Shimbun
Result:
winner
IBBY Honour List (Literature)
2002
Work:
The Mokko of Yamanba Mountain
Organization:
IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People)
Result:
honour list
Noma Children's Literature Award
2011
Work:
Bon-Maneki
Organization:
Noma Children's Literature Award Committee
Result:
winner
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award (Fuji TV Prize)
2011
Work:
Bon-Maneki
Organization:
Sankei Shimbun
Result:
winner (Fuji TV Prize)
Hans Christian Andersen Award (selected as Japan's candidate)
2018
Organization:
JBBY (Japan section of IBBY)
Result:
candidate
Kodansha Picture Book Award
2021
Work:
Sakura no Tani
Organization:
Kodansha
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Shogakukan Children Publishing Culture Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 40 (1991) award
Niimi Nankichi Children's Literature Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 15 (1997) award
Noma Children's Literature Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 49 (2011) award
Works
Major Works
The Mokko of Yamanba Mountain
1986 Children's literatureA children's work depicting interactions between a yamanba (mountain hag) and children, incorporating folktale and yokai elements.
yokaicoexistence with natureintergenerational relations
Zawazawa Inn in the Kunugi Forest
1990 Children's literatureTells of children's experiences in a mysterious house in the forest. Award-winning work.
adventurenaturemystery
Bon-Maneki
2011 Children's literature 32 pagesA picture-book-like work themed on the Obon festival, where Japanese customs and mysterious occurrences intersect.
traditional customsmysteryfamily
Sakura Valley
2021 Picture book / Children's literature 32 pagesAn evocative picture book set in a cherry-blossom valley. Winner of the Kodansha Picture Book Award.
natureseasonal feelinggrowing up
Bibliography
- I Don't Need Shoes (1984)
- The Mokko of Yamanba Mountain (1986)
- Zawazawa Inn in the Kunugi Forest (1990)
- Fox Mountain Summer Vacation (1994)
- Bokko (1998)
- Myth That Continues to the Sky (2000)
- Long-Tailed Tiger (2001)
- The Shrine's Deity (2002)
- Bon-Maneki (2011)
- Sakura Valley (2021)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Incorporates folktale and fairy-tale elementsDelicate scene descriptions with a picture-book rhythm
- Recurring Motifs
- yokai and monstersnatural settings such as mountains and forestsinteraction between children and adults
Legacy
Yoko Tomiyasu is known for skillfully incorporating yokai and folktale elements into children's literature, creating a distinctive literary world in Japan's children's literature scene. Many of her works have been serialized or published as picture books and have received recognition domestically and internationally.
Trivia
- She lived in Toronto for a period during early childhood and returned to Japan at age five.
- While in high school she self-published about 100 copies of a collection of fairy tales.
- Her interest in Heian literature such as The Tale of Genji has influenced her writing.
- In 2018 she was selected as Japan's candidate for the Hans Christian Andersen Award.