Japanese Literary Awards

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Keisuke Tsutsui

つつい けいすけ

Tsutsui Keisuke

Aliases: 小西 理夫 / コニシ・マサオ
Pen Names: Konishi Masao（Pen name used for some early works (real name: Masao Konishi)）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1918-01-03 （Kanda Kajichō, Tokyo (now Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), Japan）
Died
2005-01-08 （Meguro, Tokyo (hospital), Japan） age 87
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Children's literature author, Screenwriter, Lyricist, Translator, Broadcast writer
Active Years
1946-2005

Education

Keio University
Faculty of Economics
Period: 在学中に中退（〜1941年中退）
Country: Japan
Participated in theater groups during studies; arrested under the Peace Preservation Law and left university in 1941

Awards

Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award (Grand Prize)
1973
Work: Kachikachi-yama no Sugu Soba de
Organization: Sankei Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Hans Christian Andersen Award — Honour (recommended/work recognition)
1974
Work: Kachikachi-yama no Sugu Soba de
Organization: International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) / Hans Christian Andersen Award organization
Result: 受賞（優良賞）
Iwaya Sazanami Literary Award
1983
Organization: Iwaya Sazanami Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Medal with Purple Ribbon
1986
Organization: Government of Japan (Cabinet Office)
Result: 受章

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Near Kachikachi-yama

1972 Children's literature

A collection of children's stories drawing on folk-tale motifs, blending humor and moral lessons.

Reinterpretation of folktalesAnimalsHumor

Me of Croquette Town

1972 Children's literature

A work depicting town events from a child's perspective. Adapted into NHK's 'Shonen Drama Series' in 1973.

Everyday lifeChildhood growthFriendship
Adaptations
  • [Television drama] Me of Croquette Town (NHK Shonen Drama Series) (1973)

Behind the Bus Street

1959 Radio drama / Children's work

One of the dramas written for NHK; it became a hit and was widely broadcast.

FamilyCommunity
Adaptations
  • [Television serial drama] Behind the Bus Street (NHK) (1958)

Bibliography

  • The Imperial Guard
  • Mr. Corpus Rides the Train
  • The Swallow That Flew Over the Sea (Stories)
  • Me of Croquette Town
  • Near Kachikachi-yama
  • Sulky Cat
  • Complete Fairy Tales of Keisuke Tsutsui (12 vols.)

Adaptations

  • Me of Croquette Town (NHK Shonen Drama Series, 1973)
  • Behind the Bus Street (NHK TV broadcast, 1958–1963)

Translations by Author

  • May the Thirty-Fifth (translation of a work by Erich Kästner)
  • The Strange Locomotive (translation of Cornelia Meigs)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Accessible, conversational narrationHumorous and warm expressionModern reinterpretation of folktale motifs
Recurring Motifs
AnimalsChildren's everyday lifeReferences and reconstructions of classic folktales

Health

  • Renal failure
    Died in 2005 in hospital due to renal failure

Legacy

One of the representative children's literature authors in postwar Japan. He wrote numerous radio/TV dramas, fairy tales, and picture books read across generations. Many works were adapted for broadcast and stage, leaving a long-lasting impact on children's literature.

Archives

  • National Diet Library (Japan)
  • NHK Archives

In Popular Culture

  • Gained wide recognition through the NHK TV adaptation of 'Me of Croquette Town'
  • Long beloved in schools and libraries as children's books

Trivia

  • Real name: Masao Konishi
  • Used the pen name Konishi Masao
  • Arrested under the Peace Preservation Law while at Keio University and left university in 1941
  • Enlisted in the Imperial Guard in 1942 but discharged due to illness
  • Won the Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award (Grand Prize) in 1973
  • Awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1986