Japanese Literary Awards

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Yoshie Wada

わだ よしえ

Wada Yoshie

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1906-04-06 （Oshamanbe, Yamakoshi District, Hokkaido, Japan）
Died
1977-10-05 （Kamiikedai, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan） age 71
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Oshamanbe, Hokkaido, Japan (birthplace) → Yawata, Ichikawa, Chiba (1935–1949) → Kamiikedai, Ota-ku, Tokyo (later years)

Career

Occupations
novelist, editor, literary critic, literary scholar, college professor
Active Years
1930-1977
Affiliations
Shinchosha, Daichi Shobo, Nihon Shosetsu-sha (founder), Chikuma Shobo (editorial collaborations), Tsuchiura Junior College (professor)
Influenced By
Higuchi Ichiyo

Education

Chuo University
Faculty of Law / Department of Private Law
Country: Japan
Graduated from the Department of Private Law, Faculty of Law, Chuo University

Awards

Japan Art Academy Prize
1957
Work: Icho's Diary (Ichiho / Ichiyo diary study)
Organization: Japan Art Academy
Result: 受賞
Naoki Sanjugo Prize
1963
Work: In the Dust
Organization: Naoki Sanjugo Prize Selection Committee
Result: 受賞
Yomiuri Literary Prize
1975
Work: The Grafted Stand
Organization: Yomiuri Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Japan Literary Grand Prize
1977
Work: Dark Current
Organization: Japan Literary Grand Prize
Result: 受賞
Kawabata Yasunari Literary Prize
1978
Work: The Snow Woman
Organization: Kawabata Yasunari Literary Prize Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Ichiho / Ichiyo Diary (Ichiho's Diary)

1943 biographical research

A scholarly study and edition compiling Higuchi Ichiyo's diaries and materials, with commentary on her life and works.

Higuchi Ichiyo researchmodern Japanese literaturebiography

In the Dust

1963 novel

A novel set in and around Ichikawa and Yawata before and after WWII, depicting daily life and societal changes.

war and everyday liferegional depictionI-novel

The Grafted Stand

1974 novel

A work that sensitively depicts the psychology and relationships of elderly people. Winner of the 1975 Yomiuri Literary Prize.

elderlyhuman relationshipssexuality

Dark Current

1977 novel

A late-career work exploring human loneliness and inner currents; recipient of the 1977 Japan Literary Grand Prize.

lonelinessinterior lifeold age

The Snow Woman

1978 short story

A short story that uses folkloric motifs to address aging and aspects of sexuality. Awarded the Kawabata Yasunari Literary Prize in 1978.

folkloreagingsexuality

Bibliography

  • Higuchi Ichiyo
  • Research on Higuchi Ichiyo
  • Ichiyo's Diary
  • A Record of Melancholy
  • In the Dust
  • Folk Tales of Love
  • The Grafted Stand
  • Embracing Sleep
  • Dark Current
  • The Snow Woman
  • Collected Works of Yoshie Wada (5 vols.)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
I-novel style narrationscholarly/critical prosebiographical and annotative writing
Recurring Motifs
elderly characterssexualitymemoryeveryday urban life

Health

  • duodenal ulcer
    1977（晩年）
    Died at home in 1977 due to massive bleeding from a duodenal ulcer.

Legacy

Recognized both as a leading scholar of Higuchi Ichiyo and as a novelist whose later works often featured I-novel elements and depictions of aging and sexuality. Winner of major awards such as the Japan Art Academy Prize, Naoki Prize, and Yomiuri Literary Prize, he established a notable place in postwar Japanese literary scholarship and creative writing.

Trivia

  • Between 1949 and 1952 he disappeared after the business failure of his publishing venture and incurred large debts.
  • His daughter Yoko is married to the poet Minoru Yoshioka.
  • In his later years he drew attention for short stories that addressed elderly sexuality.
  • From 1966 he taught Japanese literature as a professor at Tsuchiura Junior College.