Japanese Literary Awards

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Wataru Yamada

やまだ わたる

Yamada Wataru

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1983-08-22 （Okadama-cho, Higashi-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

Career

Occupations
tanka poet, essayist
Active Years
2008-
Affiliations
Kaban (tanka magazine), pool (tanka magazine)
Influenced By
Hiroshi Homura, Miharu Yanagisawa

Education

Ritsumeikan University
Faculty of Law
Country: Japan
Graduated from Ritsumeikan University, Faculty of Law
Hokkai Gakuen University Graduate School, Graduate School of Literature
Graduate School of Literature
Degree: 文学修士
Year of Graduation: 2018
Country: Japan
Completed in March 2018 (supervisor: Aya Tanaka)

Awards

Kadokawa Tanka Prize (55th)
2009
Work: Natsu no Kyokuba-dan
Organization: Kadokawa
Result: winner
Gendai Tanka Criticism Prize (27th)
2009
Work: The Thought of Composing Trees
Organization: Gendai Tanka Criticism Prize Committee
Result: winner
Hokkaido Shimbun Tanka Prize (27th)
2012
Work: Goodbye Bug Children
Organization: The Hokkaido Shimbun Press
Result: winner
Modern Kajin Association Prize (57th)
2013
Work: Goodbye Bug Children
Organization: Modern Kajin Association
Result: winner
Waseda University Tsubouchi Shoyo Encouragement Award (4th)
2013
Organization: Waseda University
Result: winner
Sapporo Cultural Encouragement Award (42nd)
2014
Organization: Sapporo City
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Goodbye Bug Children

2012 tanka collection

First tanka collection exploring urban sensibilities and rhythmic, sound-focused verse.

urban lifelonelinesscontemporary life

Premonition of a Shooting Star

2014 essay/criticism

A collection of essays on tanka and the nature of language.

languageprosodycriticism

Sheep Sinking into Water

2016 tanka collection

A more mature tanka collection including motifs of nature and solitude.

naturelonelinessloss

Word Otedama Juggling

2016 essay

An essay collection on rhythm and phonology of language.

languagerhythmphonology

The Strongest Rabbit That Can Only Kill with Loneliness

2022 poetry/tanka collection

A recent collection featuring distinctive imagery and motifs in tanka and poetry.

lonelinessanimalsimagism

Bibliography

  • Goodbye Bug Children
  • The World Is All Sunset: The Secrets of Hiroshi Homura's Tanka (co-authored)
  • Premonition of a Shooting Star
  • Sheep Sinking into Water
  • Word Otedama Juggling
  • Declaration of the Cherry Blossom Front (editor)
  • The Strongest Rabbit That Can Only Kill with Loneliness

Style & Themes

Literary Style
a rhythmic, prosodic styletanka-oriented expression emphasizing sound and rhythm
Recurring Motifs
the urbanlonelinessanimal imagerysound and rhythm

Legacy

Recognized as a rising voice in contemporary tanka for his emphasis on rhythm and phonology; has influenced younger tanka poets and contributed essays and edited anthologies.

Quotes

  • I approach language from a verse-based standpoint, so what I find most important in writing is rhythm and phonology, next is image, and conversely I'm least interested in story (narrative).
    Source: Asahi Shimbun (column) (2021)

Trivia

  • Born in Okadama-cho, Higashi-ku, Sapporo.
  • Member of tanka magazines 'Kaban' and 'pool'.
  • Writes tanka criticism on his blog 'Tonakai-go Kenkyu Nisshi' (Reindeer Language Research Diary).