Japanese Literary Awards

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Michiko Yamamoto

やまもと みちこ

Yamamoto Michiko

Pen Names: Furuya Michiko（birth name）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1936-12-04 （Tokyo Prefecture (now Nakano Ward, Tokyo)）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Nakano Ward, Tokyo (birthplace) → Australia (about 3 years, lived there after marriage)

Career

Occupations
novelist, poet
Active Years
1955-1998
Influenced By
, ,

Education

Atomi Gakuen Junior College
Department of Japanese Literature / Japanese Literature
Period: 1955-1957
Year of Graduation: 1957
Country: Japan
While attending junior college, her story 'Mitsubachi' won an honorable mention in the Bungei student novel contest.

Awards

Bungei Student Novel Contest
1955
Work: Mitsubachi (Bee)
Organization: Bungei (magazine)
Result: 佳作入選
Shincho New Writers' Award
1972
Work: Mahō (Magic)
Organization: Shinchosha
Result: 受賞
Akutagawa Prize
1973
Work: Betty-san's Garden
Organization: Bungeishunju
Result: 受賞
Female Literary Award
1984
Work: Hito no Ki (The Tree of People)
Organization: Female Literary Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Izumi Kyoka Literary Prize
1993
Work: Mofuku no Ko (Child in Mourning Clothes)
Organization: Izumi Kyoka Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Shimase Love Literature Prize
1995
Work: Ruri Karakusa (Lapis Arabesque)
Organization: Shimase Love Literature Prize Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Tsubo no Naka (In the Jar) — poetry collection

1959 poetry collection

An early poetry collection emphasizing poetic sensibility and introspective motifs.

introspectionnaturesolitude

Mahō (Magic)

1972 novel

Winner of the Shincho New Writers' Award. A work where reality and fantasy intersect, delicately portraying a woman's inner life.

reality and fantasyfemale psychology

Betty-san's Garden

1973 novel

Akutagawa Prize-winning work. A quiet story focusing on a woman's memories and everyday life.

memoryeveryday lifeportrayal of women

Hito no Ki (The Tree of People)

1985 novel

Winner of the Female Literary Award. A longer work centered on human relationships and women's lives.

human relationshipsmaternal themespersonal growth

Mofuku no Ko (Child in Mourning Clothes)

1992 novel

Izumi Kyoka Prize-winning work. A thematically strong piece dealing with loss and grief.

lossgrieffamily

Ruri Karakusa (Lapis Arabesque)

1995 novel

Winner of the Shimase Love Literature Prize. A delicate portrayal of love and human relationships.

romancememoryinterpersonal relationships

Megami (The Goddess)

1997 novel

A late-period work exploring images of women through symbolic motifs.

symbolismimages of women

Mizu no Hōyō (Embrace of Water)

1998 novel

Published in 1998. A work that handles conclusive themes with a tranquil touch.

sense of endingtranquilityrebirth

Bibliography

  • Tsubo no Naka (In the Jar) — poetry collection (1959)
  • Midori-iro no Hitsuji-tachi to Hitori (Green Sheep and One) — poetry collection (1960)
  • Kazaru (To Adorn) — poetry collection (1962)
  • Soko ni Hebi ga Iru (There Is a Snake There) (1968)
  • Betty-san's Garden (1973)
  • Razo (Nude Figure) (1974)
  • Umi to Satoukibi (The Sea and Sugarcane) (1975)
  • Michiko Yamamoto Poetry Collection (1976)
  • Tenshi yo Umi ni Mae (Angel, Dance on the Sea) (1981)
  • Village ni Ame (Rain in the Village) (1983)
  • Hito no Ki (The Tree of People) (1985)
  • Watashi no Eranda Kōfuku Shugi (The Hedonism I Chose) (1986)
  • Hebi Ichigo (Wild Strawberry) (1986)
  • Hitori Yūkeyaki (Solitude's Faintness) (1987)
  • Tori no Iru Danwa-shitsu; Swing Swing Swing (1989)
  • Tōmei na Hato (Transparent Dove) (1990)
  • Yami no Shokudai (Candleholder of Darkness) (1990)
  • Ai no Enkei (Distant View of Love) (1991)
  • Mofuku no Ko (Child in Mourning Clothes) (1992)
  • Madoromu Onna (Drowsing Woman) (1993)
  • Ruri Karakusa (Lapis Arabesque) (1995)
  • Megami (The Goddess) (1997)
  • Mizu no Hōyō (Embrace of Water) (1998)

Translations by Author

  • Doris Land, 'Eric: 1640 Days of Youth' (translation, 1975)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
poetic, lyrical prosesymbolic and fragmentary expressions reflecting modern poetry sensibilities
Recurring Motifs
female interioritymemory and losseveryday life and the fantastical

Legacy

A writer who began as a poet and later turned to fiction. She received multiple literary awards including the Akutagawa Prize, and was acclaimed for lyrical works centered on female perspectives. There have been no new publications since 1998.

Archives

  • National Diet Library (Japan)

Trivia

  • Graduated from Atomi Gakuen Junior College, Department of Japanese Literature.
  • While at junior college, her story 'Mitsubachi' won an honorable mention in the Bungei student novel contest.
  • After marriage she lived in Australia for about three years with her husband.
  • No publications have been confirmed after 1998.