Nihon Essayist Club Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 48 (2000) award
Yoko Yaoita
やおいた ようこ
Yōko Yaoita
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1946-04-01 （Iino, Date District, Fukushima Prefecture (now Fukushima City), Japan）
- Died
- 2025-02-18 （Fukushima City, Japan） age 78
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
Career
- Occupations
- translator, children's author
- Active Years
- 1968-2025
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuo University | Faculty of Letters, Department of Japanese Literature | Department of Japanese Literature | — | — | Japan |
| Sofia University (graduate school) | — | — | — | — | Bulgaria |
Chuo University
Faculty of Letters, Department of Japanese Literature
/ Department of Japanese Literature
Year of Graduation:
1968
Country:
Japan
Graduation thesis titled 'The Impermanence View in Medieval Literary Studies'
Sofia University (graduate school)
Year of Graduation:
1970
Country:
Bulgaria
Studied at graduate school (study abroad)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Japan Translation Culture Prize (Special Award / Translation Achievement Prize) | Peyo Yavorov: 'Two Passions (Kokoro)' (translation) | 翻訳功労 | Japan Translators Association (related organization at the time) | 受賞 |
| 1996 | Japan Translation Culture Prize | The Vampire's Bride (translation/retelling) | — | Japan Translators Association (one of the groups at the time) | 受賞 |
| 1999 | Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Prize (Recommended Work) | The White Rose of Sofia | 推薦作 | Sankei Shimbun | 推薦 |
| 1999 | Japan Essayist Club Prize (48th) | The White Rose of Sofia | — | Japan Essayist Club | 受賞 |
| 2011 | Cultural Merit Award (Ministry of Culture, Republic of Bulgaria) | — | — | Ministry of Culture, Republic of Bulgaria | 受賞 |
| 2018 | Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Prize (Art Award) | Yokai of Nekoma-ga-dake | 美術賞 | Sankei Shimbun | 受賞 |
| 2020 | Japan Picture Book Award | The Golden Bird: Bulgarian Folktales | — | International Library of Children's Literature (organizers) | 受賞 |
Japan Translation Culture Prize (Special Award / Translation Achievement Prize)
1976
Work:
Peyo Yavorov: 'Two Passions (Kokoro)' (translation)
Category:
翻訳功労
Organization:
Japan Translators Association (related organization at the time)
Result:
受賞
Japan Translation Culture Prize
1996
Work:
The Vampire's Bride (translation/retelling)
Organization:
Japan Translators Association (one of the groups at the time)
Result:
受賞
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Prize (Recommended Work)
1999
Work:
The White Rose of Sofia
Category:
推薦作
Organization:
Sankei Shimbun
Result:
推薦
Japan Essayist Club Prize (48th)
1999
Work:
The White Rose of Sofia
Organization:
Japan Essayist Club
Result:
受賞
Cultural Merit Award (Ministry of Culture, Republic of Bulgaria)
2011
Organization:
Ministry of Culture, Republic of Bulgaria
Result:
受賞
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Prize (Art Award)
2018
Work:
Yokai of Nekoma-ga-dake
Category:
美術賞
Organization:
Sankei Shimbun
Result:
受賞
Japan Picture Book Award
2020
Work:
The Golden Bird: Bulgarian Folktales
Organization:
International Library of Children's Literature (organizers)
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The White Rose of Sofia
1999 Children's literature (retelling / original)A children's story inspired by Bulgarian landscapes and folktales, blending foreign cultural elements with a child's perspective.
folktalescross-cultural understandingnostalgia
The Vampire's Bride
1996 Retelling of folktales / Children'sA retelling based on Bulgarian folklore that includes fantastical and slightly eerie elements, carefully presented for children.
yokai/spiritstraditionfear and tenderness
Yokai of Nekoma-ga-dake: Legends of Fukushima
2017 Children's folktale / local legends retellingA book retelling legends of Fukushima, conveying regional yokai and natural traditions to contemporary readers.
local lorenature and yokairegional history
The Golden Bird: Bulgarian Folktales
2018 Folktale collection (retellings)A collection of Bulgarian folktales retold for Japanese children, preserving the charm of the originals while adapting them into Japanese.
folktalescouragewisdom
Bibliography
- The White Rose of Sofia
- The Forest Glove
- Whose Footprints?
- Stories of Vampires
- Wave Jumping
- Cinderella: Tales from Perrault and the Grimms (retellings)
- The Little Mermaid: Andersen's Princesses (retellings)
- Kaguya-hime: Japanese and Chinese Princess Tales
- Yokai of Nekoma-ga-dake: Legends of Fukushima
- The Little Hedgehog
- Takahashi Makoto's Princess Stories (collected)
Translations of Works
- Two Passions (Peyo Yavorov) - translated poetry collection
- Sorry I Told a Lie (translation)
- The Golden Fish (translation)
- The Vampire's Bride (retelling/translation)
- The Golden Bird: Bulgarian Folktales (retellings)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- simple, conversational style for childrenretellings that preserve the atmosphere of the originals
- Recurring Motifs
- folktales and fairy talesBulgarian traditionsyokai and nature
Legacy
She carved out a distinct place in Japanese children's literature through her introductions of Bulgarian folktales and retellings. Her translations and retellings contributed to international cultural exchange and received recognition in both countries.
Trivia
- Her father was Masashi Yaoita, a member of the House of Councillors for the Japan Socialist Party.
- She studied at Sofia University and developed deep knowledge of Bulgarian literature and folktales.
- She received a cultural merit award from the Republic of Bulgaria.