Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Teru Yokotani

よこたに てる

Yokotani Teru

Pen Names: Teru Yokotani（Pen name used in literary works (legal name: Teruo)）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1929-03-13 （Otsuka, Miki (formerly Mino District, Miki Town), Hyogo, Japan (now Miki City)）
Died
1973-08-14 （Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan） age 44
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
children's literature writer, critic, former elementary school teacher
Active Years
1954-1973
Affiliations
Japan Association of Children's Literature (served as secretary-general), Japan Children's Books Research Association (served as chair)

Education

Minatogawa Middle School (night classes)
Period: 卒業: 1946
Year of Graduation: 1946
Country: Japan
Graduated from night classes; later became an elementary school teacher

Awards

Japan Association of Children's Literature Award
1975
Category: 特別賞
Organization: Japan Association of Children's Literature
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Beethoven

1968 children's biography

A children's biography of Ludwig van Beethoven.

musicbiographyperseverance and creativity

Subways and Monorails

1968 children's non-fiction

A co-authored children's introduction to subways and monorails.

transportationtechnologysociety

Mr. Lion and the Present

1968 children's humor

An edited collection of humorous literature for children.

humorfriendship

Thoughts and Methods of Children's Literature

1969 criticism / theory

A collection of essays on theory, writing, and education in children's literature.

literary theoryeducationchildren's literature

To You Who Will Soon Become Adults

1970 children's non-fiction / guidance

An educational essay collection aimed at children approaching adulthood.

growing upeducationself-understanding

Children and Literature

1970 criticism

Co-authored with Kiyoshi Shibuya; essays on the relationship between children and literature.

children's literatureeducationreading

Lincoln

1972 children's biography (young readers)

A children's biography focusing on the early life of Abraham Lincoln.

biographyhistoryleadership

Edison

1973 children's biography

A children's biography of Thomas Edison.

inventionbiographyperseverance

My Home

1971 picture book (social picture book series)

A picture book in Poplar's 'social picture book' series depicting children's daily life.

homedaily life

Bibliography

  • Beethoven
  • Subways and Monorails
  • Mr. Lion and the Present
  • Thoughts and Methods of Children's Literature
  • To You Who Will Soon Become Adults
  • Children and Literature
  • Lincoln
  • Edison
  • My Home (social picture book)
  • Life of a Farmer (social picture book)
  • Mountain Festival (social picture book)
  • The Town We Live In (social picture book)
  • Journey of Water (social picture book)

Translations by Author

  • Alice in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll) — translation
  • The Bear and the Traveler (Aesop) — translation

Style & Themes

Literary Style
plain, child-friendly narrativecritical and pedagogical analysis
Recurring Motifs
children's daily lifeeducation and societybiographies of historical figures

Health

  • stomach cancer
    Died of stomach cancer in 1973 at age 44; literary activity ceased thereafter

Legacy

Contributed to the dissemination and theorization of children's books through criticism and educational activities. Posthumously awarded the Japan Association of Children's Literature Award (special prize).

Academic Societies

  • Japan Association of Children's Literature

Trivia

  • Legal name was Yokotani Teruo.
  • Posthumously awarded the Japan Association of Children's Literature Award (special prize) in 1975.
  • Worked as an elementary school teacher and was involved in the seikatsu tsuzurikata (life composition) movement.