Juvenile Literature Newcomer Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 23 (1994) award
Mitsuo Yokoyama
よこやま みつお
Yokoyama Mitsuo
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1953-02-19 （Hirata (now Hirata, Sukumo), Hata District, Kochi Prefecture, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Nakamura (now Shimanto City), Kochi Prefecture, Japan → Kyoto, Japan (worked) → Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture, Japan (sanatorium) → Osaka (worked at Minoh Jiyu Gakuen) → Osaka (Meika Women's University, faculty)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Children's writer, University professor, Japanese language teacher
- Active Years
- 1991-
- Affiliations
- Meika Women's University (former professor/associate professor), Tokai Gakuen University (professor), Minoh Jiyu Gakuen (former Japanese language teacher)
- Memberships
- Japan Association of Children's Writers, Japan Writers' Association, Member/founder of the literary magazine 'Pleiades'
- Influenced By
- Kenji Miyazawa
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ritsumeikan University | Faculty of Letters | Faculty of Letters | — | 1974-1978 | Japan |
Ritsumeikan University
Faculty of Letters
/ Faculty of Letters
Period:
1974-1978
Year of Graduation:
1978
Country:
Japan
Member of the children's literature study group while at university
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Yamanashi Literature Prize | Homecoming | — | Yamanashi Nichinichi Shimbun | winner |
| 1994 | Children's Literature Newcomer Award | The Boy's Sea | — | Children's Literature Society (organizer) | winner |
| 2000 | Japan Association of Children's Writers Award | Shimanto River Story: We're Shining! | — | Japan Association of Children's Writers | winner |
| 2020 | Children's PEN Award (Grand Prize) | Becoming a Father to All: The Story of Onjiro Satake | — | Children's PEN Award Committee | winner |
Yamanashi Literature Prize
1994
Work:
Homecoming
Organization:
Yamanashi Nichinichi Shimbun
Result:
winner
Children's Literature Newcomer Award
1994
Work:
The Boy's Sea
Organization:
Children's Literature Society (organizer)
Result:
winner
Japan Association of Children's Writers Award
2000
Work:
Shimanto River Story: We're Shining!
Organization:
Japan Association of Children's Writers
Result:
winner
Children's PEN Award (Grand Prize)
2020
Work:
Becoming a Father to All: The Story of Onjiro Satake
Organization:
Children's PEN Award Committee
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Japan Juvenile Writers Association Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 24 (2000) award
Works
Major Works
Signals in the Starry Sky
1991 Children's literatureDebut work composed of short stories with a fairy-tale tone.
coming of ageimagination
The Boy's Sea
1993 Children's literatureA story of a boy's growth set by the sea.
seafriendshipcoming of age
Homecoming
1994 Children's literatureBased on the author's return to his hometown and childhood memories; material that later formed the Shimanto River trilogy.
hometownrecollectionnature
Shimanto River Story: We're Shining!
1999 Children's literatureA children's story set on the Shimanto River, part of a regional/nature series.
naturelocal communityfriendship
Spirit of Water (Vol. I–IV)
2002 FantasyA fantasy series with light-novel elements.
adventurespiritsgrowth
Onini Tesoro (The Demon Trilogy)
2007 FantasyA children's fantasy series drawing on yokai and folklore.
yokaifolkloreadventure
Becoming a Father to All: The Story of Onjiro Satake
2020 Biographical children's literatureA story about Onjiro Satake; recipient of the Children's PEN Award grand prize.
biographyeducationfamily
Bibliography
- Signals in the Starry Sky (1991)
- The Boy's Sea (1993)
- Homecoming (1994)
- We're Shining! ― Shimanto River Story (1999)
- We're a Movie Boys' Club (2001)
- Spirit of Water (2002–2004)
- Onini Tesoro (2007–2009)
- Genro Shiniki (2008)
- Becoming a Father to All: The Story of Onjiro Satake (2020)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyrical prose that values childhood sensibilitiesrich natural descriptions and a strong sense of local setting
- Recurring Motifs
- hometown / returnrivers (Shimanto River)children's friendship and coming-of-agespirits, yokai and folklore
Health
-
pulmonary tuberculosis十代後半〜二十代前半（療養期間約1年半）During sanatorium treatment he encountered literature (Kenji Miyazawa), which inspired him to become a writer
-
obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD)勤務中（国語教諭時代）Prompted self-reflection and contributed to his renewed focus on writing children's stories
Legacy
He left a body of work that moves between children's literature and fantasy, often drawing on his hometown's nature (notably the Shimanto River) and childhood experiences. He also contributed to training younger writers as an educator.
Academic Societies
- Japan Association of Children's Writers
- Japan Writers' Association
Archives
- National Diet Library (holding data)
Trivia
- He encountered Kenji Miyazawa's works while undergoing treatment, which inspired him to become a writer.
- He founded the literary magazine 'Pleiades', supporting the activities of young writers.