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Yukihiko Tajima

たじま ゆきひこ

Tajima Yukihiko

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1940-01-09 （Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Sakai, Osaka Prefecture (birth) → Yoshihara Village, Kōchi Prefecture (now Haruno, Kōchi) - childhood → Funai District, Kyoto Prefecture (residence) → Awaji, Hyōgo Prefecture (current)

Career

Occupations
picture book author, printmaker, textile/dye artist
Active Years
1963-
Affiliations
Japan Printmakers Association
Memberships
Japan Printmakers Association

Education

Kyoto City University of Arts
Dyeing and Textile Design
Period: 〜1963
Year of Graduation: 1963
Country: Japan
Graduated 1963. Completed advanced course (specialized studies) in 1965.
Kyoto City University of Arts (advanced course, Dyeing/Textile Design)
Period: 1963-1965
Year of Graduation: 1965
Country: Japan
Completed specialized/graduate course

Awards

Kyoto Prefecture Western Painting / Printmaking Newcomer Award
1975
Organization: Kyoto Prefecture
Result: 受賞
Ehon Nippon Prize
1978
Work: Jigoku no Sōbē
Organization: Ehon Nippon Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava / World Picture Book Original Exhibition (Gold Medal)
1981
Work: Gion Festival
Organization: World Picture Book Original Exhibition organization
Result: 金牌受賞
Shogakukan Picture Book Award (Illustration/Painting)
1981
Work: Hi no Fue (The Fire Whistle), Arigatō (Thank You)
Organization: Shogakukan
Result: 受賞
World Picture Book Original Exhibition (Gold Medal)
1985
Work: The Catfish Who Climbed to Heaven
Organization: World Picture Book Original Exhibition organization
Result: 金牌受賞
Leipzig International Book Art/Design Exhibition (Silver Medal)
1989
Work: The First Snow
Organization: Leipzig International Book Art and Design Exhibition
Result: 銀賞受賞
Japan Picture Book Award (Grand Prize)
2015
Work: The Mysterious Friend
Organization: Japan Picture Book Award
Result: 大賞受賞
Kodansha Picture Book Award
2023
Work: Nakimushi Seitoku
Organization: Kodansha Publishing Culture Award
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Jigoku no Sōbē

Picture book

A humorous picture book set in a fanciful hell; one of Tajima's representative works and part of a series.

folkloric motifshumor

The Catfish Who Climbed to Heaven

Picture book

A folktale-like story illustrated with stencil-dye inspired printmaking techniques.

folktalenature

The First Snow

Picture book

Co-created with Chieko Takeuchi. Noted for delicate depictions of snow.

natureseasons

The Mysterious Friend

2015 Picture book

A strange yet heartwarming tale of friendship. Winner of the 2015 Japan Picture Book Award Grand Prize.

friendshipmystery/wonder

Funsenki (Autobiographical Collection)

1995 Autobiographical collection

An autobiographical collection summarizing 35 years of artistic work.

memoirartistic practice

Bibliography

  • Jigoku no Sōbē
  • Atsuo's Adventure
  • The Kijimunā with a Gun
  • Tokubee and the Bellybutton
  • Where is Nakaoka?
  • One Pine, One Leaf
  • Kantaro the Earthworm
  • The First Snow
  • Kotaro
  • Shibaten Oryo
  • Island — A Creative Folktale
  • The Catfish Who Climbed to Heaven
  • The Crow Jizo
  • The Two Are Twins
  • Funsenki
  • The Mysterious Friend

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Strong, print-like illustrations using stencil-dye techniquesFolkloric and simple narrative tone
Recurring Motifs
folktales and legendsnature and seasonshumor and human kindness

Legacy

Contributed significantly to Japanese picture-book art with a distinctive stencil-dye/print aesthetic. Recognized domestically and internationally through exhibitions and awards, appreciated across generations.

Museums

  • Niigata City Art Museum (hosted Tajima Yukihiko & Seizo exhibitions) Niigata City, Japan

Academic Societies

  • Japan Printmakers Association

Trivia

  • He is the twin brother of Seizo Tajima; Yukihiko uses the reading "Tajima" while his brother uses "Tashima".
  • His father was a soldier involved in an incident in China that was reported in newspapers; the family moved to Kōchi Prefecture soon after the war.
  • Noted for picture books that incorporate stencil-dye (katazome) techniques.