Mitsuru Nakamura (中村 満, Nakamura Mitsuru) is a Japanese artist and poet who also goes by the name 326. This name is…Mitsuru Nakamura (中村 満, Nakamura Mitsuru) is a Japanese artist and poet who also goes by the name 326. This name is pronounced the same as his first name, Mitsuru, coming from the Japanese pronunciations of the numbers 3, 2, and 6 in Japanese.
Mieko Kawakami (川上未映子, Kawakami Mieko; born August 29, 1976) is a Japanese writer and poet. She is best known for her…Mieko Kawakami (川上未映子, Kawakami Mieko; born August 29, 1976) is a Japanese writer and poet. She is best known for her 2019 novel Breasts and Eggs, an expanded and reworked version of her 2008 novella Chichi to Ran (乳と卵; lit. 'Breasts and Eggs'). Following the international success of Breasts and Eggs multiple of her earlier novels and most of her works since have been translated into English, among many other languages, and distributed internationally. Among them are Heaven (2009) and All the Lovers in the Night (2011), as well as Sisters in Yellow (2023), her first novel released since Breasts and Eggs. Her work is known for her "philosophical explorations of gender, class and ethics in modern society" and slice of life style. Kawakami's books often revolve around women and children. Kawakami's work has won several literary awards, including the 2007 Akutagawa Prize for Chichi to Ran, the 2009 Murasaki Shikibu Prize for Heaven and the 2013 Tanizaki Prize for her short story collection Ai no yume to ka (愛の夢とか), among many more.
Ryoko Sekiguchi (Japanese: 関口 涼子; Tokyo, December 21, 1970) is a Japanese poet and translator. She studied journalism…Ryoko Sekiguchi (Japanese: 関口 涼子; Tokyo, December 21, 1970) is a Japanese poet and translator. She studied journalism at Waseda University. After graduating, she studied History of Art at the Sorbonne and received a doctorate in comparative literature and cultural studies at the University of Tokyo. She publishes her books in both French and Japanese and works for institutions like Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales. A quote in French, attributed to Sekiguchi, appears at the top of the label of 2016 vintage Moulis-en-Médoc from Château Chasse-Spleen in Bordeaux: "Percevoir l'énigme sans prétendre la résoudre: la seule façon de vivre sa vie." ("To see the mystery, but not to solve it: the only way to live a life.")
Yōko Tawada (多和田葉子 Tawada Yōko, born March 23, 1960) is a Japanese writer currently living in Berlin, Germany. She…Yōko Tawada (多和田葉子 Tawada Yōko, born March 23, 1960) is a Japanese writer currently living in Berlin, Germany. She writes in both Japanese and German. She is a former writer-in-residence at MIT and Stanford University. Tawada has won numerous literary awards, including the Akutagawa Prize, the Tanizaki Prize, the Noma Literary Prize, the Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature, the Gunzo Prize for New Writers, the Goethe Medal, the Kleist Prize, and a National Book Award.
Hiromi Itō (伊藤 比呂美, Itō Hiromi; born September 13, 1955) is a Japanese poet, novelist and essayist. Having won two…Hiromi Itō (伊藤 比呂美, Itō Hiromi; born September 13, 1955) is a Japanese poet, novelist and essayist. Having won two Akutagawa Prizes and a Mishima Yukio Prize, she is considered one of the most prominent women writers of contemporary Japan. She is currently teaching at School of Culture, Media and Society in Waseda University.
Masakazu Mori (Japanese: 森 正和), better known by his stage name Yukinojo Mori (森雪之丞, Mori Yukinojō), is a Japanese…Masakazu Mori (Japanese: 森 正和), better known by his stage name Yukinojo Mori (森雪之丞, Mori Yukinojō), is a Japanese lyricist, composer and poet who is affiliated with Amuse, Inc. He has written over 2,500 songs for numerous artists such as Kyosuke Himuro, Takuro Yoshida and Junichi Inagaki and theme songs for anime series including Dragon Ball Z and Kinnikuman.
Michio Hoshino (星野 道夫, Hoshino Michio; September 27, 1952 – August 8, 1996) was a Japanese-born nature photographer. He…Michio Hoshino (星野 道夫, Hoshino Michio; September 27, 1952 – August 8, 1996) was a Japanese-born nature photographer. He originally hailed from Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture. Considered one of the most accomplished nature photographers of his era and compared to Ansel Adams, Hoshino specialized in photographing Alaskan wildlife until he was killed by a brown bear while on assignment in Kurilskoye Lake, Russia, in 1996.
Kiwao Nomura (野村 喜和夫, Nomura Kiwao; born 20 October 1951 in Saitama Prefecture) is a Japanese poet, writer, critic, and…Kiwao Nomura (野村 喜和夫, Nomura Kiwao; born 20 October 1951 in Saitama Prefecture) is a Japanese poet, writer, critic, and lecturer. He is considered one of the driving forces behind contemporary Japanese poetry.
Takashi Hiraide (平出 隆, Hiraide Takashi; born 21 November 1950 in moji, now a part of Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka) is a Japanese…Takashi Hiraide (平出 隆, Hiraide Takashi; born 21 November 1950 in moji, now a part of Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka) is a Japanese poet, critic, book designer, and professor. Hiraide's most celebrated work, published in English, is The Guest Cat (2014). The Guest Cat made the New York Times best-seller list in the same year it was published in English, 2014 and has reached international acclaim.
Kan Mikami (三上 寛, Mikami Kan; born March 20, 1950) is a Japanese folk singer-songwriter and actor. His music, heavily…Kan Mikami (三上 寛, Mikami Kan; born March 20, 1950) is a Japanese folk singer-songwriter and actor. His music, heavily influenced by American blues, was popular in Japan in the 1970s. He re-wrote the lyric of the song "Yume wa Yoru Hiraku" for his cover version in 1972, which was banned for its negative portrayal of modern Japanese culture. Mikami also acted in cinema and is notable for collaborations with Shūji Terayama and his avant-garde theater Tenjō Sajiki. His autobiography, A Life in Folk, was translated into English and published in 2017 by Public Bath Press of Nara, Japan.
Mayumi Inaba (稲葉 真弓, Inaba Mayumi; 8 March 1950 – 30 August 2014) was a Japanese writer and poet. She won the Tanizaki…Mayumi Inaba (稲葉 真弓, Inaba Mayumi; 8 March 1950 – 30 August 2014) was a Japanese writer and poet. She won the Tanizaki Prize in 2011 for her memoir To the Peninsula (半島へ). Her short story Asa ga nido kuru (朝が二度くる, Morning Comes Twice a Day) was translated into English by Lawrence Rogers for the collection Tokyo Stories: A Literary Stroll.
Murasaki Yamada (やまだ 紫, Yamada Murasaki; September 5, 1948 – May 5, 2009), born as Mitsuko Yamada (山田 三津子, Yamada…Murasaki Yamada (やまだ 紫, Yamada Murasaki; September 5, 1948 – May 5, 2009), born as Mitsuko Yamada (山田 三津子, Yamada Mitsuko), was a Japanese manga artist, feminist essayist and poet. She was associated with the alternative manga magazine Garo.
Nejime Shōichi (ねじめ 正一, 祢寝 正一; born June 16, 1948) is a Japanese poet and novelist born on June 16, 1948. He dropped…Nejime Shōichi (ねじめ 正一, 祢寝 正一; born June 16, 1948) is a Japanese poet and novelist born on June 16, 1948. He dropped out of Aoyama Gakuin University while he was majoring in economics.
Mikirō Sasaki (佐々木 幹郎, Sasaki Mikirō; October 20, 1947) is a Japanese poet and travel author, winner of the 2003…Mikirō Sasaki (佐々木 幹郎, Sasaki Mikirō; October 20, 1947) is a Japanese poet and travel author, winner of the 2003 Yomiuri Prize for travel essays. Sasaki won the award for his book Ajia kaidō kikō: umi wa toshi de aru (A Travel Journal of the Asian Seaboard, 2002). He has published more than a score of poetry collections and travel books. His Demented flute: selected poems, 1967-1986 was published in English in 1988. In 2012, his poetry collection Ashita(Tomorrow) won the 2012 Sakutarō Hagiwara Prize, one of the most prestigious prizes in the world of Japanese poetry. He was a Part-time Lecturer in music literature at Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School of Music.
Natsuki Ikezawa (池澤 夏樹, Ikezawa Natsuki; born July 7, 1945 in Obihiro, Hokkaido) is a Japanese novelist, poet…Natsuki Ikezawa (池澤 夏樹, Ikezawa Natsuki; born July 7, 1945 in Obihiro, Hokkaido) is a Japanese novelist, poet, essayist, and translator. His literary work frequently explores themes concerning the relationship between civilization and nature. As a translator, Ikezawa has translated a diverse range of literature into Japanese, spanning contemporary Greek poetry, modern world fiction, and American literature. He is the father of voice actress Haruna Ikezawa.
Yoshihiko Funazaki (舟崎 克彦, Funazaki Yoshihiko; February 2, 1945 – October 15, 2015) was a Japanese novelist, poet…Yoshihiko Funazaki (舟崎 克彦, Funazaki Yoshihiko; February 2, 1945 – October 15, 2015) was a Japanese novelist, poet, illustrator, manga artist, songwriter, and assistant professor of Shirayuri College. He has written more than 300 books.
Sadakazu Fujii (藤井 貞和, Fujii Sadakazu; born 27 April 1942, Tokyo) is a Japanese poet and scholar of Japanese…Sadakazu Fujii (藤井 貞和, Fujii Sadakazu; born 27 April 1942, Tokyo) is a Japanese poet and scholar of Japanese literature, which includes the genres of ancient novels, the Man'yōshū, oral literature, Okinawan culture, Ainu language, and contemporary poetry. He is well known for his study on the Genji Monogatari. His poems and palindromes have been used in the musical compositions of Takahashi Yuji.
Hiroshi Osada (長田弘, 1939–2015) was a Japanese poet and author known for his contributions to contemporary literature…Hiroshi Osada (長田弘, 1939–2015) was a Japanese poet and author known for his contributions to contemporary literature and children's literature.
Rie Yoshiyuki (吉行理恵, Yoshiyuki Rie; 8 July 1939 – 4 May 2006) was a Japanese writer of short stories, novels and…Rie Yoshiyuki (吉行理恵, Yoshiyuki Rie; 8 July 1939 – 4 May 2006) was a Japanese writer of short stories, novels and poetry. She was awarded the Noma Children's Literature Newcomer Award, the Akutagawa Prize, and the Women's Literature Prize.
Gōzō Yoshimasu (吉増 剛造|Yoshimasu Gōzō) (born 1939, Tokyo) is a prolific Japanese poet, photographer, artist and…Gōzō Yoshimasu (吉増 剛造|Yoshimasu Gōzō) (born 1939, Tokyo) is a prolific Japanese poet, photographer, artist and filmmaker active since the 1960s. He has received a number of literary and cultural awards, including the Takami Jun Prize (1971), the Rekitei Prize, the Purple Ribbon Medal in 2003 (given by the Government of Japan), the 50th Mainichi Art Award for Poetry (2009), and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays in 2013. Major influences include Shinobu Orikuchi, Paul Klee, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, William Blake, John Cage, Patrick Chamoiseau. Many of his poems are multilingual, blending elements of French, English, Chinese, Korean, Gaelic, and more, and feature cross-linguistic and typographic wordplay. His poems rely on intimate experiences with geography and history, layering encounters in the present with a keen awareness of the past. Drawing on multiple translators whose detailed notes appear opposite the translations, helping to elucidate them, Alice Iris Red Horse: Selected Poems of Yoshimasu Gozo, a Book in and on Translation is the most extensive and adventurous attempt at an English translation of Yoshimasu's complex poetry. Yoshimasu's performances often include film, the display of fetish objects, chanting, ritual procedures, and the collaboration of musicians and other artists. In a 2014 interview by Aki Onda on the MoMA blog "Post," Yoshimasu described the relationship of his poetry to performance by remarking, "My quest is to reclaim the poetry that lies at the root of performing arts." His visual art has been gaining increased recognition, with the Japan Art Academy awarding him the Imperial Prize and the Japan Art Academy Prize in 2015.
Mieko Shiomi (塩見 允枝子, Shiomi Mieko; born 1938) is a Japanese artist, composer, and performer who played a key role in…Mieko Shiomi (塩見 允枝子, Shiomi Mieko; born 1938) is a Japanese artist, composer, and performer who played a key role in the development of Fluxus. A co-founder of the seminal postwar Japanese experimental music collective Group Ongaku, she is known for her investigations of the nature and limits of sound, music, and auditory experiences. Her work has been widely circulated as Fluxus editions, featured in concert halls, museums, galleries, and non-traditional spaces, as well as being re-performed by other musicians and artists numerous times. She is best known for her work of the 1960s and early 1970s, especially Spatial Poem, Water Music, Endless Box, and the various instructions in Events & Games, all of which were produced as Fluxus editions. Now in her eighties, she continues to produce new work.
Sansei Yamao (山尾 三省, Yamao Sansei; 1938 – 28 August 2001) was a Japanese poet. Sansei Yamo was born in Tokyo in 1938.…Sansei Yamao (山尾 三省, Yamao Sansei; 1938 – 28 August 2001) was a Japanese poet. Sansei Yamo was born in Tokyo in 1938. He studied western philosophy at Waseda University, but dropped out before graduation. In the latter half of the 1960s, he and his companions Nanao Sakaki and Tetsuo Nagasawa started a commune called Buzoku (English: tribe), with an aim to change society. In 1973, he went on a pilgrimage to India and Nepal with his family for a year. Upon returning to Japan, he moved with his family in 1977 to a ghost village on Yaku-Shima, an island located in the south of Japan, famous for the Japanese Joumon cedar, which lives for several thousand years. He began to build a village at Shirakawa mountain. He wrote poetry and prose, and farmed his field there until his death. He visited his old friend poet Gary Snyder in the spring of 1997 at Snyder's house in the Sierra Nevada. In 1966 Sansei Yamao had initially met Snyder, who travelled to Japan to receive his first Zen training in Kyoto. At that time, Sansei Yamao and Gary Snyder traversed the Ominesan mountain range in Nara, which is known as the Shugendō mountain, together for a week. After Snyder went back to the United States, while Sansei went to India and then subsequently moved to Yaku-Shima, the two had not been in contact with each other. Therefore, when Sansei Yamao met Gary Snyder again in 1997, he was surprised to learn that Snyder's recent emphasis was bioregionalism, because he, too, had been thinking about very similar things for 20 years. He said, "The earth is just a region, a region is just the earth." The year following their second meeting, "聖なる地球のつどいかな" (Seinaru chikyu no tudoi kana) was published in Japan (ed. 山里勝己 Katsunori Yamazato, 山と渓谷社 Yama to keikokusha, 1998), a collection of their dialogues held in the Sierra Nevada. Sansei Yamao died on 28 August 2001 at his home on the island of Yakushima.
From Osaka came the 'musical anarchist' Tadamaru Sakuragawa (桜川 唯丸, Sakuragawa Tadamaru), who sang in a style called…From Osaka came the 'musical anarchist' Tadamaru Sakuragawa (桜川 唯丸, Sakuragawa Tadamaru), who sang in a style called Goshu ondo. With the backing of the now disbanded Spiritual Unity, Tadamaru broke out of the festival circuit with his only album, Ullambana, released in 1991. Ullambana is a Sanskrit word that refers to a Buddhism sutra, and is the origin of the Japanese word Urabonne whose shortened form Bon or Obon is now widely used throughout Japan. Tadamaru's music is characterized as a radical new workout of summer festival music from Kansai area of Japan. The song Yui Maru Bushi from the album can be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/world/guidejapan2.shtml https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1W7EGULc6s Tadamaru retired in 1995 and passed his name to one of his pupils who now sings as Tadamaru Sakuragawa II (二代目 桜川唯丸). Music of Japan
Mutsuo Takahashi (高橋 睦郎, Takahashi Mutsuo; born December 15, 1937) is one of the most prominent and prolific poets…Mutsuo Takahashi (高橋 睦郎, Takahashi Mutsuo; born December 15, 1937) is one of the most prominent and prolific poets, essayists, and writers of contemporary Japan, with more than three dozen collections of poetry, several works of prose, dozens of books of essays, and several major literary prizes to his name. He is well known for his open writing about male homoeroticism. He currently lives in the seaside town of Zushi, several kilometers south of Yokohama, Japan.
Noriko Mizuta (水田 宗子, Mizuta Noriko; born August 19, 1937) is a scholar of comparative literature and a poet. She is…Noriko Mizuta (水田 宗子, Mizuta Noriko; born August 19, 1937) is a scholar of comparative literature and a poet. She is the trustee of Jōsai University Educational Corporation in Japan. She was awarded the Pro Cultura Hungarica prize in 2011 and the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary (civil division) in 2013.
Yū Aku (阿久 悠, Aku Yū), occasionally credited as You Aku (February 7, 1937 – August 1, 2007), was a Japanese lyricist…Yū Aku (阿久 悠, Aku Yū), occasionally credited as You Aku (February 7, 1937 – August 1, 2007), was a Japanese lyricist, poet, and novelist.
Toshio Moriuchi (森内 俊雄, Moriuchi Toshio; December 12, 1936 – August 5, 2023) was a Japanese author. He was born in…Toshio Moriuchi (森内 俊雄, Moriuchi Toshio; December 12, 1936 – August 5, 2023) was a Japanese author. He was born in Osaka Prefecture and graduated from Waseda University. He won the 42nd Yomiuri Prize (1990) for Hyōga ga kuru made ni. Moriuchi died from pneumonia on August 5, 2023, at the age of 86.
Taijirō Amazawa (Japanese: 天沢 退二郎 Amazawa Taijirō; 21 July 1936 – 25 January 2023) was a Japanese poet, translator, and…Taijirō Amazawa (Japanese: 天沢 退二郎 Amazawa Taijirō; 21 July 1936 – 25 January 2023) was a Japanese poet, translator, and scholar.
Taeko Tomioka (富岡 多恵子, Tomioka Taeko; July 28, 1935 – April 6, 2023) was a Japanese writer. She was born in Osaka, was…Taeko Tomioka (富岡 多恵子, Tomioka Taeko; July 28, 1935 – April 6, 2023) was a Japanese writer. She was born in Osaka, was educated at Osaka Women's College, worked as a high school English teacher and moved to Tokyo in 1960. Tomioka visited New York City in 1964 and returned home to Japan in 1966. In 1969, she married Suga Kishio. Tomioka published several collections of poems. Henrei (1958) won the Mr. H Prize (H-shi Shō), awarded by the Association of Contemporary Japanese Poets. Monogatari no akuru hi (1961) received the 'Muro Saisei Prize. Tomioka also wrote a poetical drama Matsuri (1959) and a screenplay Shinju ten no Amijima (Double suicide, 1968). In 1971, she published the novel Oka ni mukatte hito wa narabu (Facing the Hills they stand). In 1974, Tomioka wrote Shokubutsu sai, which received the Tamura Toshiko Prize. In 1974, she published Meido no kazoku (Family in hell), which received the Women's Literature Prize. Her 1983 novel Namiutsu tochi was published in English as Building Waves (2012: ISBN 9781564787156). Tomioka also translated some English works by authors such as Gertrude Stein into Japanese. She has also produced essays on literature from a feminist viewpoint. In 1993, she published Nobuyoshi Araki: Akt-Tokyo, 1971-1991, a book of erotic photography. In 1997, Tomioka wrote Hiberunia kikō (A journey to Ireland), which received the Noma Literary Prize. In 2000, The Funeral of a Giraffe: Seven Stories, a collection of her stories translated from Japanese to English, was published. Tomioka died on April 6, 2023, at the age of 87.
Tomita Miki (三木 卓, Miki Taku; May 13, 1935 – November 18, 2023), known by his pen name Taku Miki, was a Japanese poet…Tomita Miki (三木 卓, Miki Taku; May 13, 1935 – November 18, 2023), known by his pen name Taku Miki, was a Japanese poet and novelist during the Showa and Heisei era.
Takeo Watanabe (渡辺 岳夫, Watanabe Takeo; April 16, 1933 – June 2, 1989) was a Japanese musician and composer. In addition…Takeo Watanabe (渡辺 岳夫, Watanabe Takeo; April 16, 1933 – June 2, 1989) was a Japanese musician and composer. In addition to composing the well known theme song for Cutie Honey he has also composed music for multiple anime television series and films including Lone Wolf and Cub, Candy Candy, and Mobile Suit Gundam. Tomei Tengu BGM written and performed by Takeo Watanabe was used in the soundtrack of the 2003 movie Lost in Translation fourteen years after his death. In 2008 Takeo Watanabe posthumously received an Award of Merit from the Tokyo International Anime Fair. He died at the age of 56.
Yoshio Aramaki (荒巻義雄, Aramaki Yoshio, born 12 April 1933) is a Japanese science fiction and mystery writer, critic and…Yoshio Aramaki (荒巻義雄, Aramaki Yoshio, born 12 April 1933) is a Japanese science fiction and mystery writer, critic and art collector. His original given name was Kunio Aramaki (荒巻邦夫, Aramaki Kunio). He has changed his name to Yoshimasa Aramaki (荒巻義雅). Aramaki is well known by his so-called "Meta-SF" works which are characterized by their speculative and fantastic themes and depictions. He is also famous for his various series of "imaginary battle" novels and alternate history novels such as Konpeki no Kantai series. He is a member of the Japan Writers’ Association, and of the SFWJ (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan), and of the Contemporary Haiku Association. He was also a professor in the Seishū Women's University (now, Sapporo International University) from 1993 to 1997.
Shuntarō Tanikawa (谷川 俊太郎, Tanikawa Shuntarō; December 15, 1931 – November 13, 2024) was a Japanese poet, translator…Shuntarō Tanikawa (谷川 俊太郎, Tanikawa Shuntarō; December 15, 1931 – November 13, 2024) was a Japanese poet, translator, children's author, and screenwriter. He was considered to be one of the most widely read and highly regarded Japanese poets, both in Japan and abroad. The English translation of his poetry volume Floating the River in Melancholy, translated by William I. Elliott and Kazuo Kawamura and illustrated by Yōko Sano, won the American Book Award in 1989.
Kazuko Shiraishi (白石 かずこ, Shiraishi Kazuko; 27 February 1931 – 14 June 2024) was a Japanese poet and translator who was…Kazuko Shiraishi (白石 かずこ, Shiraishi Kazuko; 27 February 1931 – 14 June 2024) was a Japanese poet and translator who was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She was a modernist, outsider poet who got her start in Katsue Kitazono's "VOU" poetry group, which led Shiraishi to publish her first book of poems in 1951. She also read her poetry at jazz performances. She appeared at readings and literary festivals all over the world. Kenneth Rexroth called her "the Allen Ginsberg of Japan," and edited a volume of her poetry in English for New Directions Press. Shiraishi died on 14 June 2024, at the age of 93.
Makoto Ōoka (大岡 信, Ōoka Makoto; February 16, 1931, in Mishima, Shizuoka – April 5, 2017) was a Japanese poet and…Makoto Ōoka (大岡 信, Ōoka Makoto; February 16, 1931, in Mishima, Shizuoka – April 5, 2017) was a Japanese poet and literary critic. He pioneered the collaborative poetic form renshi in the 1990s, in which he has collaborated with such well-known literary figures as Charles Tomlinson, James Lasdun, Joseph Stanton, Shuntarō Tanikawa and Mikirō Sasaki.
Chimako Tada (多田智満子, Tada Chimako; April 1, 1930 – January 23, 2003) was a Japanese poet renowned for her surreal style…Chimako Tada (多田智満子, Tada Chimako; April 1, 1930 – January 23, 2003) was a Japanese poet renowned for her surreal style and evocation of women's experience in post-war Japan. She authored more than 15 books of Japanese poetry, and also translated prose and poetry from French. Tada wrote in traditional styles, such as tanka and haiku, as well as contemporary prose poetry.
Kōichi Iijima (飯島耕一, Iijima Kōichi; February 25, 1930- October 14, 2013) was a Japanese poet, novelist, and translator.…Kōichi Iijima (飯島耕一, Iijima Kōichi; February 25, 1930- October 14, 2013) was a Japanese poet, novelist, and translator. He was a member of the Japan Art Academy.
Eriko Kishida (岸田 衿子, Kishida Eriko, January 5, 1929 – April 7, 2011) was a Japanese poet, children's author, lyricist…Eriko Kishida (岸田 衿子, Kishida Eriko, January 5, 1929 – April 7, 2011) was a Japanese poet, children's author, lyricist, and translator. She is known for writing the lyrics to popular animated children's television shows like Anne of Green Gables and Heidi, Girl of the Alps, as well as her children's picture books. Kishida was a member of the Kai group and published poetry in the "Kai" literary magazine founded by Noriko Ibaragi.
Kikuo Takano (高野 喜久雄, Takano Kikuo; November 20, 1927 – May 1, 2006) was a Japanese poet and mathematician. He was born…Kikuo Takano (高野 喜久雄, Takano Kikuo; November 20, 1927 – May 1, 2006) was a Japanese poet and mathematician. He was born on Sado Island in 1927. He graduated from Utsunomiya Agricultural College in 1948. He began to write poems from the day after Japan had ended its role in World War II. Being inspired from surrealism and Heidegger, he wrote poems that ask the meaning of being. He was part of the VOU and Arechi poetry groups, and was awarded the Attilio Bertolucci Award for his poetry. Takano also discovered a Machin-like formula for calculating pi.
Kazue Morisaki (森崎和江, Morisaki Kazue; April 20, 1927 – June 15, 2022) was a Japanese poet and nonfiction writer. She is…Kazue Morisaki (森崎和江, Morisaki Kazue; April 20, 1927 – June 15, 2022) was a Japanese poet and nonfiction writer. She is best known for her 1976 book Karayuki-san (からゆきさん).
Seiji Tsutsumi (堤 清二, Tsutsumi Seiji; March 30, 1927 − November 25, 2013) was a Japanese businessperson, author and…Seiji Tsutsumi (堤 清二, Tsutsumi Seiji; March 30, 1927 − November 25, 2013) was a Japanese businessperson, author and poet, also known by the pen names Takashi Tsujii (辻井 喬, Tsujii Takashi) and Ikuo Yokose (横瀬 郁夫, Yokose Ikuo).
Michiko Ishimure (石牟礼道子, Ishimure Michiko; 11 March 1927 – 10 February 2018) was a Japanese writer and activist. She…Michiko Ishimure (石牟礼道子, Ishimure Michiko; 11 March 1927 – 10 February 2018) was a Japanese writer and activist. She won the 1973 Ramon Magsaysay Award, among the most prestigious awards in Asia, for publicizing writings about Minamata disease, which was extremely controversial at the time.
Noriko Ibaragi (茨木 のり子, Ibaragi Noriko) was a Japanese poet, playwright, essayist, children's literature writer, and…Noriko Ibaragi (茨木 のり子, Ibaragi Noriko) was a Japanese poet, playwright, essayist, children's literature writer, and translator. She is most well known for her poem, Watashi ga ichiban kirei datta toki (わたしが一番きれいだったとき, "When my beauty shone"), written twelve years after the Japanese defeat in WWII. In 1953, she co-founded the literary journal Kai ("Oars"). She began to learn Korean as a second language at the age of fifty, going on to publish her own translations of poetry by her Korean contemporaries.
Hiroshi Yoshino (Japanese: 吉野弘; 1926 – 15 January 2014) was a Japanese poet. Hiroshi Yoshino died from pneumonia on the…Hiroshi Yoshino (Japanese: 吉野弘; 1926 – 15 January 2014) was a Japanese poet. Hiroshi Yoshino died from pneumonia on the night of 15 January 2014, aged 87, in Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Tachihara Masaaki (立原 正秋; 6 January 1926 – 12 August 1980) was the pen-name of a Japanese novelist, essayist, poet and…Tachihara Masaaki (立原 正秋; 6 January 1926 – 12 August 1980) was the pen-name of a Japanese novelist, essayist, poet and literary critic of Korean descent, active during the Shōwa period.
Seiichi Niikuni (新国誠一, Niikuni Seiichi; December 7, 1925 – August 23, 1977) was a Japanese poet and painter. He was one…Seiichi Niikuni (新国誠一, Niikuni Seiichi; December 7, 1925 – August 23, 1977) was a Japanese poet and painter. He was one of the foremost pioneers of the international avant-garde concrete poetry movement, creating works of calligraphic, visual and aural poetry. He is recognized as one of the most important poets of recent times in Japanese and German textbooks. It is said that during his later years, he started to prefer the old kanji orthography form of his name, 新國誠一.
