Michiko Yamamoto (山本道子, Yamamoto Michiko; 4 December 1936 – 29 January 2026) is the professional name of Michiko Furuya (古屋道子, Furuya Michiko), a Japanese writer and poet. Yamamoto won the Shincho Prize for New Writers, the Akutagawa Prize, and the Izumi Kyoka Prize for Literature.
Michiko Yamamoto | |
|---|---|
| Native name | 古屋道子 |
| Born | 4 December 1936 Tokyo, Japan |
| Died | 29 January 2026 (aged 89) Chigasaki, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Pen name | 山本道子 |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | Japanese |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Genre | |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards |
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Biography
editYamamoto was born in Nakano, Tokyo and graduated from Atomi University in 1957.[1] Her first three short stories, "Mahō," "Ame no Isu," and "Betei-san no Niwa" appeared in Shinchō magazine in March, July and November 1972 editions, respectively. "Rōjin no Kamo" was published August 1972 in the magazine Fūkei. These four stories were based on her experience living in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, where she had accompanied her husband in 1967.[2] They later appeared in a collective issue. “Betty-san” became the title story for the English version, which was translated by Geraldine Harcourt and published in 1984 by Kodansha.[3]
She lived in Kamakura, Kanagawa with her husband. The couple had two grown daughters.
Yamamoto died on 29 January 2026 at a hospital in Chigasaki, at the age of 89.[4]
Literary awards
edit- 1972 4th Shinchō Prize for New Writers for Mahō (Powers)[5]
- 1972 68th Akutagawa Prize for Betei-san no Niwa (Betty’s Garden)[6]
- 1993 21st Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature[7]
Bibliography
edit- Mahō (Powers)
- Ame no Isu (Chair in the Rain)
- Betei-san no Niwa (Betty-san)(1973), title story of four short stories
- Rōjin no Kamo (Father Gooze)
- Razō (1974), short stories
- Nichiyōbi no Kasa (1976), poetry
- Yamamoto Michiko Shishū (1976), poetry
- Tenshi yo Umi ni mae (1981), novel
- Umi no Satō-kibi (1982), short stories
- Birejji no Ame (1982), short stories
References
edit- ↑ Mulhern, Chieko Irie, ed. (1994). Japanese Women Writers: A Bio-critical Sourcebook. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313254864.
- ↑ Miller, J. Scott (2010). The A to Z of Modern Japanese Literature and Theater. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780810876156.
- ↑ Domini, John (1 January 1984). "Exile and Detention". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
- ↑ "日本の戦争花嫁描いた「ベティさんの庭」で芥川賞受賞、作家の山本道子さん死去 89歳" [Author Michiko Yamamoto, winner of the Akutagawa Prize for "Betty's Garden," a novel depicting Japanese war brides, has died at the age of 89.]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). 16 April 2026. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
- ↑ "新潮新人賞 過去の受賞作品" (in Japanese). Shinchosha. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
- ↑ "芥川賞受賞者一覧" (in Japanese). 日本文学振興会. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
- ↑ "泉鏡花文学賞" (in Japanese). City of Kanagawa. Retrieved 10 July 2018.