Akiko Itoyama Explained

Akiko Itoyama
Native Name:	絲山秋子
Birth Date:	22 November 1966
Birth Place:	Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
Alma Mater:	Waseda University
Occupation:	Writer, novelist
Language:	Japanese
Nationality:	Japanese
Genre:	Fiction
Notableworks:	It's Only Talk Oki de matsu
Awards:	Bungakukai New Face Prize Akutagawa Prize Kawabata Yasunari Prize Tanizaki Prize

is a Japanese novelist. She has won the Akutagawa Prize, the Kawabata Yasunari Prize, and the Tanizaki Prize, and her work has been adapted for film.

Biography

After graduation from Shinjuku High School and Waseda University, she worked as a saleswoman for a major household equipment company and, as is common in Japanese corporate life, was transferred several times to various localities. Treatment for cyclic psychosis led to her writing.^[1]

Her works, which focus on human relations, have been nominated for and received literary awards. She was recipient of the 96th Bungakukai New Face Award and a nominee for the 129th Akutagawa Prize for her first volume, , in 2003. The book was later adapted into the 2005 Ryūichi Hiroki film It's Only Talk. Itoyama won the Akutagawa Prize in January 2006 for her short story "Oki de matsu".^[2] An English translation of her "Oki de matsu" appeared in the April 2007 issue of Words Without Borders under the title "Waiting in the Offing." Her book was adapted into a 2007 film starring Minami Hinase.^[3] An English version of the book, translated by Charles de Wolf, was published in 2013 under the title In Pursuit of Lavender.^[4]

An English translation of It's Only Talk was published by The Japan Times in March 2009. In 2010 her novel was adapted into a film by Shusuke Kaneko.^[5] In 2016 Itoyama won the 52nd Tanizaki Prize for her 2015 book .^[6]

She has been praised for her ability to describe provincial scenery and represent regional accents and dialects, reflecting the characters' image, even though she was brought up in Tokyo. She explains that she learned them through repeated company transfers all over Japan.

Recognition

• 2004 55th MEXT Award for New Artists^[7]
• 2004 30th Kawabata Yasunari Prize^[8]
• 2006 134th Akutagawa Prize (2005下)^[9]
• 2016 52nd Tanizaki Prize^[10]

Bibliography

Books in Japanese

• , Bungeishunjū, 2004, (won the 96th Bungakukai New Face Award, nominated for the 129th Akutagawa Prize)
• , Shinchosha, 2004, (nominated for the 130th Akutagawa Prize, also won the Minister of Education and Science's Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists, in book form)
• , Kodansha, 2004, (won the 30th Kawabata Yasunari Prize)
• , Chuokoron Shinsha, 2005, (nominated for the 133rd Naoki Prize and New Face Award of the 27th Noma Prize for Literature)
• , Nigensha, 2005,
• , Kadokawa Shoten, 2005,
• , Bungeishunjū, 2006, (won the 134th Akutagawa Prize)

• includes 勤労感謝の日 Kinrō kansha no hi (Labor Thanksgiving Day), nominated for the 131st Akutagawa Prize
• , Shinchosha, 2008,
• , Bungeishunjū, 2014,
• , Shinchosha, 2015,

Selected works in English

• "Waiting in the Offing," trans. Charles de Wolf, Words Without Borders, April 2007 issue^[11]
• It's Only Talk, trans. Raquel Hill, The Japan Times, 2009,
• In Pursuit of Lavender, trans. Charles de Wolf, Anthem Press, 2013,

External links

• Akiko Itoyama at J'Lit Books from Japan
• Synopsis of In Pursuit of Lavender (Tobo kusotawake) at JLPP (Japanese Literature Publishing Project)

Notes and References

1. A Vigorous New Voice in Japanese Fiction. Japanese Book News. Japan Foundation. 48. 16. Kawakatsu. Miki. August 26, 2018.
2. News: Itoyama gets Akutagawa; Higashino receives Naoki. The Japan Times. January 18, 2006. August 26, 2018.
3. Web site: 福岡のみのもんたに、熊本はばってん登場　『逃亡くそたわけ』九州にて待望の公開！. japanese. CinemaCafe.net. October 9, 2007. August 26, 2018.
4. News: In Pursuit of Lavender. The Japan Times. Lange. Hanna. January 25, 2014. August 26, 2018.
5. News: ‘Bakamono (Fools)’. The Japan Times. Schilling. Mark. December 24, 2010. August 26, 2018.
6. News: 谷崎賞、中央公論文芸賞贈呈式「小説の良さ、未来へ」絲山秋子さんら喜びの声. japanese. Mainichi Shimbun. October 18, 2016. August 26, 2018. August 27, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180827142250/https://mainichi.jp/articles/20161018/dde/018/040/019000c. dead.
7. Web site: 芸術選奨歴代受賞者一覧（昭和25年度～）. japanese. Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan. August 26, 2018.
8. Web site: 川端康成文学賞　過去の受賞作品. japanese. Kawabata Yasunari Prize Previous Winning Works. Shinchosha. August 26, 2018.
9. Web site: 芥川賞受賞者一覧. japanese. Akutagawa Prize Recipient List. 日本文学振興会. August 26, 2018.
10. Web site: 谷崎潤一郎賞受賞作品一覧. japanese. List of Tanizaki Prize Award Winners. Chuokoron-Shinsha. August 26, 2018.
11. Waiting in the Offing. Itoyama. Akiko. Charles. de Wolf. Words Without Borders. April 1, 2007. August 26, 2018.