Tomiko Miyao (April 13, 1926 December 30, 2014) was a Japanese novelist. She is best known for writing historical fiction. Many of her works were adapted into television dramas and films, most notably

Onimasa is a 1982 Japanese film directed by Hideo Gosha. Based on the novel of Tomiko Miyao. It was Japan's submission to the 55th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee. Cast * Tatsuya Nak ...

, Atsuhime, and Yoshitsune.

Early life and education

Miyao was born in Kochi, Japan on April 13, 1926. Her father was a gambler who worked as an agent for prostitutes. She graduated from middle school in 1943, then dropped out of high school to get away from her father. She moved to a new town and became a substitute teacher. She married her coworker, a teacher named Kaoru Maeda, in 1944. They had a daughter and briefly moved to

Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer Manc ...

. When World War II ended in 1945, the family was held in an internment camp until 1946, when they returned to Japan and lived with her husband's family in Kochi prefecture.

Career

Miyao's writing career first gained attention when her short story "Ren" won the ''

Fujin Kōron (meaning ''Woman's Review'' in English) is a Japanese bi-weekly women's magazine published by Chūōkōron-Shinsha. It was founded under the concept of women's liberation and establishment of selfhood. It was first published in January 1916 (Ta ...

'' prize for new women writers in 1962. She then moved to Tokyo in 1966 and became a magazine editor. She continued writing for women's magazines and won the Osamu Dazai prize in 1974. Though she hated her father's profession, she wrote a story about his profession, "Kantsubaki". It went on to win the in 1977. In 1978 she won the

Naoki prize The Naoki Prize, officially , is a Japanese literary award presented biannually. It was created in 1935 by Kikuchi Kan, then editor of the ''Bungeishunjū'' magazine, and named in memory of novelist Naoki Sanjugo. Sponsored by the Society for the ...

for her novel "Ichigen no koto". She went on to write prolifically throughout the rest of her career, winning several other awards such as the

Kikuchi Kan prize The honors achievement in all aspects of Japanese literary culture. It was named in honor of Kikuchi Kan. The prize is presented annually by the literary magazine ''Bungei Shunjū'' and the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Literature. Histor ...

and the Elan d'or. She was named a

Person of Cultural Merit is an official Japanese recognition and honor which is awarded annually to select people who have made outstanding cultural contributions. This distinction is intended to play a role as a part of a system of support measures for the promotion of ...

in 2008. Miyao died on December 30, 2014.

Style

Miyao's novels typically center around women going through hardship. She often writes about them compassionately and sensitively.

Bibliography

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References

1926 births 2014 deaths {{DEFAULTSORT:Miyao, Tomiko 20th-century Japanese novelists Writers from Kōchi Prefecture