is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

writer. Her work has won every major Japanese literary award, including the

Akutagawa Prize The is a Japanese literary award presented biannually. Because of its prestige and the considerable attention the winner receives from the media, it is, along with the Naoki Prize, one of Japan's most sought after literary prizes. History The ...

and the

Yomiuri Prize The is a literary award in Japan. The prize was founded in 1949 by the Yomiuri Shinbun Company to help form a "strong cultural nation". The winner is awarded two million Japanese yen and an inkstone. Award categories For the first two years, a ...

. Internationally, she has been the recipient of the

Shirley Jackson Award The Shirley Jackson Awards are literary awards named after Shirley Jackson in recognition of her legacy in writing. These awards for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror and the dark fantastic are presented ...

and the

American Book Award The American Book Award is an American literary award that annually recognizes a set of books and people for "outstanding literary achievement". According to the 2010 awards press release, it is "a writers' award given by other writers" and "the ...

. ''

The Memory Police is a 1994 science fiction novel by Yōko Ogawa. The novel, dream-like and melancholy in tone in a manner influenced by modernist writer Franz Kafka, takes place on an island with a setting reminiscent of that in George Orwell's ''Nineteen Eigh ...

'' was also shortlisted for the

International Booker Prize The International Booker Prize (formerly known as the Man Booker International Prize) is an international literary award hosted in the United Kingdom. The introduction of the International Prize to complement the Man Booker Prize was announc ...

in 2020. Some of her most well known works include '' The Housekeeper and the Professor,

The Diving Pool ''The Diving Pool: Three Novellas'' is a novella collection by Japanese author Yōko Ogawa, first published in English in 2008. It was Ogawa's first book-length work to be translated. ''The Diving Pool'' is a triptych of psychological horror s ...

'' and ''Hotel Iris''.

Background and education

Ogawa was born in

Okayama is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1889. , the city has an estimated population of 720,841 and a population density of 910 persons per km2. The total area is . The city is ...

Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,906,464 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefectur ...

, and attended

Waseda University , abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the ''Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō'' by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902. The university has numerou ...

, Tokyo. When she married her husband, a steel company engineer, she quit her job as a medical university secretary and wrote while her husband was at work. Initially, she wrote only as a hobby, and her husband didn't realise she was a writer until her debut novel, ''The Breaking of the Butterfly'', received a literary prize. Her novella ''Pregnancy Diary,'' written in brief intervals when her son was a toddler, won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize for literature, thus cementing her reputation in Japan. She currently lives in Ashiya, Japan.

Career

Since 1988, Ogawa has published more than fifty works of fiction and nonfiction. Much of her work has yet to be translated into English. In 2006, she worked alongside the mathematician

Masahiko Fujiwara Masahiko Fujiwara (Japanese: 藤原正彦 ''Fujiwara Masahiko''; born July 9, 1943, in Shinkyo, Manchukuo) is a Japanese mathematician and writer who is known for his book '' The Dignity of the Nation''. He is a professor emeritus at Ochanomiz ...

to co-write "An Introduction to the World's Most Elegant Mathematics", a dialogue on the extraordinary beauty of numbers. Her work has been published in the

New Yorker New Yorker or ''variant'' primarily refers to: * A resident of the State of New York ** Demographics of New York (state) * A resident of New York City ** List of people from New York City * ''The New Yorker'', a magazine founded in 1925 * ''The New ...

A Public Space ''A Public Space'' is a nonprofit triquarterly English-language literary magazine based in Brooklyn, New York. First published in April 2006, ''A Public Space'' publishes fiction, poetry, essays and art. The magazine's Focus portfolios have exam ...

and

Zoetrope A zoetrope is one of several pre-film animation devices that produce the illusion of motion by displaying a sequence of drawings or photographs showing progressive phases of that motion. It was basically a cylindrical variation of the phénak ...

br>
The 2005 French film '' L'Annulaire'' (''The Ringfinger'') was based in part on Ogawa's ''Kusuriyubi no hyōhon''. Her novel '' The Housekeeper and the Professor'' was adapted into the movie '' The Professor's Beloved Equation''. In partnership with Amazon studios,

Reed Morano Reed Morano (born April 15, 1977) is an American film director and cinematographer. Morano was the first woman in history to win both the Emmy and Directors Guild Award for directing a drama series in the same year for the pilot episode of The Han ...

and

Charlie Kaufman Charles Stuart Kaufman (; born November 19, 1958) is an American filmmaker and novelist. He wrote the films ''Being John Malkovich'' (1999), ''Adaptation'' (2002), and ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' (2004). He made his directorial de ...

are set to adapt ''The Memory Police.''

Themes and influences

Kenzaburō Ōe is a Japanese writer and a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature. His novels, short stories and essays, strongly influenced by French and American literature and literary theory, deal with political, social and philosophical issues, i ...

has said, "Yoko Ogawa is able to give expression to the most subtle workings of human psychology in prose that is gentle yet penetrating." Her English translator, Stephen Snyder, has said that “There is a naturalness to what she writes so it never feels forced...Her narrative seems to be flowing from a source that’s hard to identify.” Frequently, she explores the theme of memory in her works. For instance, ''The Housekeeper and the Professor'' follows a mathematics professor who cannot remember anything for longer than eighty minutes, and ''The Memory Police'' is about a group of islanders who gradually forget the existence of certain things, such as birds or flowers. Human cruelty features as another prominent theme in her work, as she is interested in exploring what drives people to commit acts of physical or emotional violence. She often writes about female bodies and the woman's role in a family, which has led many to label her as a feminist writer. Ogawa is hesitatant about this label, stating instead that she "just peeked into he world of her charactersand took notes from what they were doing". ''

The Diary of Anne Frank ''The Diary of a Young Girl'', also known as ''The Diary of Anne Frank'', is a book of the writings from the Dutch-language diary kept by Anne Frank while she was in hiding for two years with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherl ...

'' has been a significant source of inspiration to her throughout her career. She first encountered the diary as a teenager, and was inspired to start a diary of her own, writing back to Anne as though they were friends. She notes how “Anne’s heart and mind were so rich,” and that “her diary proved that people can grow even in such a confined situation. And writing could give people freedom.” Given its themes of persecution and confinement, ''The Memory Police'' in particular is a response to Anne's diary and the

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

in general. While at Waseda University, she was influenced by fellow Japanese authors such as

Mieko Kanai is a Japanese writer, poet, and literary critic. Biography Mieko Kanai was born in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,9 ...

, and

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...

. She also felt influenced by the American author

Paul Auster Paul Benjamin Auster (born February 3, 1947) is an American writer and film director. His notable works include ''The New York Trilogy'' (1987), ''Moon Palace'' (1989), ''The Music of Chance'' (1990), ''The Book of Illusions'' (2002), ''The Broo ...

, who she believes “writes a spoken literature—it feels like he’s written down a story someone told him, rather than creating it himself. Shibata’s translation was also very important, but when I read Moon Palace I thought ‘This is how I’d like to write.’ Like I’m just a medium for transferring a story from the world outside.”

Awards and honors

* 1988 Kaien literary Prize (

Benesse is a Japanese company which focuses on correspondence education and publishing. Based in Okayama-City, it is the parent company of Berlitz Language Schools, which in turn is the parent company of ELS Language Centers. Benesse is listed on the ...

) for her debut ''The Breaking of the Butterfly'' (Agehacho ga kowareru toki, 揚羽蝶が壊れる時) * 1990

for ''Pregnancy Diary'' (Ninshin karendaa, 妊娠カレンダー) * 2004

, Bookseller's Award for ''The Professor's Beloved Equation'' (Hakase no aishita sūshiki, 博士の愛した数式; translated as '' The Housekeeper and the Professor'') * 2004 Izumi Kyōka Prize for Burafuman no maisō, ブラフマンの埋葬 * 2006

Tanizaki Prize The Tanizaki Prize (谷崎潤一郎賞 ''Tanizaki Jun'ichirō Shō''), named in honor of the Japanese novelist Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, is one of Japan's most sought-after literary awards. It was established in 1965 by the publishing company Chūō K� ...

for ''Meena's March'' (Mīna no kōshin, ミーナの行進) * 2008

for ''

'' * 2014

Independent Foreign Fiction Prize The ''Independent'' Foreign Fiction Prize (1990–2015) was a British literary award. It was inaugurated by British newspaper ''The Independent'' to honour contemporary fiction in translation in the United Kingdom. The award was first launched i ...

shortlist for '' Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales'' (Japanese; trans. Stephen Snyder) * 2020

for ''The Memory Police'' (Japanese; trans. Stephen Snyder) * 2021

Medal with Purple Ribbon are medals awarded by the Government of Japan. They are awarded to individuals who have done meritorious deeds and also to those who have achieved excellence in their field of work. The Medals of Honor were established on December 7, 1881, and we ...

Works in English translation

* ''The Man Who Sold Braces'' (Gibusu o uru hito, ギブスを売る人, 1998); translated by Motoyuki Shibata, ''Manoa, 13.1'', 2001. *''Transit'' (Toranjitto, トランジット, 1996); translated by Alisa Freedman, ''Japanese Art: The Scholarship and Legacy of Chino Kaori'', special issue of '' Review of Japanese Culture and Society'', Vol. XV (Center for Inter-Cultural Studies and Education, Josai University, December 2003): 114-125. * ''The Cafeteria in the Evening and a Pool in the Rain'' (Yūgure no kyūshoku shitsu to ame no pūru, 夕暮れの給食室と雨のプール, 1991); translated by Stephen Snyder, ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'', 9/2004
Read here
* ''Pregnancy Diary'' (Ninshin karendā, 妊娠カレンダー, 1991); translated by Stephen Snyder, ''

'', 12/2005
Read here
* ''

'' (Daibingu puru, ダイヴィング・プール, 1990; Ninshin karendā, 妊娠カレンダー, 1991; Dormitory, ドミトリイ, 1991); translated by Stephen Snyder, New York: Picador, 2008. ; published on The New York Times in 2006 * '' The Housekeeper and the Professor'' (Hakase no ai shita sūshiki, 博士の愛した数式, 2003); translated by Stephen Snyder, New York : Picador, 2008. * ''Hotel Iris'' (Hoteru Airisu, ホテル・アイリス, 1996), translated by Stephen Snyder, Picador, 2010. * '' Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales'' (Kamoku na shigai, midara na tomurai, 寡黙な死骸みだらな弔い,1998) Translated by Stephen Snyder, Picador, 2013. * ''

'' (Hisoyaka na kesshō, 密やかな結晶, 1994), translated by Stephen Snyder, Pantheon Books, 2019.

Other works

* ''Agehachō ga kowareru toki'', 揚羽蝶が壊れる時, 1989, Kaien Prize * ''Kanpeki na byōshitsu'', 完璧な病室, 1989 * ''Same nai kōcha'', 冷めない紅茶, 1990 * ''Shugā taimu'', シュガータイム, 1991 * ''Yohaku no ai'', 余白の愛, 1992 * ''Angelina Sano Motoharu to 10 no tanpen'', アンジェリーナ―佐野元春と10の短編, 1993 * ''Yōsei ga mai oriru yoru'', 妖精が舞い下りる夜, 1993 * ''Hisoyaka na kesshō'', 密やかな結晶, 1994 * ''Kusuriyubi no hyōhon'', 薬指の標本, 1994 * ''Rokukakukei no shō heya'', 六角形の小部屋, 1994 * ''Anne Furanku no kioku'', アンネ・フランクの記憶, 1995 * ''Shishū suru shōjo'', 刺繍する少女, 1996 * , やさしい訴え, 1996 * ''Kamoku na shigai, midara na tomurai'', 寡黙な死骸みだらな弔い, 1998 * ''Kōritsui ta kaori'', 凍りついた香り, 1998 * ''Fukaki kokoro no soko yori'', 深き心の底より, 1999 * ''Gūzen no shukufuku'', 偶然の祝福, 2000 * ''Chinmoku hakubutsukan'', 沈黙博物館, 2000 * ''Mabuta'', まぶた, 2001 * ''Kifujin A no sosei'', 貴婦人Aの蘇生, 2002 * ''Burafuman no maisō'', ブラフマンの埋葬, 2004, Izumi Kyōka Prize * ''Yo ni mo utsukushī sūgaku nyūmon'', 世にも美しい数学入門, 2005 (''An Introduction to the World's Most Elegant Mathematics'') * ''Inu no shippo o nade nagara'', 犬のしっぽを撫でながら, 2006 * ''Mīna no kōshin'', ミーナの行進, 2006 ,

* ''Otogibanashi no wasuremono'', おとぎ話の忘れ物, 2006 (illustrated) * ''Umi'', 海 2006 * ''Hajimete no bungaku Ogawa Yōko'', はじめての文学小川洋子 2007 * ''Hakase no hondana'', 博士の本棚, 2007 * ''Monogatari no yakuwari'', 物語の役割, 2007 * ''Ogawa Yōko taiwa shū'', 小川洋子対話集, 2007 (conversations) * ''Yoake no fuchi wo samayou hitobito'', 夜明けの縁をさ迷う人々, 2007 * ''Kagaku no tobira wo nokku suru'', 科学の扉をノックする, 2008 * ''Karā hiyoko to kōhīmame'', カラーひよことコーヒー豆, 2009 * ''Kokoro to hibikiau dokusho annai'', 心と響き合う読書案内, 2009 * ''Neko wo daite zou to oyogu'', 猫を抱いて象と泳ぐ, 2009 * ''Genkou reimai nikki'', 原稿零枚日記, 2010 * ''Moso kibun'', 妄想気分, 2011 * ''Hitojichi no roudokukai'', 人質の朗読会, 2011 * ''Tonikaku sanpo itashimasho'', とにかく散歩いたしましょう, 2012 * ''Kotori'', ことり, 2012 * ''Saihate ākēdo'', 最果てアーケード, 2012 * ''Itsumo karera wa dokoka ni'', いつも彼らはどこかに, 2013 * ''Kohaku no matataki'', 琥珀のまたたき, 2015 * ''Fujichaku suru ryūsei tachi'', 不時着する流星たち, 2017 * ''Kuchibue no jōzu na shirayukihime'', 口笛の上手な白雪姫, 2018 * ''Kobako'', 小箱, 2019 * ''Yakusoku sareta idō, 約束された移動, 2019

References

Interviews

"Writer Ogawa Yōko’s Stories of Memory and Loss"
(by Kimie Itakura)
"Nippon com"
March 2020

External links

J'Lit , Authors : Yoko Ogawa , Books from Japan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ogawa, Yoko Akutagawa Prize winners Yomiuri Prize winners 1962 births Living people People from Okayama Japanese women novelists Japanese women short story writers Writers from Okayama Prefecture Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon