Seiko Tanabe

Tanabe was born on 27 March 1928. Her father was a photographer and operated a photography studio.[2] She was familiar with the Japanese classic literatures since her young days. The cultures and tradition of her birthplace, Osaka, largely affected her life and literature.

After World War II, she engaged in the coterie activities while working in a company. Her novel Hanagari (花狩) in this period was nominated in the literature competition and adopted as a radio drama. In 1956, she won the Osaka Citizen Award for literature for her story Niji (虹). After that she became a professional writer.

In 1964, she won the 50th Akutagawa Prize for her novel Sentimental Journey (感傷旅行, Kanshō Ryokō). In the following years, she wrote and published a wide range of literary works, such as novels of love romance, biographies, many essays of various themes including Japanese classic literature, translations and adaptations of the classic works of Japan such as the Tale of Genji and Makura no Sōshi.

She married Sumio Kawano (川野純夫) who had been a husband of her literary friend Shōko Kawano (川野彰子). After the death of Shōko, Tanabe married Kawano as a second wife in 1966, and lived with him until his death in 2002, for 36 years. They lived in Osaka, but in 1976, they moved to Itami city in Hyōgo Prefecture.

Tanabe received various literary awards. In 2000, she became a Person of Cultural Merit and then, she received Order of Culture for her literary contributions of Japanese culture in 2008. Her literary works had unique characteristics which reflected the cultures of Osaka and its dialect. She created successful love romances using Osaka dialect, which is one of Kansai dialect.

Tanabe died by ascending cholangitis on 6 June 2019 at a hospital in Kōbe, Hyōgo.[3]

• 1956 Osaka Citizen Award, for Niji ( 虹 )
• 1964 50th Akutagawa Prize for Kanshō ryokō ( 感傷旅行 )
• 1987 Women's Literature Award for Hanagoromo nuguya matsuwaru ... Waga ai no Sugita Hisajo ( 花衣ぬぐやまつわる......わが愛の杉田久女 )
• 1993 Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for Literature, for Hinekure Issa ( ひねくれ一茶 )
• 1994 42nd Kikuchi Kan Prize, for Hinekure Issa
• 1998 26th Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature, for Dōton-bori no ame ni wakarete irai nari - Senryū sakka Kishimoto Suifu to sono jidai ( 道頓堀の雨に別れて以来なり-川柳作家·岸本水府とその時代 )
• 1999 50th Yomiuri Prize for Dōton-bori no ame ni wakarete irai nari[4]
• 2007 Asahi Prize

• 2000 Person of Cultural Merit
• 2008 Order of Culture