Agata Hikari

Kazue Asai, known by her pen name Agata Hikari 2=干刈あがた, was a Japanese novelist and translator. She won several awards throughout her career, but was best known for her Noma Literary Prize-winning novel 2=しずかにわたすこがねのゆびわ.

Biography

Hikari was born in Tokyo, Japan on January 25, 1943. Her father was a police officer. She attended Waseda University, but dropped out and became a copywriter. After fifteen years of marriage, she divorced and began writing fiction in 1982. Hikari also worked as a translator.
Hikari's first publication was 2=樹下の家族, a novel which won the in 1982. Her next few works, 2=ウホッホ探険隊, 2=ゆっくり東京女子マラソン, and 2=ホーム・パーティー were all runners-up for the Akutagawa Prize. Uhoho Tankentai was adapted into the film House of Wedlock. Her 1986 2=しずかにわたすこがねのゆびわ won the Noma Literary Prize. Her 1988 2=黄色い髪 was nominated for the Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize. Many of her works were also nominated for other awards. Her works frequently included themes of divorce, family relationships, and life as a woman.
Hikari died on September 6, 1992, of stomach cancer.

Selected works

2=樹下の家族, 1982
2=ウホッホ探険隊, 1983
2=ゆっくり東京女子マラソン, 1984
2=ホーム・パーティー, 1986
2=しずかにわたすこがねのゆびわ, 1986
2=黄色い髪, 1988