Hisako Matsubara

Hisako Matsubara (Japanese: 松原 久子; *May 21, 1935 in Kyoto) is a Japanese novelist who writes in German and English as well.

Born as the daughter of prominent Shinto priest, she went to high school in Kyoto. She attended Tokyo's International Christian University, where she studied comparative religion and literature. After receiving a BA, she moved to the United States to study theater arts at the Pennsylvania State University, from which she graduated with a MA. She worked for a while as an editor in the US before moving to Europe for further studies. After studying in Zürich, Marburg and Göttingen she finally got a PhD in philosophy from the Ruhr University of Bochum in 1970. She settled in Cologne and worked as journalist and translator. Meanwhile, in 1969 she published a German translation of the ancient Japanese tale Taketori-monogatari with her sister Naoko Matsubara doing  illustrations for the book. She had a weekly column at the German newspaper "Die Zeit" and worked on documentaries of the major German TV stations ARD and ZDF.In the late 70s and early 80s she published several novels in German (Brokatrausch 1978, Samurai 1979, Glückspforte 1980, Abendkranich 1981, Karpfentanz 1994, Himmelszeichen 1998) which were quite successful, first in Germany and then internationally as well. The plots of the novels are set in recent Japanese history with changes in Japanese culture during the modernization and western influences as a background theme. Hisako Matsubara moved back to the US in the mid 80s to work for the Hoover Institution of Stanford University. Currently she lives with her family in Los Altos.

Hisako Matsubara is a member of the German PEN since 1971 and since 1985 a member of the American Art Directors Club. She received the New York Critics Award in 1985 and in 1987 she was the Writer in residence at the East West Center in Manoa, Hawaii.

Works

 * The Tale of the Shining Princess Harpercollins Children's Books 1966, ISBN 978-9999227315
 * Samurai
 * Glückspforte. Knaus 1980, ISBN 978-3813505634
 * Cranes at Dusk (Abendkraniche)
 * Brokatrausch. Goldmann 1986, ISBN 978-3442084517
 * The Japanese: A Mystery Unfolded. Atlantic Monthly Press 1990, ISBN 978-0871131119
 * Wakon no jidai. Mikasa Shobo 1987, 978-4837913443
 * Nihon no chie Yoroppa no chie. Mikasa Shobo 1987, ISBN 978-4837912668
 * Karpfentanz.
 * ''Raumschiff Japan. Realität und Provokation (Gebundene Ausgabe). Knaus Albrecht (Juli 1998), ISBN 978-3813506242
 * Himmelszeichen. Goldmann 2000, ISBN 978-3442447008