Yukio Togawa

[Wiki (jp)](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/戸川幸夫) Yukio Togawa was a Japanese novelist and children's literature writer. He established animal literature based on his correct observation and knowledge of animals, and is a leading author in Japan along with Hatoju Muku (especially his works on dog fighting). He is also known for bringing a sample of Iriomote wildcat to Yoshinori Imaizumi, which had previously existed only as a rumor, and for his great contribution to discovering a new species. He has also written reportage, war stories, and other works. In addition, he has written original manga. Yukio Togawa was an animal lover from an early age, and aspired to become a zoologist, reading many books on animals. Due to his father's work, he moved to Tokyo and graduated from Takachiho Junior High School. In 1937, he joined the Tokyo Nichinichi Shimbun (now the Mainichi Shimbun) as a reporter in the Social Affairs Department, and served in various places as a correspondent in China and as a Navy press officer. When he was a member of the press corps, there is an episode in which he asked Takijiro Onishi, "Will Japan be able to defeat the United States through suicide attacks? After the war, he was transferred to Sun Shashin Shimbun, and later served as social manager of Tokyo Nichinichi Shimbun and deputy editor of Mainichi Graph. In 1953, he joined the Shintaka-kai organized by Shin Hasegawa, where he learned to write novels. He subsequently resigned from his position at a newspaper company and began his career as a writer, publishing works about animals such as "Kiba Ou monogatari" (1957), "Shokoku ryoujin-den" (1959), and "Doubutsu Fudoki" (1960). His other works include military stories, social novels, historical novels, documentary literature, and children's literature, etc. In 1961, "Tsume Ou," about a hawk and a falconer, was included in an animal short story anthology published by Paul Neff in Austria. In 1962, he received the Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award for his book "Kodomo no Tame no Doubutsu Monogatari." In March 1965, he discovered the Iriomote cat in Okinawa. In 1977, he was awarded the Minister of Education's Art Encouragement Prize for "opening up a new genre of animal literature in Japanese literature and setting a unique high peak" for his book, "Complete Works of Yukio Togawa on Animal Literature (Togawa Yukio Doubutsu Bungaku Zenshuu)". In 1980, he was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon. In 1985 Outstanding Contribution to Children's Literature. 1986 Received the Order of the Sacred Treasure. He also served on the boards of the Japan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the World Wildlife Fund Japan Committee, the Elsa Society for Nature Conservation, and the Savannah Club (Friends of East Africa). Her second daughter, Kumi Togawa, is the president of the non-profit organization, the Tiger and Elephant Conservation Foundation (JTEF), which works to protect wild tigers, Asian elephants, African elephants, and the Iriomote wild cat. His cousin is Japanese novelist and detective writer, Kyo Tashikawa. In 1971, he made a guest appearance in the third series of "Kimotama Kaasan," which was written by Togawa's disciple, Yumie Hiraiwa. __Major Awards:__ - Naoki Sanjugo Prize (1954) - Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award (1962) - Minister of Education's Art Encouragement Prize (1972) - Medal with Purple Ribbon (1980) - The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Third Class (1986) (Source: Wikipedia)