Fumiko Ishioka (Japanese: 石岡史子; Hepburn: Ishioka Fumiko, born 1970) is a Japanese translator.[1]

Fumiko Ishioka
石岡史子 (Japanese)
Ishioka Fumiko (Hepburn)
Born1970 (age 53–54)
NationalityJapanese
Occupation(s)Translator
Teacher
Years active1999-present
Known forHana's Suitcase

Biography edit

After finishing an MA in Development Studies at Leeds University in England in 1995, Ishioka spent two years working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[2]

In 1999 she was appointed executive director of the Tokyo Holocaust Education Resource Center.[2] Visiting Auschwitz in 1999, Ishioka requested a loan of children's items that would convey the story of the Holocaust to other children. The museum loaned her a child's suitcase, which had a name, a birthdate and the German word, Waisenkind (orphan) written on it.[3][4] Ishioka began researching the life of the owner of the suitcase, Hana Brady, and eventually found her surviving brother in Canada.[5] The story of Brady and how her suitcase led Ishioka to Toronto became the subject of a CBC documentary.[3]

Karen M. Levine, the producer of the documentary, turned the story into a book; it received the Bank Street College of Education Flora Stieglitz Straus Award for non-fiction and the National Jewish Book Award.[6] The book received a nomination for the Governor General's Award and was selected as a final award candidate for the Norma Fleck award. It has been translated into over 20 languages and published around the world.[7] In October 2006, the book won the Yad Vashem award, presented to George Brady at a ceremony in Jerusalem.[8]

References edit

  1. ^ "Fumiko Ishioka". Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  2. ^ a b Fumiko Ishioka, Hana's Story
  3. ^ a b Hana's Suitcase, CBC Sunday Edition radio documentary Web version, with family photos and Hana's artwork. With audio link to the documentary; retrieved 25 March 2010.
  4. ^ Brady family web site, hanassuitcase.ca; retrieved 26 March 2010.
  5. ^ Annika Orich. "Remembering Hana" Archived 24 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Canadian Literature book review; retrieved 24 January 2012.
  6. ^ Interview with Karen Levine (PDF). Proceedings of the 38th Annual Convention of the Association of Jewish Libraries in Toronto, ON. (15–18 June 2003); retrieved 25 March 2010.Archived 29 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Dalit Danenberg. The efforts she made to uncover the life story of the girl who owned the suitcase went far beyond any job description History, Hatred and Hope: The Story Behind 'Hana's Suitcase'."Teaching Outside the Box" (PDF) Yad Vashem Education Awards 2006; retrieved 25 March 2010.
  8. ^ Ori Golan (May 14, 2010). "A Suitcase that Talks". The Jerusalem Post.