Isoko Hatano

Hatano was born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1905.^[1] In 1927, she completed a degree in English from Japan Women's University.^[1][2] From 1928 to 1937, she studied child psychology at the Child Research Institute at Japan Women's University.^[2] She worked as an assistant researcher in psychology and an educational counsellor at Tokyo Bunrika University (now the University of Tsukuba).^[1][2] In 1948, she enrolled as a graduate student at Nihon University.^[2] She earned her PhD in psychology in 1956.^[1] Her dissertation was titled The Development of Infants and Home Education.^[2]

Hatano worked as a professor at the Kunitachi College of Music and Toyo University.^[1][3] In 1960, she established the Japan Child Research Institute.^[2] She founded Hatano Family School in 1963.^[4][3] In 1964, she founded the Japan Family Welfare Association.^[2] Her husband, Hatano Kanji (波多野 完治), was also a psychologist.^[1][3]

Hatano was the celebrated author of a number of books.^[2][5] She published, in succession, 赤ちゃんの心理 (Psychology of Babies), 幼児の心理 (Psychology of Infants), 小学生の心理 (Psychology of Elementary School Students), and 中学生の心理 (Psychology of Junior High School Students).^[1] 幼児の心理 (Psychology of Infants) won the Mainichi Publishing Award.^[1][2][3]

Her 1950 book, Shōnenki, was a national bestseller,^[1][6] with over 300,000 copies sold.^[2] It was translated into French (L'Enfant d'Hiroshima)^[7] and English (Mother and Son).^[6][8][9] The book features letters exchanged between Hatano and her son, Ichiro, between 1944 and 1948.^[6][9] It was adapted into a 1951 movie by director Keisuke Kinoshita.^[2][10]

She died in 1978 at the age of 72.^[1][2]

Hatano was honoured with Japan's Order of the Precious Crown in 1976.^[2]