Takizawa was born Mieko Okamoto in
Niigata prefecture, Japan on March 1, 1939. She studied Chinese at the
Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, but did not graduate. Instead, she worked a few part-time jobs before being hired for a position at
Marsh McLennan. She married Atsushi Takizawa in 1980, and left her job to become a housewife. She began writing at this time. Her first novel, , won the and the Akutagawa Prize. Takizawa died on August 9, 2020. == Critical reception ==