Japanese Literary Awards (日本の文学賞) is a structured, freely browsable database of literary awards conferred in Japan. It covers nationwide, long-running prizes such as the Akutagawa and Naoki Awards, as well as regional, debut, and genre-specific awards, with the goal of presenting prize histories, recipients, awarded works, and selection processes in one consistent place.

Purpose

The site aims to provide a cross-cutting information layer over the history of Japanese literary awards. It is designed to support researchers, editors, and publishing professionals in their inquiry, and to give readers and aspiring writers an accessible entry point for discovering new authors and finding the right awards to submit to.

What We Provide

• Per-award profiles (founding year, organizer, frequency, prize, selection method, eligible genres, etc.)
• Edition-by-edition lists of recipients, finalists, and awarded works
• Author profiles (biographical facts, career, major works, awards, influences, etc.)
• A calendar view based on application deadlines and announcement periods
• Cross-searches by category and applicant target
• Supplementary content such as new releases of awarded works and writing guides

Data Sourcing and Quality

Information published on this site is compiled from publicly available primary sources, including official websites of award organizers, Wikipedia, publisher announcements, and press releases. We update entries as we identify errors, gaps, or stale information, but we do not guarantee that every record is current or complete.

Bilingual Support

The site is offered in both Japanese and English, with award names, organization names, and categories presented in matching pairs. We aim to make the landscape of Japanese literary awards accessible to overseas researchers and readers as well.

Contact

For corrections, requests to add a missing award, or any other feedback or inquiry, please reach us via the contact channel linked from the site footer. Your input is an essential source of data updates and feature improvements.