Japanese Literary Awards

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Michiko Aoyama

あおやま みちこ

Aoyama Michiko

Pen Names: Okura Saki（Used for drama novelizations and certain tie-in works）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1970-06-09 （Saitama Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Several locations in Chiba Prefecture, Japan → Seto, Aichi Prefecture, Japan → Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Author, Essayist, Former magazine editor
Active Years
2003-
Influenced By
Saeko Himuro

Education

Chukyo University
Faculty of Sociology / Department of Sociology
Country: Japan
After graduating she spent a working holiday in Australia; later worked as an editor before becoming an author
Aichi Prefectural Seto Nishi High School
Country: Japan
Graduated from local high school

Awards

Palette Novel Award (28th)
2003
Work: Mama ni Hand Clap!
Organization: Shogakukan
Result: 佳作
Short Story Nagoya (1st)
2007
Work: Beyond the Streetlight
Organization: Short Story Nagoya
Result: 佳作
Miyazaki Hon Award (1st)
2020
Work: Cocoa on Thursdays
Organization: Miyazaki Hon Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Usagiya Award (15th)
2020
Work: Cocoa on Thursdays
Organization: Usagiya
Result: 3位
Booksellers Award (18th)
2021
Work: Lost and Found in the Library
Organization: Honya Award Committee
Result: 2位
Tenryu Literature Prize (13th)
2021
Work: The Cat's Omen Under the Tree
Organization: Tenryu Literature Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Kengo Award (1st)
2021
Work: Matcha Cafe on Monday
Organization: Kengo Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Booksellers Award (19th)
2022
Work: Red and Blue and Esquisse
Organization: Honya Award Committee
Result: 2位
Misoya Award (9th)
2022
Work: Red and Blue and Esquisse
Organization: Misoya
Result: 受賞
Dera Bungei (1st)
2022
Work: Cocoa on Thursdays
Organization: Sanyodo Bookstore
Result: 1位
Booksellers Award (20th)
2023
Work: In the Forest Where the Moon Rises
Organization: Honya Award Committee
Result: 5位
BookMeter OF THE YEAR 2023-2024
2023
Work: In the Forest Where the Moon Rises
Organization: BookMeter
Result: 2位
Miraiya Novel Award (7th)
2023
Work: Recovery Kabahiko
Organization: Miraiya Shoten
Result: 2位
Booksellers Award (21st)
2023
Work: Recovery Kabahiko
Organization: Honya Award Committee
Result: 7位
Booksellers Award (22nd)
2024
Work: The Mermaid Ran Away
Organization: Honya Award Committee
Result: 5位
Rakuten Kobo eBook Award 2025 (Fiction - Domestic)
2025
Work: The Mermaid Ran Away
Organization: Rakuten Kobo
Result: 入賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Cocoa on Thursdays

2017 Novel

Debut novel; a collection of gently told, slice-of-life linked stories.

familyeveryday lifegentleness
Adaptations
  • [Reading / Stage] Cocoa on Thursdays (reading / stage) (2021)
Translations
  • Cocoa on Thursdays (Chinese edition)
  • Cocoa on Thursdays (Thai edition)

Lost and Found in the Library

2020 Novel

A heartwarming novel set in a library; widely used in tests and teaching materials and garnered international attention.

librariesmemoryhuman relationships
Adaptations
  • [Radio drama] Lost and Found in the Library (NHK Radio) (2020)
Translations
  • Lost and Found in the Library (English edition)
  • Lost and Found in the Library (Italian edition)

Red and Blue and Esquisse

2021 Novel

A finely drawn novel about human relationships; received high recognition in the 2022 Booksellers Award.

relationshipsmemoryrecovery
Translations
  • Red and Blue and Esquisse (Korean edition)

In the Forest Where the Moon Rises

2022 Novel

A novel mixing gentle fantastical elements; adapted into an NHK radio drama.

fantasycoming of agenature
Adaptations
  • [Radio drama] In the Forest Where the Moon Rises (NHK-FM Youth Adventure) (2024)
Translations
  • In the Forest Where the Moon Rises (Taiwan edition)

Recovery Kabahiko

2023 Novel

An ensemble piece about recovery; received notable recognition from 2023 onward.

recoveryfamilyhealing
Translations
  • Recovery Kabahiko (French edition)

The Mermaid Ran Away

2024 Novel

A recent representative novel using metaphor to explore relationships and loss.

lossrebirthmetaphor
Translations
  • The Mermaid Ran Away (English edition)

Bibliography

  • Cocoa on Thursdays
  • The Cat's Omen Under the Tree
  • Kamakura Uzumaki Guide
  • I'm on God Duty Right Now
  • Lost and Found in the Library
  • Matcha Cafe on Monday
  • Red and Blue and Esquisse
  • The Usual Thursday
  • In the Forest Where the Moon Rises
  • Recovery Kabahiko
  • The Mermaid Ran Away
  • My Present (co-authored)
  • Your Present (co-authored)
  • Amusement Park Gurgle (co-authored)

Adaptations

  • Cocoa on Thursdays (readings, stage)
  • Lost and Found in the Library (NHK radio drama)
  • In the Forest Where the Moon Rises (NHK-FM radio series)

Translations of Works

  • Cocoa on Thursdays (Chinese edition)
  • Lost and Found in the Library (English edition)
  • Red and Blue and Esquisse (Korean edition)
  • In the Forest Where the Moon Rises (Taiwan edition)
  • Recovery Kabahiko (French edition)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
gentle narrationcareful depiction of everyday detailssubtle emotional warmth
Recurring Motifs
librariescafesfamily and recoverymoon and natural imagery

Legacy

Known for gentle depictions of everyday life, she has earned broad readership and critical attention with multiple consecutive Booksellers Award nominations. Her works are translated into over 30 countries; she was the only Japanese author included in TIME's "100 Must-Read Books of 2023", gaining international recognition.

In Popular Culture

  • Frequently adapted for readings, stage productions, and radio dramas
  • Her works have been used in entrance examinations and educational materials

Trivia

  • She lived in several locations in Chiba Prefecture during childhood, then moved to Seto in Aichi Prefecture in middle school.
  • Reading Saeko Himuro in junior high inspired her to become a novelist.
  • She loves dim sum and says she is happiest when hot water is added again to a finished teapot.
  • Ayame Tsutsui of Nogizaka46 has publicly stated she is a fan.
  • Her books have been translated into more than 30 countries.