Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Kazuma Hayami

はやみ かずま

Hayami Kazuma

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1977-07-15 （Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan → Kawazu, Shizuoka, Japan → Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan → Tokyo, Japan

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Writer
Active Years
2008-
Nominations
28th Yamamoto Shugoro Award — Nominee (Innocent Days), 13th Yamada Futaro Award — Nominee (August's Mother), 15th Yamada Futaro Award — Nominee (Mother in the Alps Seat)

Education

Kokugakuin University
Faculty of Letters / Department of Literature
Country: Japan
Attended but did not complete degree; reports indicate repeated years and eventual withdrawal

Awards

Japan Mystery Writers' Association Award (Best Long Work / Collection)
2015
Work: Innocent Days
Category: 長編・連作短編集
Organization: Mystery Writers of Japan
Result: Winner
JRA Award — Equine Culture Prize
2019
Work: The Royal Family
Organization: Japan Racing Association
Result: Winner
Yamamoto Shugoro Award
2020
Work: The Royal Family
Organization: Shinchosha
Result: Winner
Nishiwaki City Library Prize
2020
Work: The Manager Is Too Stupid
Organization: Nishiwaki City
Result: Winner
Bookseller Award (Honya Taisho, 22nd)
2025
Work: Mother in the Alps Seat
Organization: Honya Taisho Committee
Result: 2nd place (Runner-up)

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Hyakuhachi

2008 Coming-of-age / Sports novel

A semi-autobiographical novel about a substitute member of an elite high school baseball team; reflects the author's own experiences.

High school baseballFriendshipSetback and comeback
Adaptations
  • [Film] Hyakuhachi / 森義隆 (2008)
  • [Manga] Hyakuhachi (2009)

Innocent Days

2014 Mystery / Novel

A mystery that intertwines contemporary social issues and human relationships; recognized in the long-work/collection category.

Truth and liesFamilySociety
Adaptations
  • [TV drama] Innocent Days (2018)

The Royal Family

2019 Social novel

An ensemble novel set against horse racing and human relations; recipient of a JRA cultural prize.

Horse racingFamilyPower and fame

The Sad Chubby Cat

2019 Children's literature / Picture book

A children's tale series about a house cat named 'Maru'. Serialized in a local paper and adapted into animation and live-action drama.

AnimalsLocal communityKindness
Adaptations
  • [TV drama] Maru and Anna's Smiling Journey (2021)
  • [TV anime] The Sad Chubby Cat (2021)

The Manager Is Too Stupid

2019 Essay / Non-fiction

A humorous non-fiction/essay about retail work and human relationships; won regional library prizes.

WorkplaceHumorHuman observation

Bibliography

  • Hyakuhachi
  • Sleeping★Buddha
  • Fanfare on the Sand (retitled: Our Family)
  • Tokyo Dawn
  • 6 Six
  • Let the Dawn Wind Fill the Poncho
  • Innocent Days
  • 95
  • Novel King
  • In the Town Where the Gods Lived
  • The Royal Family
  • The Correct Answer of That Summer
  • Laughing Matryoshka
  • August's Mother
  • Mother in the Alps Seat

Adaptations

  • Hyakuhachi (film)
  • Innocent Days (TV drama)
  • The Sad Chubby Cat (TV anime / live-action drama)
  • Our Family (film)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Contemporary realist styleDialogue-driven, brisk proseLocality-focused descriptions
Recurring Motifs
FamilyBaseballLocal communityAnimals (especially cats)

Legacy

An active writer supported by a wide readership for works centered on locality and family; many works adapted for screen. Recipient of multiple literary prizes and recognized for contributions to local culture.

In Popular Culture

  • Several works adapted into films, TV dramas and anime
  • Local activities including newspaper serials and regional radio appearances

Trivia

  • Belonged to the high school hardball baseball club
  • The children's series 'The Sad Chubby Cat' features a house cat named Maru
  • Has lived in various regional towns (Kawazu in Shizuoka, Matsuyama in Ehime) while focusing on writing