Subaru Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 43 (2019) award
Junko Takase
たかせ じゅんこ
Takase Junko
Pen Names:
Takase Yuu（Pen name used in early activities such as at Literary Flea Market）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1988 （Niihama, Ehime, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Niihama, Ehime, Japan → Kyoto Prefecture (while at Ritsumeikan University) → Tokyo, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist
- Active Years
- 2019-
- Memberships
- Kyoto Junction (literary circle), Ritsumeikan University Literary Creation Club
- Nominations
- Candidate for the 165th Akutagawa Prize ("Mizutamari de Iki o Suru")
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ehime Prefectural Niihama Nishi High School | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| Ritsumeikan University | Faculty of Letters | Philosophy | 学士（文学） | — | Japan |
Ehime Prefectural Niihama Nishi High School
Country:
Japan
Ritsumeikan University
Faculty of Letters
/ Philosophy
Degree:
学士（文学）
Country:
Japan
Graduated with a major in Philosophy
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Subaru Literary Prize | Something in the Shape of a Dog | — | Shueisha | 受賞 |
| 2022 | Akutagawa Prize | May You Eat Delicious Meals | — | The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Literature | 受賞 |
| 2024 | Art Encouragement Newcomer Award (Literature) | Good Child's Yawn | 文学 | Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan | 受賞 |
Subaru Literary Prize
2019
Work:
Something in the Shape of a Dog
Organization:
Shueisha
Result:
受賞
Akutagawa Prize
2022
Work:
May You Eat Delicious Meals
Organization:
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Literature
Result:
受賞
Art Encouragement Newcomer Award (Literature)
2024
Work:
Good Child's Yawn
Category:
文学
Organization:
Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Akutagawa Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 167 (2022) award
Art Encouragement Newcomer Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 74 (2024) award
Works
Major Works
Something in the Shape of a Dog
2020 Fiction (short story collection)Her debut work. A collection of short stories that delicately portrays family, loss, and unsettling moments in everyday life.
familylosseveryday lifedogs
Breathing in a Puddle
2021 FictionA work that carefully depicts human emotions wavering in the gaps of everyday life. It was shortlisted for the Akutagawa Prize.
emotional fluctuationhuman relationshipseveryday life
May You Eat Delicious Meals
2022 Fiction (novel)A novel that uses meals as a medium to warmly—and at times starkly—portray family and relationships. Winner of the 167th Akutagawa Prize.
foodfamilyrelationshipsmemory
Good Child's Yawn
2023 Short story collectionA collection of short stories where curiosity and anxiety intersect. Includes pieces that contributed to her receiving the Art Encouragement Newcomer Award (Literature).
children and growthanxietyfamily
All the Noisy Sounds
2023 Collection of short and mid-length storiesContains stories that use sounds and the signs of everyday life as entry points to explore inner human landscapes.
everyday soundsinner-life depictionloneliness
Budding
2024 Short stories and essaysA collection centered on short stories and essays, depicting small changes and nascent feelings in daily life.
renewaleveryday lifesmall changes
New Love
2024 Linked short stories (on romance)A series of short stories on romance that sensitively explores distance and uncertainty in relationships.
romanceemotional distanceuncertainty
Bibliography
- Something in the Shape of a Dog (2020)
- Breathing in a Puddle (2021)
- May You Eat Delicious Meals (2022)
- Good Child's Yawn (2023)
- All the Noisy Sounds (2023)
- Budding (2024)
- New Love (2024)
- Anthology contributions (selected): Best Essays 2021; Literature 2022; Best Essays 2024; etc.
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Restrained, precise psychological descriptionA style that captures the minutiae of everyday lifeA narrative voice where serenity and unease coexist
- Recurring Motifs
- fooddomestic sceneslonelinessdogs and memory
Legacy
After debuting with the Subaru Literary Prize and subsequently winning the Akutagawa Prize, she quickly emerged as a notable new voice in contemporary Japanese literature. Her work is praised for capturing the minutiae of everyday life and inner human emotions.
Archives
- National Diet Library (holdings of works)
- Listed in authority files such as VIAF
Quotes
-
I want to write about the suffocating nature of being a woman... wondering why things turn out this way.
Source: Award interview (Genichiro Takahashi × Junko Takase), Seishun to Dokusho (2020) -
I've been using kana input since I was nine.
Source: Asahi Shimbun Digital interview/article (2022)
Trivia
- Her debut book "Something in the Shape of a Dog" was published after appearing in the magazine Subaru.
- She has long used kana-style input for typing.
- While at university she was active in the literary circle 'Kyoto Junction' and early works appeared under the name 'Takase Yuu'.
- Her official social account is X (formerly Twitter): @takase_junko.