Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Kashi Minaki

みなき かし

Minaki Kashi

Pen Names: Kashi Minaki (pen name)（Used when publishing short stories）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1985-03-22 （Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese, English
Residence History
Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan → Suginami, Tokyo, Japan

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Translator
Active Years
2010-
Affiliations
Japan PEN Club
Memberships
Japan PEN Club
Influenced By
Haruki Murakami, Mieko Kawakami
Influenced
Emerging writer Haruka Kobayashi

Education

Waseda University
Faculty of Letters / Department of Japanese Literature
Degree: 文学士
Period: 2003-2007
Year of Graduation: 2007
Country: Japan
Graduation thesis on structural analysis of modern short stories

Awards

Midori Literary Prize
2024
Work: Rain in the Garden
Category: 小説部門
Organization: Midori Cultural Foundation
Result: Winner
National Short Story Newcomer Award
2011
Work: Unfading Footprints
Category: 短編
Organization: National Short Story Society
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Rain in the Garden

2023 Novel 280 pages

Set in an old suburban house, this novel quietly weaves together fragmented memories across generations of a mother and daughter, portraying loss and renewal. Through close attention to daily detail and natural imagery, it traces the passage of time and inner lives.

memorymother-child relationshipnature
Adaptations
  • [Theatre] Rain in the Garden - Stage Adaptation / 佐藤良平 (2025)
Translations
  • English translation: Rain in the Garden (translated by Anna Sato)

Unfading Footprints

2011 Short story collection 160 pages

A collection of short stories set against stations and harbors, depicting fragmentary lives on the move. Past wounds and small coincidences illuminate the connections between people.

movementmemorycoincidence
Translations
  • French translation: Empreintes Inaltérables (translated by Claire Dubois)

Afternoon by the Window

2018 Novella 120 pages

Through a short afternoon spent by a window, this novella delicately depicts the protagonist's solitude and the subtle tremors of everyday life, exploring intersections of time and memory.

solitudetimedaily life
Adaptations
  • [Radio drama] Afternoon by the Window (Radio Drama) / 田中志保 (2019)

Bibliography

  • Unfading Footprints (2011)
  • Days Waiting for the Sea (2015)
  • Afternoon by the Window (2018)
  • Selected Short Stories (2020)
  • Rain in the Garden (2023)

Adaptations

  • Rain in the Garden (Stage, 2025)
  • Afternoon by the Window (Radio Drama, 2019)

Translations by Author

  • Selected Short Stories by Alice Munro (translation)

Translations of Works

  • Rain in the Garden (English translation)
  • Unfading Footprints (French translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
introspective and poetic descriptionrestrained prose with detailed psychological portrayal
Recurring Motifs
gardenrainwindowclocks

Legacy

Recognized for her detailed depictions of everyday life and memory, she is praised for quietly probing generational and familial breaks and connections. Her restrained voice has influenced emerging writers.

Academic Societies

  • The Society for Contemporary Japanese Literature

Archives

  • Yokohama City Library — Kashi Minaki Collection
  • Waseda University Library — Faculty of Letters Collection

In Popular Culture

  • TV adaptation in 2025
  • Featured in a national bookstore campaign

Quotes

  • A novel is a vessel for memory.
    Source: Rain in the Garden (Author's Note) (2023)
  • When I write I listen to the sounds of the garden. The quiet rhythm seems to set my prose right.
    Source: Interview (2024) (2024)

Trivia

  • Has a habit of walking in the garden for an hour before writing
  • Often writes drafts with a cup of coffee
  • Keeps a pet cat