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Yusuke Norishiro

のりしろ ゆうすけ

Norishiro Yusuke

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1986-06-18 （Ebetsu, Hokkaido, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Ebetsu, Hokkaido, Japan (birthplace) → Nerima, Tokyo, Japan (childhood) → Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan (residence)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Former cram school teacher
Active Years
2015-
Influenced By
Mikio Igarashi, J. D. Salinger
Nominations
162nd Akutagawa Prize nominee ("Saikō no Ninmu"), 164th Akutagawa Prize nominee ("Tabi suru Renshū"), 166th Akutagawa Prize nominee ("Minna no Arabashiri"), 169th Akutagawa Prize nominee ("Sore wa Makoto"), 172nd Akutagawa Prize nominee ("Nijūyon-go"), 1st Nagai Kafū Literary Award nominee ("Nijūyon-go")

Education

Hosei University
Faculty of Social Sciences / Department of Media Sociology
Degree: 学士（社会学）
Country: Japan
Member of Yuko Tanaka's seminar while enrolled.

Awards

Gunzo New Writers' Award
2015
Work: Jūnanahari yori (From Seventeen–Eighteen)
Organization: Gunzo (Kodansha)
Result: Winner
Noma Literary Newcomer Award
2018
Work: The Genuine Reader
Organization: Kodansha
Result: Winner
Mishima Yukio Prize
2021
Work: Practice of Traveling
Organization: Shinchosha
Result: Winner
Tsubota Jōji Literary Award
2022
Work: Practice of Traveling
Organization: Tsubota Jōji Award Committee
Result: Winner
Oda Sakunosuke Award
2023
Work: Sore wa Makoto (That Is Makoto)
Organization: Oda Sakunosuke Award Committee
Result: Winner
Arts Awards (Minister of Education Award)
2024
Work: Sore wa Makoto (That Is Makoto)
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs / Selection Committee
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Jūnanahari yori (From Seventeen–Eighteen)

2015 Short story collection (Fiction)

Debut work. A collection of short stories depicting young people's emotions and fragments of daily life, primarily pieces first published in the magazine Gunzo.

youtheveryday lifeself-awareness

The Genuine Reader

2017 Fiction (short stories)

A short story collection themed around reading and readers, sensitively portraying reading experiences and relationships shaped by books.

readingmemoryrelationships

The Best Mission

2020 Fiction (novella/short novel)

Contains the title piece and others, dealing with personal choices, professions, and responsibilities; was nominated for the Akutagawa Prize.

workresponsibilitychoices

Mick Avory's Underpants

2020 Essays and flash fiction (blog collection)

A collection of essays and short pieces mainly compiled from his long-running blog, gathering years of online creative writing.

internet cultureeveryday observationwriting

Practice of Traveling

2021 Fiction (short stories/essays)

A set of works themed on travel and movement, collecting short pieces about memory and encounters; recipient of the Mishima Yukio Prize among others.

travelmemoryencounters with others

Minna no Arabashiri

2021 Short story collection

A short story collection depicting a range of characters; includes pieces that were nominated for the Akutagawa Prize.

communitylonelinesscracks in everyday life

Experiment of Faint Stars

2021 Mixed short fiction and criticism

Contains short fiction alongside reviews and essays, offering a varied collection of writings.

literary criticismcraft of writingobservation

Papaya Mamaya

2022 Fiction

A volume of short fiction focusing on family and interpersonal relationships.

familygenerationsaffection

Sore wa Makoto (That Is Makoto)

2023 Novellas / short novels

A work that questions behavior and ethics of people in contemporary society; recipient of the Oda Sakunosuke Award and the Arts Awards Minister's Prize.

ethicseveryday violencesincerity

Nijūyon-go (Twenty-Four–Five)

2025 Fiction

Most recent book (2025). A collection centered on short pieces about fragmentary contemporary events and memories.

memorytimecontemporary society

Bibliography

  • Jūnanahari yori (2015, Kodansha)
  • The Genuine Reader (2017, Kodansha)
  • The Best Mission (2020, Kodansha)
  • Mick Avory's Underpants (2020, Kokusho Kankokai)
  • Practice of Traveling (2021, Kodansha)
  • Minna no Arabashiri (2021, Shinchosha)
  • Experiment of Faint Stars (2021, Kokusho Kankokai)
  • Papaya Mamaya (2022, Shogakukan)
  • Sore wa Makoto (2023, Bungeishunju)
  • Nijūyon-go (2025, Kodansha)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
I-novel like observational proseconcise and restrained narrationhumor and wryness scattered through the text
Recurring Motifs
travel and movementreading / bookshelvesdetails of everyday lifeepisodes originating in internet culture

Legacy

Beginning from a blog, he debuted with the Gunzo New Writers' Award and has since received multiple major literary prizes. He is a noted contemporary Japanese writer recognized for works that focus on the details of everyday life and reading experiences.

In Popular Culture

  • His personal blog "Mick Avory's Underpants" and activity on X/Note have formed a base of readers and fans.

Quotes

  • He regards his blog as the origin of his creative writing.
    Source: WEB Hon no Zasshi (interview) (2020)

Trivia

  • The blog title "Mick Avory's Underpants" is derived from a song by the band The Kinks.
  • He created a thread on 2channel around his university entrance exams; that thread was later continued by others and experienced book publication at Shogakukan.
  • Before literary recognition he worked as a cram-school instructor.