Japanese Literary Awards

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Yusho Takiguchi

たきぐち ゆうしょう

Takiguchi Yūshō

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1982-10-18 （Hachijō, Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Hachijō, Tokyo (birthplace) → Iruma, Saitama (raised)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Writer
Active Years
2011-
Nominations
36th Noma Literary New Face Award — Nominee (Sleeping Position), 28th Mishima Yukio Prize — Nominee (Love and Life), 153rd Akutagawa Prize — Nominee (Jimi Hendrix Experience)

Education

Waseda University — Second Faculty of Letters
Second Faculty of Letters
Period: 2005–（中退）
Country: Japan
Attended for about three years and later dropped out

Awards

Shincho New Writer Award
2011
Work: Musical Instrument
Category: 小説部門
Organization: Shinchosha
Result: Winner
Noma Literary New Face Award
2014
Work: Sleeping Position
Organization: Noma Cultural Foundation
Result: Nominee
Noma Literary New Face Award
2015
Work: Love and Life
Organization: Noma Cultural Foundation
Result: Winner
Mishima Yukio Prize
2015
Work: Love and Life
Result: Nominee
Akutagawa Prize
2015
Work: Jimi Hendrix Experience
Result: Nominee
Akutagawa Prize
2016
Work: Those Who Are Not Dead
Result: Winner
Oda Sakunosuke Prize
2022
Work: Horizon
Organization: Oda Sakunosuke Prize Committee
Result: Winner
Art Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award)
2023
Work: Horizon
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs
Result: Winner
Kawabata Yasunari Literary Award
2023
Work: Going the Opposite Direction
Organization: Kawabata Yasunari Literary Award Committee
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Sleeping Position

2014 Fiction (short story collection)

A short-story collection that depicts fine details of everyday life and subtle human relationships. Characters' memories and quiet loneliness emerge across the pieces.

memoryeveryday lifefamilyloneliness

Love and Life

2015 Fiction (short and mid-length stories)

A collection of stories that weave emotional fluctuations and interpersonal nuances, portraying individuals' inner lives and delicate interactions in society.

emotionrelationshipsmemory

Jimi Hendrix Experience

2015 Fiction

A volume containing mid-length works that capture contemporary sensibilities. Motifs of music and memory recur throughout.

musicmemorythe city

Those Who Are Not Dead

2016 Fiction

A work thematically focused on the boundary between life and death and feelings of loss. It received critical acclaim as an award-winning piece.

life and deathlossfamily

The Shine of Eggplant

2017 Fiction

A collection of short pieces characterized by a narrative style that connects fragments of everyday life and characters' memories.

everyday lifememorycharacter study

Elevated Line

2017 Fiction

A longer work portraying the city and its inhabitants, notable for scenes involving railways and travel.

the citymovementrailways
Adaptations
  • [Stage play] Elevated Line (stage adaptation) / 小田尚稔 (2018)

A Long Day

2021 Fiction

A long-form piece that carefully follows the passage of ordinary time, depicting daily continuity and personal feelings.

timeeveryday lifememory

Horizon

2022 Fiction

A long work with interlinked elements; its narrative crosses perspectives and time, intersecting everyday life with views toward the distant horizon.

perspectivetimealienation

Ramen Curry

2023 Fiction

A linked short-story collection depicting facets of contemporary life through various settings and characters.

everyday lifefoodhuman relations

The Fun Nursery School

2025 Fiction

A recent collection of short stories that includes perspectives centered on children and family life.

familychildcareeveryday life

Bibliography

  • Sleeping Position
  • Love and Life
  • Jimi Hendrix Experience
  • Those Who Are Not Dead
  • The Shine of Eggplant
  • Elevated Line
  • A Long Day
  • Horizon
  • Ramen Curry
  • The Fun Nursery School

Adaptations

  • Elevated Line (stage adaptation) — SCOOL Performance Series 2017 Vol.6 (staged 2018)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
restrained, quiet prosea narrative approach that carefully depicts minute everyday details
Recurring Motifs
memoryfamilynightrailwayseveryday landscapes

Legacy

Since the 2010s, he has been recognized for a writing style that captures nuances of everyday life. Having received major literary prizes including the Akutagawa Prize, he is regarded as an important voice in contemporary Japanese literature.

In Popular Culture

  • TV appearance on 'Seven Rules' (2017)
  • Active presence on social media (X)
  • Stage adaptation of a work (Elevated Line)

Trivia

  • Enrolled in then dropped out of Waseda University's Second Faculty of Letters
  • Produced a free paper before literary debut
  • Debut work 'Musical Instrument' won the 43rd Shincho New Writer Award
  • Spouse is book designer Asami Satō
  • Has family roots on Iwo Jima (grandparents)