Japanese Literary Awards

Literary Awards

Browse award recipients, categories, and yearly award lists

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373 literary awards

Noma Literary Award

Established
1941
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Noma Cultural Foundation
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Pure Literature
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around November
Pure literatureNovelsDramaCriticism

A literary award for novels, drama, criticism, and related works in pure literature

Prize: Award plaque

Japan Art Academy Prize

Established
1941
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Japan Art Academy
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
General Arts and Media Arts
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around April
Arts

Award presented by the Japan Art Academy to outstanding artists who are not members

Prize: Certificate, medal, and cash prize

Mainichi Publishing Culture Award

Established
1947
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Mainichi Newspapers Co. (special cooperation: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.)
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Publishing Culture and Book Culture
Target
Professional
Application Deadline
around August
Announcement Period
around November
Literature and Arts CategoryHumanities and Social Sciences CategoryNatural Sciences CategoryPlanning CategorySpecial Award

A literary and cultural award for distinguished publications, sponsored by Mainichi Newspapers Co. Founded in 1947, winners are announced each November.

Yomiuri Literary Award

Established
1949
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Yomiuri Shimbun
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around February
NovelPlay/ScreenplayEssay/TravelogueCriticism/BiographyPoetry/HaikuResearch/Translation

A literary award established by the Yomiuri Shimbun

Prize: Principal prize: Inkstone, Cash prize: 2 million yen

Art Encouragement Prize for Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Established
1950
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Agency for Cultural Affairs
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
General Arts and Media Arts
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around March
TheatreFilmMusicDanceLiteratureArtBroadcastingPopular EntertainmentArts PromotionCriticismMedia ArtsFine Arts AFine Arts B

A cultural affairs award honoring achievements across the arts; this entry covers the main Minister award.

Prize: Certificate and 1.2 million yen prize money

Tanizaki Junichiro Award

Established
1965
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Chūōkōron-Shinsha
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Pure Literature
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around November
NovelPlay

Literary award named after Tanizaki Jun'ichirō, established by Chūōkōron-Shinsha in 1965

Prize: Principal prize: Watch

Izumi Kyoka Literary Award

Established
1973
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kanazawa City
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Pure Literature
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around October
Literary awardNovelPlay

A literary award sponsored by Kanazawa City, established in 1973 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Izumi Kyoka's birth.

Prize: Principal award: Eight-ridged mirror, Cash prize: 1.5 million yen

Kawabata Yasunari Literary Award

Established
1974
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kawabata Yasunari Memorial Association
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Pure Literature
Target
Professional
Short story

A literary award awarded annually to short stories written in Japanese.

Prize: Prize money

Osaragi Jiro Award

Established
1973
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Asahi Shimbun
Selection Method
Open call / Recommendation
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Application Deadline
around September
Announcement Period
around December
NovelsNon-fictionHistorical books

Literary award established in memory of Osaragi Jiro's achievements.

Prize: Award plaque and 2 million yen prize money

Murasaki Shikibu Literary Award

Established
1991
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Uji City, Uji City Board of Education
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around October

A literary award awarded annually to Japanese literary works written by women

Prize: Bronze statue

Bunkamura Deux Magots Literary Award

Established
1990
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Tokyu Bunkamura Inc.
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around September
FictionCriticismPlaysPoetry

A literary award established in 1990 to inherit the spirit of Paris's Prix des Deux Magots and discover new talents.

Prize: Certificate and Swiss Zenith watch

Rennyo Award

Established
1994
Frequency
Once every two years
Organizer
Honganji Culture Promotion Foundation
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around December
Literature

A literary award sponsored by the Honganji Culture Promotion Foundation.

Prize: Principal award, commemorative item, and 2 million yen cash prize

Shiba Ryotaro Award

Established
1997
Frequency
Annual
Organizer
Shiba Ryotaro Memorial Foundation
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around December
LiteratureScholarshipJournalism

An annual award honoring Ryotaro Shiba by recognizing creative works across literature, scholarship, and journalism.

Prize: Pocket watch

Shinran Award

Established
2000
Frequency
Once every 2 years
Organizer
Honganji Culture Promotion Foundation
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around October–December
LiteratureFiction

A biennial literary award administered by the Honganji Foundation. The Shinran Prize recognizes fiction deeply rooted in Japanese spiritual culture.

Prize: Prize money

Japan Booksellers' Award

Established
2004
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Japan Booksellers' Award Executive Committee (NPO)
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Publishing Culture and Book Culture
Target
Professional
Application Deadline
around January
Announcement Period
around April
Booksellers' Award CategoryDiscovery CategoryTranslated Fiction CategoryNonfiction Category

A literary award honoring books selected by booksellers nationwide that they want to sell.

Prize: Crystal trophy

Oda Sakunosuke Award - Grand Prize and Former Newcomer Prize

Established
1983
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Oda Sakunosuke Award Executive Committee
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Professional
Application Deadline
around August
Announcement Period
around December
literary awardgrand prizeformer newcomer prize

A literary award founded in 1983 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of writer Oda Sakunosuke's birth. Covers the Grand Prize category (for published books) and the former public-entry new writer prize held through 2005.

Prize: Grand Prize

Shinchosha Literary Award

Established
1954
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Shinchosha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional

A literary prize founded by Shinchosha in 1954 as one of its four major literary awards. It ended after the establishment of the Shincho Foundation for the Promotion of Literature in 1967 and was succeeded by the Japan Literary Grand Prize.

Prize: Commemorative item and cash prize as subsidiary award.

Women's Literary Award

Established
1962
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Chūōkōron-sha
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Professional
Novel

A literary award given annually to Japanese novels written by women.

Tamura Toshiko Award

Established
1961
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Tamura Toshiko Association
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Japanese literatureWomen's literature

Literary award given annually to Japanese literary works written by women.

Japan Literary Grand Award

Established
1968
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Shinchosha Bungei Shinkōkai
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
NovelsLiterary criticismPoetryPlays

A literary award sponsored by Shinchosha Bungei Shinkōkai from 1968 to 1987.

Prize: Commemorative item and 1 million yen prize money

Takiji Yuriko Award

Established
1969
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Japanese Communist Party
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Democratic literature

Literary award given to outstanding works of democratic literature.

Hirabayashi Taiko Literary Award

Established
1973
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Hirabayashi Taiko Memorial Literature Society (Kodansha since 1989)
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
NovelCriticism

A literary award that, based on Hirabayashi Taiko's will, recognizes one outstanding novel and one piece of criticism.

Prize: Prize money and commemorative items for one work each in the novel and criticism categories

Ito Sei Literary Award

Established
1990
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Ito Sei Literary Award Association, Otaru City, Hokkaido Shimbun
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
NovelCriticism

A literary award given annually to Japanese novels or criticism

Prize: Bronze statue of 'The Girl Who Calls Seagulls' by Saito Yoshiro

Kiyama Shohei Literary Award

Established
1996
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kasaoka City
Category
Pure Literature
Target
Professional
Pure literature

Literary award targeting pure literature sponsored by Kasaoka City

Prize: Prize money of 1 million yen

Oe Kenzaburo Award

Established
2006
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kodansha
Selection Method
Non-open
Category
Pure Literature
Target
Professional
Literature

Literary award selected by Oe Kenzaburo and sponsored by Kodansha.

Prize: Translation of the winning work into either English, French, or German, and publication worldwide

Akutagawa Prize

Established
1935
Frequency
Twice a year
Organizer
Japan Literature Promotion Foundation (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation) (De facto related to Bungeishunjū Co.)
Selection Method
Non-open
Category
Pure Literature
Target
Newcomer
Announcement Period
around July, around January
Pure literatureNew talent awardShort story / Medium-length story

The Akutagawa Prize is Japan's pure literature new talent award. Awarded twice a year to outstanding short and medium-length works.

Prize: Principal award: Pocket watch, Prize money: 1 million yen and publication of winning work in Bungeishunjū, etc.

Art Encouragement Newcomer Award

Established
1968
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Agency for Cultural Affairs
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
General Arts and Media Arts
Target
Newcomer
Announcement Period
around March
TheaterFilmMusicDanceLiteratureFine ArtsBroadcastingPopular EntertainmentArts PromotionCriticism, etc.Media ArtsFine Arts AFine Arts BCriticism

An award hosted by the Agency for Cultural Affairs to recognize new artists through the Art Encouragement Awards. Established in 1968.

Prize: Certificate and 800,000 yen prize money

Noma Literary Newcomer Award

Established
1979
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Noma Literary Foundation / Kodansha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Pure Literature
Target
Newcomer
Announcement Period
around November
Pure literatureNovels

A literary award targeting new novelists in pure literature.

Prize: Award plaque

Mishima Yukio Award

Established
1987
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Shincho Bungei Shinkokai (Shinchosha Literary Promotion Foundation)
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Newcomer
Announcement Period
around May–June
FictionCriticismPoetryPlays

A literary prize established in memory of the writer Mishima Yukio, awarded to one outstanding debut or emerging work in the fields of fiction, criticism, poetry, or drama. The prize carries a monetary award of one million yen and is announced annually around May in the magazine Shincho.

Prize: A commemorative item and 1 million yen prize money are awarded

Bungakukai Newcomer Award

Established
1955
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Bungeishunju
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Pure Literature
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around September
Announcement Period
around May
LiteratureNewcomer award

Open submission newcomer award of the literary magazine "Bungakukai" published by Bungeishunju.

Prize: Cash prize of 500,000 yen and commemorative gift