Literary Awards - Japanese Literary Awards

Established: 2008
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: University Book Lovers Grand Prize Executive Committee, Publishing Culture Industry Promotion Foundation
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Publishing Culture and Book Culture
Target: Professional
Application Deadline: around January–February
Announcement Period: around May

Literature

A literary award aimed at selecting the books that university students most want to read.

12-year-old Literature Award

Established: 2006
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Shogakukan
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Target: Newcomer
Application Deadline: around September
Announcement Period: around March

Novel DivisionPostcard Novel Division

Public literature award hosted by Shogakukan, targeting elementary school students aged 12 or younger at the deadline.

Prize: 100,000 yen bookstore gift card

Sakuranbo Bungaku New Writer Award

Established: 2007
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Sakuranbo Television and Shinchosha
Selection Method: Selection
Category: Literature and General Literary Arts
Target: Open

fiction

A public new-writer fiction award for women writers, founded in 2007 and ended after its third edition.

Prize: Grand prize work published in "Shosetsu Shincho"

R-18 Literary Award for Women by Women

Established: 2002
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Shinchosha
Selection Method: Open call
Category: General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target: Newcomer
Application Deadline: around October
Announcement Period: around April

Fiction

An open call newcomer literary award targeting erotic novels by female writers.

Prize: Grand Prize

Nihon SF Grand Prize

Established: 1980
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Japan SF Writers Club
Selection Method: Recommendation
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Professional
Announcement Period: around February

SF

Established in 1980 by the Japan SF Writers Club, this annual award recognizes the most outstanding SF work published during the award year, regardless of genre or medium. The prize includes a cash award of one million yen.

Prize: Trophy by SF illustrator Hiroshi Yokoyama

Kisotengai SF New Writer Award

Established: 1977
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Kisotengai
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Newcomer

SFNovelNew writer award

A new writer award for SF novels held in Kisotengai magazine

Japan SF Newcomer Award

Established: 1999
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Japan SF Writers Club
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Newcomer

SF novelsNewcomer award

Newcomer award for long-form SF novels hosted by the Japan SF Writers Club

Prize: Publication or adaptation rights for the winning work

Komatsu Sakyo Award

Established: 2000
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Kadokawa Haruki Office
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Newcomer

SF novels

Public newcomer literary award sponsored by Kadokawa Haruki Office targeting SF novels

Prize: Main prize: Engraved gold watch, Additional prize: 1 million yen

Japan Mystery Literature Award

Established: 1998
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Kobun Culture Foundation
Selection Method: Recommendation
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Professional
Announcement Period: around October

Mystery novels

A Japanese literary award presented to writers and critics who have contributed to the development of mystery novels.

Prize: Scheherazade statue (main prize)

Honkaku Mystery Award

Established: 2001
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Honkaku Mystery Writers Club
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Professional
Announcement Period: around May

Novel divisionCriticism and research division

A Japanese literary award that honors the best honkaku mystery novels.

Prize: Trophy designed by Natsuhiko Kyogoku

Edogawa Ranpo Award

Established: 1954
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Mystery Writers of Japan
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Newcomer
Application Deadline: around January
Announcement Period: around May

Literary awardMystery novel

Literary award established by the Mystery Writers of Japan using funds donated by Edogawa Ranpo to encourage detective novels.

Prize: Edogawa Ranpo Statue

Suntory Mystery Award

Established: 1983
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Suntory, Bungeishunju, Asahi Broadcasting Group Holdings
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Newcomer

MysteryNew writer award

An open-submission mystery new writer award sponsored by Suntory, Bungeishunju, and Asahi Broadcasting.

Prize: Suntory special whiskey

Established: 1988
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Nippon Television Network
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Newcomer

Mystery novelsSuspense

Open submission newcomer literary award sponsored by Nippon Television Network with cooperation from Shinchosha

Prize: Grand prize-winning work published in full in Shosetsu Shincho

Shincho Mystery Club Award

Established: 1996
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Shinchōsha
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Newcomer

Mystery novelNewcomer award

A Shinchosha new-writer award for full-length mystery novels, held from 1996 to 2000. Winning works were published in the Shincho Mystery Club hardcover series.

Prize: The winning work is published in Shinchōsha's hardcover single-volume series 'Shincho Mystery Club'.

Established: 2000
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Gentosha, Shinchosha, TV Asahi
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Newcomer

Horror novelsSuspense novelsFull-length novels

Public rookie literary award targeting full-length novels rich in horror and suspense elements.

Prize: Publication of single-volume editions for Grand Prize and Special Prize winning works

Keisatsu Shosetsu Award

Established: 0
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Newcomer

A literary award targeting police novels. Wikipedia page is under creation (red link).

Hoseki Award

Established: 1946
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Iwataneya Shoten (later Hoseki-sha)
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Newcomer

Mystery fictionCriticism

A public newcomer literary award sponsored by Iwataneya Shoten (later Hoseki-sha), targeting mystery fiction and criticism.

All Yomimono Mystery Novel Newcomer Award

Established: 1962
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Bungeishunju
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Newcomer

Mystery novelsShort stories

A newcomer literary award for short mystery novels sponsored by Bungeishunju (1962–2007).

Prize: Certificate and 500,000 yen cash prize

Futaba Mystery Award

Established: 1961
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Futabasha
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Newcomer

Mystery NovelShort Story

A short mystery novel open new writer award sponsored by Futabasha.

Established: 1975
Frequency: Irregular
Organizer: Gen'eijō Editorial Department
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Newcomer

Mystery novelsCriticism

Newcomer award solicited on the pages of the detective fiction magazine "Gen'eijō".

Prize: 100,000 yen prize money for selected works

Hayakawa Mystery Contest

Established: 1990
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Hayakawa Publishing
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Newcomer

Mystery FictionShort Story

Public new writer award for short mystery fiction hosted by Hayakawa Publishing

Prize: Publication of winning entry in Mystery Magazine

Shosetsu Gendai Mystery Newcomer Award

Established: 1994
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Kodansha
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Newcomer

Literary awardMystery novelShort story

A mystery newcomer award held in Kodansha's monthly literary magazine "Shosetsu Gendai".

Sogen Mystery Short Story Award

Established: 1994
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Tokyo Sogen Sha
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Genre Fiction
Target: Newcomer

Mystery fictionShort stories

Public newcomer literary award sponsored by Tokyo Sogen Sha targeting short mystery fiction.

Prize: Main prize: Pocket watch

Kyushu Saga Popular Literature Award

Established: 1993
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Kyushu Saga Popular Literature Award Committee
Selection Method: Open call
Category: General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target: Newcomer

Mystery novelsHistorical novelsPeriod novels

Publicly solicited newcomer literary award for unpublished short mystery, historical, and period novels.

Prize: Grand Prize (Sasazawa Seihō Prize): 1 million yen prize money, plaque

Yugawara Literature Award

Established: 2001
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Yugawara Literature Award Executive Committee (Yugawara Town, Kanagawa Prefecture)
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Literature and General Literary Arts
Target: Newcomer

NovelHaiku

A public literary award hosted by Yugawara Town, Kanagawa. The haiku division continues to be held annually (24th edition in 2025), while the fiction division concluded in 2020 after its 20th edition.

Prize: Publication of the grand prize-winning work (Novel category)

Fujimi Young Mystery Award

Established: 2000
Frequency: Annual (ended)
Organizer: Fujimi Shobo
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Light Novels and Web Literature
Target: Newcomer

MysteryHorrorLight novel

A Fujimi Mystery Bunko newcomer award for long-form light novels with mystery or horror elements, ending with its eighth edition in 2008.

Prize: Trophy

Sogen Mystery Criticism Award

Established: 1994
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Tokyo Sogen Sha
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Criticism and Critical Writing
Target: Newcomer

MysteryCriticismResearch

A public recruitment newcomer literary award sponsored by Tokyo Sogen Sha, targeting criticism and research in the mystery genre. It was held from 1994 to 2003.

Prize: Prize money 300,000 yen

Detective Fiction Criticism Award

Established: 0
Organizer: Cooperative Research In Mystery & Entertainment
Category: Criticism and Critical Writing
Target: Open

Criticism AwardDetective Fiction

A new literary award targeting criticism of detective fiction. Overview based on a Wikipedia page under creation.

Mystery Fiction Criticism Award

Established: 0
Category: Criticism and Critical Writing
Target: Open

Criticism AwardMystery FictionLiterature AwardMystery

A newly established award targeting criticism of mystery fiction (mystery). Page currently under creation; details undecided.

Gendai Haiku Grand Prize

Established: 1989
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Gendai Haiku Association
Selection Method: Recommendation
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Professional
Announcement Period: around March

Haiku

A haiku prize run by the Modern Haiku Association, including its predecessor association grand prize.

Prize: Prize money