Literary Awards - Japanese Literary Awards

Masaoka Shiki International Haiku Award

Established: 2000
Frequency: Irregular
Organizer: Ehime Prefecture
Selection Method: Recommendation
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Professional

Haiku awardsLiterature awards named after individuals

An international haiku award given to the individual who has made the most outstanding contributions to the development and promotion of haiku creativity, regardless of nationality or language.

Prize: Grand Prize

Katsura Nobuko Award

Established: 2009
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Kakimori Bunko
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Professional

Haiku awardsAwards for womenLiterary awards named after a person

A haiku award presented to female haiku poets, sponsored by the Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Kakimori Bunko. Established in 2009, it ended with the 11th edition in 2019.

Modern Haiku Association Award

Established: 1947
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Modern Haiku Association
Selection Method: Selection
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Professional
Announcement Period: around February–March

Haiku

Highest haiku award for members of the Modern Haiku Association

Haijin Kyokai Prize

Established: 1961
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Haijin Kyokai
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Professional
Announcement Period: around January

Haiku

A haiku award sponsored by Haijin Kyokai.

Prize: Haijin Kyokai Prize

Dakotsu Prize

Established: 1967
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Kadokawa Culture Promotion Foundation
Selection Method: Recommendation
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Professional
Announcement Period: around June

Haiku

Japan's top award for haiku collections, established in honor of haiku poet Iida Dakotsu.

Prize: Certificate, commemorative item

Art Encouragement Newcomer Award of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

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

TheatreFilmMusicDanceLiteratureFine ArtsBroadcastingPopular EntertainmentArts PromotionCriticism etc.Media Arts

Newcomer award presented to artists who have opened new horizons in various art fields under the Agency for Cultural Affairs' Art Encouragement system.

Prize: Certificate and prize money

Modern Haiku Women's Award

Established: 1976
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Bunka Publishing Bureau
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Professional
Announcement Period: around April

Haiku

A literary award given to women's haiku collections.

Haiku Poets Association Newcomer Award

Established: 1977
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Haiku Poets Association
Selection Method: Recommendation
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Newcomer
Announcement Period: around January

Haiku

Newcomer award targeting the first haiku collection of Haiku Poets Association members aged 50 or younger.

Shiika Bungakukan Prize

Established: 1986
Frequency: Annual
Organizer: Museum of Modern Japanese Poetry, Tanka and Haiku
Selection Method: Selection
Category: Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target: Professional
Announcement Period: around May–June

PoetryTankaHaiku

An annual award recognizing outstanding poetry, tanka, and haiku collections published in the previous year.

Prize: Shiika Bungakukan Prize: Honors the most outstanding works in each category of poetry, tanka, and haiku

Established: 1996
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Nakashinita Town, Kami District, Miyagi Prefecture (now Kami Town)
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Professional

Haiku

A haiku award established in 1996 by Nakashinita Town, Kami District, Miyagi Prefecture, and discontinued after the 11th edition (2006).

Munakata Haiku Award

Established: 2000
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Setsuryusha Art Museum
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Professional

Haiku awardsNiigata Prefecture cultureLiterature awards named after a person

A haiku award targeting haiku collections.

Haiku Shiki Grand Prize

Established: 2001
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Tokyo Shiki Publishing
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Professional
Announcement Period: around July

Haiku

A haiku prize run by Tokyo Shiki Publishing for published haiku collections.

Yamamoto Kenkichi Literary Award

Established: 2001
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Bungaku no Mori
Selection Method: Recommendation
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Professional
Announcement Period: around April–May

HaikuTankaPoetryCriticismLyrics

A literary award for haiku and poetry sponsored by "Bungaku no Mori," the publisher of "Haiku Kai."

Prize: Award in Each Category

Japan Poetry, Tanka and Haiku Grand Prize

Established: 2005
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Japan Shikaku Association (NPO)
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Literature and General Literary Arts
Target: Open
Application Deadline: around June
Announcement Period: around July–September

PoetryTankaHaikupoetrytankahaikuessaycriticism

An open literary award for works of poetry, tanka, haiku, essays, and criticism, presented by the NPO Japan Shikaku Association. The grand prize winner receives a cash award of 50,000 yen.

Ono City Poetry and Song Literary Award

Established: 2009
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Ono City, Hyogo Prefecture
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Literature and General Literary Arts
Target: Professional
Announcement Period: around April

短歌俳句

A literary award sponsored by Ono City, Hyogo Prefecture, that recognizes outstanding works from poetry and song collections published in the previous year.

Prize: Main Prize

Tanaka Hiroaki Prize

Established: 2009
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Furansudo
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Professional
Application Deadline: around January
Announcement Period: around May

Haiku awardsLiterature awards named after a person

An annual open submission haiku award established in 2009 by Furansudo to commemorate haiku poet Tanaka Hiroaki.

Prize: Selection of the winning haiku collection and publication of a booklet

Yosa Buson Prize

Established: 2012
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Hokumeisha
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Professional

haikupoetry

Sponsored by Hokumeisha, this is a literary award for haiku and poetry given annually to outstanding haiku and poetry collections.

Hoshino Tatsuko Award - Main Prize

Established: 2013
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Uehiro Foundation on Ethics
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Professional
Application Deadline: around November
Announcement Period: around March

haikumain prizewomen haiku poets

The main Hoshino Tatsuko Award for haiku collections by women haiku poets.

Prize: Parts of the winning work are published in the magazine 'Haiku'

Kadokawa Haiku Prize

Established: 1955
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Kadokawa Culture Promotion Foundation
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Newcomer
Application Deadline: around May
Announcement Period: around November

HaikuNewcomer AwardOpen submission

Open submission haiku newcomer award sponsored by the comprehensive haiku magazine "Haiku."

New Haiku Poets Federation Prize - Haiku Works Division

Established: 1972
Frequency: Annual
Organizer: Shin Haikujin Renmei
Selection Method: Selection
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Open
Application Deadline: around September–December

haikuhaiku works divisionHaiku

The haiku works division of Shin Haikujin Renmei's award recognizing distinguished haiku writers.

Tōta Gendai Haiku Newcomer Prize

Established: 1983
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Gendai Haiku Association
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Newcomer
Application Deadline: around November

Haiku

Newcomer prize for unpublished haiku works by haiku poets under the age of 50.

Haidan Prize

Established: 1987
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Hon'ami Shoten
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Newcomer
Application Deadline: around September
Announcement Period: around February

HaikuNew Talent AwardOpen Call

Newcomer haiku award held via annual open call by Hon'ami Shoten's monthly magazine 『Haidan』.

Prize: Certificate and award plaque

Haiku Research Prize

Established: 1986
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Fujimi Shobo
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Newcomer

Haiku awardsOpen newcomer awards

Launched in 1986 via a public call on Fujimi Shobo's monthly magazine 'Haiku Kenkyu'; a newcomer haiku award selected from 50 unpublished haiku (prize money 300,000 yen). Suspended after the 21st edition in 2006.

Prize: Prize money 300,000 yen

Murakami Kijo Prize

Established: 1987
Organizer: Murakami Kijo Commemoration Society
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Open
Application Deadline: around June
Announcement Period: around September

A haiku award established in 1987 to commemorate Murakami Kijo (1865-1938), a prominent haiku poet of the modern era who grew up in Takasaki, Gunma. Applicants submit 30 previously published haiku composed between April of the previous year and March of the current year. The main prize (200,000 yen), a newcomer's prize (for poets under 50), and a few honorable mentions are awarded annually at the Murakami Kijo National Haiku Convention in Takasaki.

Japan Traditional Haiku Association Prize

Established: 1988
Frequency: Annually
Organizer: Japan Traditional Haiku Association
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Professional
Application Deadline: around November
Announcement Period: around March–August

Haiku

Haiku award selected by the Japan Traditional Haiku Association

Asahi Haiku Newcomer Award

Established: 1998
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Asahi Shimbun
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Newcomer

Haiku

A haiku newcomer award sponsored by Asahi Shimbun for those aged 50 or younger.

Prize: ¥300,000 prize money

Haiku Asahi Award

Established: 1999
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Asahi Shimbun
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Newcomer

HaikuNewcomer Award

A haiku newcomer award soliciting 30 unpublished haiku from those aged 51 and above.

Prize: Prize money of 300,000 yen

Gendai Haiku Kyokai Annual Prize

Established: 2000
Frequency: Once a year
Organizer: Gendai Haiku Kyokai
Selection Method: Open call
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Professional
Application Deadline: around March
Announcement Period: around November

Haiku

A haiku award to commend the outstanding works and activities of Gendai Haiku Kyokai members.

Shiba Fukio Haiku Newcomer Award

Established: 2002
Frequency: Approximately every four years
Organizer: Shiba Fukio Haiku Newcomer Award Committee
Selection Method: Selection
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Open
Application Deadline: around January–February
Announcement Period: around April–May

HaikuNewcomer awardOpen call

A newcomer haiku award honoring Shiba Fukio and recognizing emerging haiku writers through open submissions.

Prize: Certificate, glass artwork (by Noguchi Mieko), haiku collection publication support

Onitsura Seishun Haiku Award

Established: 2004
Organizer: Itami City Museum (Itami Museum Management Joint Venture / Itami City)
Category: Haiku and Haikai
Target: Newcomer
Application Deadline: around November

HaikuLiterary Award

A haiku award established to honor the poet Uejima Onitsura, a native of Itami in Hyogo Prefecture, serving as a gateway for young haiku poets. It seeks 30-poem sequences from participants under 30 years of age.