Japanese Literary Awards

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12-year-old Literature Award

じゅうにさいのぶんがくしょう

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

Novel DivisionPostcard Novel Division
Established
2006
Organizer
Shogakukan
Category
Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Selection Method
Open call
Target
Newcomer
Frequency
1 per year
Application Deadline
around September
Announcement Period
around March
Status
Ended

Description

Literature award that from 2006 to 2017 provided a platform for elementary school students' creative works through the Novel Division and Postcard Novel Division.

Prize

Main Prize
100,000 yen bookstore gift card
Cash Prize
100,000 JPY
  • 200,000 yen travel voucher
  • Certificate
  • Publication in grade magazine

Official Resources

https://sho.jp/

Past Winners

山岸十和 やまぎし とわ grand prize

Towa Yamagishi's Papi won the grand prize in the 12th 12-Year-Old Literature Award. Set in Paris, it portrays memories of a violinist grandfather from a child's point of view. I confirmed inclusion in a digital prize collection, but found no standalone print book or ISBN-bearing volume.

An award-winning story by an elementary-school writer about Paris, memory, and a beloved grandfather.

12-Year-Old Literature Awardgrandfather and grandchildParisnot published as a standalone book
沼尾草介 ぬまお そうすけ grand prize

Sousuke Numao's 11-sai won the grand prize in the postcard fiction division of the 12th 12-Year-Old Literature Award. It is confirmed as a short-form prizewinning entry, but I found no standalone book or ISBN-bearing print collection.

A compact award-winning story written by an elementary-school student.

12-Year-Old Literature Awardpostcard fictionchildren writingnot published as a standalone book
河内千歳 かわうち ちとせ grand prize

天敵の攻略法 is an award-winning work by 河内千歳. It is presented here as the work associated with the 12歳の文学賞.

An award-winning work by 河内千歳: 天敵の攻略法.

award-winning workliterature
小渡風花 おわたり ふうか grand prize

パパ is an award-winning work by 小渡風花. It is presented here as the work associated with the 12歳の文学賞.

An award-winning work by 小渡風花: パパ.

award-winning workliterature
鈴木るりか すずき るりか grand prize

"Itsuka Dokoka de" is a short story about a bittersweet encounter between a friend and the friend's father. Told from a child's point of view, it captures the confusion of coming into contact with adult circumstances and quietly reveals the loneliness and tenderness hidden beneath everyday conversation.

A story that gently observes the awkward time shared by a friend and a father through a child's eyes.

253 pages
familyfather and childa child's perspectivebittersweet everyday lifecoming of age
鈴木るりか すずき るりか grand prize

マイワールド is an award-recognized work by 鈴木るりか. It can be read as a literary work shaped by its characters' choices and their relationship with society and time.

マイワールド is a work by 鈴木るりか that continues to draw attention through its award history.

award-winning literaturememoryhuman relationships
Rurika Suzuki すずき るりか grand prize

Dランドは遠い is an award-recognized 児童小説 by 鈴木るりか. Public bibliographic records and award information frame it as a work concerned with personal choice, memory, and the pressure of its social or historical setting.

Dランドは遠い looks at the relationship between individual lives and their times through the shape of an award-winning work.

253 pages
award-winning workmemoryrelationshipssocietyconflict
中濱ひびき なかはま ひびき grand prize

ジョージとジョセフィーンとフィービィースペンサースミス そして彼らの庭と冒険 is an award-recognized 児童小説 by 中濱ひびき. Public bibliographic records and award information frame it as a work concerned with personal choice, memory, and the pressure of its social or historical setting.

ジョージとジョセフィーンとフィービィースペンサースミス そして彼らの庭と冒険 looks at the relationship between individual lives and their times through the shape of an award-winning work.

award-winning workmemoryrelationshipssocietyconflict
西堀凜華 にしぼり りんか grand prize

人形 is an award-winning work by nishibori-rinka. This entry summarizes the work from award records and public bibliographic sources.

A work whose profile and availability can be traced through its award history.

203 pages
award-winning workcontemporary literaturebibliographic verification
工藤みのり くどう みのり grand prize

レンタルキャット is a 児童文学短編 by 工藤みのり. A children’s literary work told from a child’s perspective, depicting an encounter with a cat and small changes in daily life. It is confirmed as a piece collected in an award anthology rather than as a standalone book.

レンタルキャット builds its world around children’s literature.

213 pages
children’s literaturecatchild’s perspectivedaily life
廣瀬楽人 ひろせ がくと grand prize

前の店より is an award-winning work by 廣瀬楽人. Within the checked sources, no standalone book or paperback record could be confirmed, so the available information centers on the work as an award entry.

前の店より is confirmed in award records.

award-winning workmagazine publicationno standalone book confirmed
宮井紅於 みやい こうお grand prize

A children's story written close to the viewpoint of twelve-year-old readers, preserving a child's language and sensitivity while following emotions that shift within ordinary life.

もちた is an award-winning work by 宮井紅於, attentive to memory and relationships beneath its subject matter.

children's literaturegrowtheveryday life
中石海 なかいし かい grand prize

A short story that observes hypocrisy and peer pressure in an elementary-school classroom from the perspective of someone of that age.

A twelve-year-old gaze illuminates the unease hidden in the classroom atmosphere.

288 pages
children’s writingclassroompeer pressureage twelve
三船恭太郎 みふね きょうたろう grand prize

A children’s story about a boy’s moment of growth through nearby nature and friendship. The tactile presence of the loofah links childhood time with memory.

A children’s story about a boy’s moment of growth through nearby nature and friendship.

children’s fictiongrowthnaturefriendship
追本葵 おいもと あおい grand prize

Two sisters sneak into a school pool at night, holding on to their wish to go to the moon together. The story depicts vulnerable early-adolescent feelings and tensions within family life through scenes with a gentle fantastical quality.

月のさかな is an award-recognized 児童文学短編 by 追本葵.

272 pages
memoryrelationshipsaward-recognized work
井上薫 いのうえ かおる grand prize

A short piece included in the first 12-sai Bungaku Award collection. It expands a child’s view of food and imaginary kingdoms, using familiar wordplay to invite readers into a light, playful world.

A child’s imagination builds little kingdoms from the names of familiar foods.

272 pages
children’s literatureimaginationhumorfood