Japanese Literary Awards

Literary Awards

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373 literary awards

Chuokoron Literary Award

Established
2006
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Chūōkōron-Shinsha
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around August
Entertainment literature

Chūōkōron-Shinsha established this award in 2006 to commemorate the 120th anniversary of its founding, targeting outstanding entertainment literature by writers active on the front lines.

Prize: Commemorative item

Funahashi Seiichi Literary Award

Established
2007
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Hikone City
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around October–December
Novel

A literary award targeting novels established by Hikone City in 2007.

Yamada Futaro Award

Established
2010
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
KADOKAWA, Kadokawa Culture Promotion Foundation
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around October
NovelsLiterary award

A literary award founded in respect for Yamada Futaro's innovative works and his stance as a writer.

Prize: Commemorative item as main prize, 1 million yen as special prize

Yoshikawa Eiji Bunko Award

Established
2016
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Yoshikawa Eiji Association for the Promotion of National Culture
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around March–April
Popular fiction

A bunko award targeting popular fiction series

Watanabe Junichi Literary Award

Established
2016
Frequency
Annually
Organizer
Shueisha, Ichitsubashi Sogo Foundation
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around April–May
Pure literaturePopular literature

Literary award honoring the achievements of Junichi Watanabe, targeting novel works written in Japanese.

Prize: Commemorative item (main prize)

Fujin Koron Literary Award

Established
2001
Frequency
Annual (ended)
Organizer
Chuokoron-Shinsha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around October
NovelEssay

A Chuokoron-Shinsha literary prize held from 2001 to 2005 for five editions, later developing into the Chuo Koron Literary Prize.

Prize: Commemorative item

Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award

Established
1980
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Yoshikawa Eiji National Cultural Promotion Council
Selection Method
Non-open
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Announcement Period
around March
Literary award

The Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award is a non-open literary newcomer prize established in 1980, sponsored by the Yoshikawa Eiji Foundation for Culture and backed by Kodansha.

Prize: Main prize: Plaque, Sub-prize: 1 million yen and mantel clock

Yamamoto Shugoro Award

Established
1988
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Shinchosha Literary Promotion Foundation
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around May
Popular literatureHistorical fiction

A literary award named after Yamamoto Shugoro, given to novels and literary works with outstanding narrative quality.

Prize: Commemorative item

All Yomimono Newcomer Award

Established
1952
Frequency
Once a year (currently). Historically, it has varied such as twice a year
Organizer
Bungeishunju (Bungeishunju Co., Ltd.)
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around June
Announcement Period
around November
NovelsNewcomer awardHistorical fiction (since 2021)Mystery novels (temporarily merged in 2008)

Open submission newcomer novel award sponsored by Bungeishunju's fiction magazine All Yomimono.

Prize: Certificate and 500,000 yen prize money

Shosetsu Hoseki Newcomer Award

Established
2007
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kobunsha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Literary award

Open submission newcomer literary award sponsored by Shosetsu Hoseki, a novel magazine published by Kobunsha.

Prize: Winning works will be published in Shosetsu Hoseki.

Hayashi Fumiko Literary Award

Established
2014
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kitakyushu City
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around September
Announcement Period
around January
Medium- and short-length works

Japanese open submission award for new writers.

Prize: Grand Prize (1 work): 1 million yen prize money and publication in Shosetsu Tripper published by Asahi Shimbun Publishing (Fujin Koron published by Chuo Koron Shinsha until the second round)

Fujimoto Giichi Literary Award

Established
2015
Frequency
Annual, based on published award anthologies
Organizer
Fujimoto Giichi Literary Award Office / Giichi Gallery
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around July–August
Announcement Period
around October
Contemporary fictionSF fiction

A short fiction award commemorating Naoki Prize-winning writer Giichi Fujimoto; winning works were published in anthologies by Taru Publishing.

Prize: Grand Prize 300,000 yen, Excellence Award 50,000 yen, Special Award commemorative gift

Shosetsu Subaru Newcomer Award

Established
1988
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Shueisha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around March
Announcement Period
around November
NovelsNewcomer award

Open submission newcomer literary award sponsored by Shosetsu Subaru, a novels magazine published by Shueisha

Prize: Award plaque

Matsumoto Seicho Prize

Established
1993
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Japan Literature Promotion Association
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around October
Announcement Period
around June
Entertainment novels

A literary prize commemorating the achievements of Matsumoto Seicho, honoring high-quality long-form entertainment novels.

Prize: Clock as the main prize, 5 million yen as the special prize

Mephisto Award

Established
1996
Frequency
Open continuously
Organizer
Kodansha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around February, around August
Announcement Period
around June, around November
FictionMysteryFantasySFOccult fiction

Public literary newcomer award hosted by Kodansha's literary magazine "Mephisto."

Prize: Publication of the winning work and presentation of a Sherlock Holmes statue

Kadokawa Haruki Novel Award

Established
1999
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kadokawa Haruki Office Co., Ltd.
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around November
Announcement Period
around May–June
Long-form entertainment novels

An open-submission novel award sponsored by Kadokawa Haruki Office Co., Ltd. for unpublished long-form entertainment fiction.

Prize: 1 million yen prize money

Shogakukan Bunko Novel Award

Established
2002
Frequency
1-2 times per year
Organizer
Shogakukan
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Open
Entertainment novel

A Shogakukan new-writer award for full-length novels, held from 2002 to 2019. It accepted entertainment fiction with strong storytelling across genres.

Prize: Commemorative item and 1 million yen prize money

Boiled Eggs Newcomer Award

Established
2004
Frequency
Irregular (approximately every 6-9 months)
Organizer
Boiled Eggs Co., Ltd.
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around February–November
Announcement Period
around May–November
Newcomer Literary AwardNovel

A newcomer literary award organized by Boiled Eggs and sponsored by Sangyo Editing Center. Solicits novels equivalent to 150-500 sheets of 400-character manuscript paper. Genre unrestricted. Winning work is published as a single-volume book. Recruitment and announcements are irregular (approximately every 6-9 months).

Prize: The winning work will be published as a single-volume book by the Publishing Department of Sangyo Editing Center, and a certificate and consolation prize (souvenir) will be presented. Specified royalties will be paid.

Shosetsu Gendai Long-form Newcomer Award

Established
2006
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kodansha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around July
Announcement Period
around January–February
NovelLong-formNewcomer

Kodansha-sponsored open call literary prize for long-form newcomer novels, solicited in the magazine Shosetsu Gendai.

Prize: Certificate and 3 million yen

Nikkei Novel Award

Established
2006
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
The Nikkei and Nikkei BP
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Open
Literary award

Literary award with open submissions for long novels, co-sponsored by The Nikkei and Nikkei BP.

Prize: Grand Prize

Drama Original Grand Prize

Established
2008
Frequency
Once every two years
Organizer
Kodansha, TBS Television
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Open
Literary award

A publicly solicited literary award sponsored by Kodansha and TBS Television. Winning works are published as books and adapted into dramas.

Prize: 1 million yen cash prize, plus publication and dramatization of the winning work

MediaWorks Bunko Award

Established
2009
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
KADOKAWA Corporation
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around April
Announcement Period
around November
General literature

A literary award established as a category within the Dengeki Novel Award, hosted by KADOKAWA (ASCII Media Works brand). Winners are published under the Media Works Bunko imprint. Inaugurated in 2009 (16th Dengeki Novel Award).

Prize: Publication in MediaWorks Bunko

Golden Elephant Award

Established
2009
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Golden Elephant Award Organizing Committee
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Open
Long-form entertainment novels

International literary award targeting unpublished long-form entertainment novels written in Japanese

Prize: 3 million yen prize money to the grand prize winner

Shosetsu Yasei Jidai Newcomer Award

Established
2009
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
KADOKAWA Corporation
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around August–September
Announcement Period
around March–April
newcomer literary awardentertainment fictionfull-length novelformer name: Yasei Jidai Frontier Literary Award

Established in 2009, this open-submission newcomer literary award is sponsored by KADOKAWA Corporation. It was renamed from the Yasei Jidai Frontier Literary Award to the Shosetsu Yasei Jidai Newcomer Award with the 11th call for entries.

Prize: Commemorative items and cash prize (1st–5th: 3 million yen; 6th onward: 1 million yen)

Poplar Publishing Newcomer Novel Award

Established
2011
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Poplar Publishing
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around June
Announcement Period
around March
Full-length novelEntertainment

A newcomer literary award that solicits unpublished full-length entertainment novels and publishes the winning works.

Prize: Commemorative item (main prize) and ¥2 million (special prize)

Walpurgis Prize

Established
2012
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kodansha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Light Novels and Web Literature
Target
Newcomer
Literary awardNewcomer award

A public newcomer literary award hosted by Kodansha. It features reader selection using a digital submission site.

Japan Entertainment Novel Grand Award

Established
2012
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Culture Convenience Club, Nippon Broadcasting, Linda Publishers
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around February
Announcement Period
around August
NovelEntertainment

Public literary award for highly entertaining debut novels aimed at becoming movie originals

Hon no Sanagi Award

Established
2014
Frequency
Once a year (biennial from the 3rd edition onward)
Organizer
Discover Twentyone Co., Ltd.
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around January
Announcement Period
around June–November
EntertainmentNovel

A Japanese open-call newcomer literature award.

Prize: Published as a book with an initial print run of 20,000 copies

Japan Love Story Grand Award

Established
2005
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Takarajima-sha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Open
Romance novelsLiterary award

Public literary award sponsored by Takarajimasha targeting romance novels.

Prize: Grand Prize: 5 million yen prize money and book publication

Da Vinci 'Story of the Book' Grand Prize

Established
2013
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
KADOKAWA Co., Ltd., Media Factory, Da Vinci Editorial Department
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Literary prizeNovel

Newcomer literary prize limited to stories related to books.

Prize: 1 million yen prize money and publication of the winning work