Japanese Literary Awards

Literary Awards

Browse award recipients, categories, and yearly award lists

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373 literary awards

Samurai Japan Baseball Literary Award

Established
2010
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Samurai Japan Baseball Literary Award Executive Committee
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Professional
baseball literature and manga

An award for baseball fiction and manga, established to commemorate Japan's consecutive World Baseball Classic titles.

Prize: Grand Prize (also Best Nine)

Saitama City Sports Literary Award

Established
1994
Frequency
biennial
Organizer
Saitama City
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Open
sports literature

A public literary award for fiction and essays on sports, formerly the Urawa Sports Literary Award, held biennially until 2010.

Prize: Sports Literature Award Grand Prize

Shimasei Romance Literary Award

Established
1994
Frequency
Annual
Organizer
Hakusan City
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around July–August
Romance novelsRomance fiction

A romance fiction award established in 1994 by Hakusan City to honor local author Seijiro Shimada; it ended after fiscal 2011.

Prize: Certificate as the main prize, 500,000 yen as the special prize

Sabae Chikamatsu Literary Award

Established
2013
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Chikamatsu Hometown Development Promotion Council
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around June
Announcement Period
around September
Short story

A literary award held in Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture, targeting short stories related to love.

Prize: Chikamatsu Prize: 100,000 yen cash prize, certificate, and special award

Botchan Literary Award

Established
1989
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Matsuyama City
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around September
Announcement Period
around January–February
NovelShort short story

A public submission literary award sponsored by Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture.

Prize: Grand prize-winning work published in Da Vinci magazine

Himuro Saeko Youth Literary Award

Established
2017
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Himuro Saeko Youth Literary Award Executive Committee
Selection Method
Open call
Category
General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around April
Announcement Period
around August
Youth LiteratureNovels

A public newcomer literary award for youth-themed novels, established to honor the achievements of Hokkaido-born novelist Saeko Himuro.

Prize: Grand Prize: 200,000 yen prize money, Runner-up Prize: 100,000 yen prize money, book publication consideration as additional prize.

Kawabata Yasunari Youth Literary Award

Established
2018
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Ibaraki City
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Pure Literature
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around June–October
Literary awardShort story

A literary award given annually to Japanese short stories

Prize: Grand Prize winner will be published in full in 'Chūō Kōron'

Mystery Writers of Japan Award

Established
1948
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Mystery Writers of Japan
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around May
Mystery novel

A literary award presented by the Mystery Writers of Japan to the most outstanding mystery novel published that year.

Translated Mystery Grand Award

Established
2010
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Translated Mystery Grand Award Syndicate
Selection Method
Vote
Category
Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Target
Professional
MysteryTranslated literature

A literary award for translated mystery novels (foreign works translated into Japanese), selected by votes from active translators. Founded in 2009 by translators Nobumitsu Kodaka, Mariko Fukamachi, Ro Shiraishi, Toshiya Echizen, and Toshiki Taguchi. The award concluded with its 15th ceremony announced in 2024.

Yokomizo Seishi Mystery & Horror Grand Award

Established
1981
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
KADOKAWA
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around September
Announcement Period
around April
MysteryHorror

KADOKAWA-sponsored open submission newcomer literary award. Targets mystery and horror, and was established in honor of Seishi Yokomizo.

Prize: Kosuke Kindaichi statue and 5 million yen prize

Ayukawa Tetsuya Award

Established
1990
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Tokyo Sogen Sha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around October
Announcement Period
around October
Newcomer Literary AwardFull-length Mystery Novel

An open call newcomer literary award sponsored by Tokyo Sogen Sha.

Prize: Arthur Conan Doyle Statue

Japan Mystery Literature Grand Prize Newcomer Award

Established
1997
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kobunsha Cultural Foundation
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around April–May
Announcement Period
around October
MysteryNewcomer Award

An open-submission newcomer mystery literature award sponsored by the Kobun Cultural Foundation to discover new writers with talent and ambition.

Prize: Scheherazade Statue

Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! Grand Award

Established
2002
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Takarajimasha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around May–June
Announcement Period
around October
Mystery novelsBroadly defined mystery

Public rookie award for mystery novels established in 2002, leveraging the fame of “Kono Mystery ga Sugoi!”.

Prize: Grand Prize: 12 million yen prize money, Bunko Grand Prix (Excellent Award): 2 million yen prize money, Editorial Recommendation Award “Hidden Gem”

Bara no Machi Fukuyama Mystery Newcomer Literary Award

Established
2008
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around May
Announcement Period
around October
Mystery novelsFull-length novels

Public newcomer literary award targeting full-length mystery novels.

Prize: The winning work will be published by Kodansha, Kobunsha, or Harashobo.

Agatha Christie Prize

Established
2010
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Hayakawa Kiyoshi Literary Foundation and Hayakawa Publishing Corporation
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around February
Announcement Period
around August–September
Mystery novelNewcomer award

A public newcomer award for long mystery novels sponsored by Hayakawa Publishing and the Hayakawa Foundation for the Promotion of Pure Literature.

Prize: Plaque named after Agatha Christie

Shincho Mystery Grand Prize

Established
2014
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Shinchōsha Co., Ltd.
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around March
Announcement Period
around October
Long-form mysterySuspenseNew-writer award

A Shinchosha new-writer competition for full-length mystery novels, supported by Toei and announced in Shosetsu Shincho. The grand-prize winner receives 3 million yen.

Prize: Publication and priority adaptation rights for the grand prize work

Shosetsu Suiri Newcomer Award

Established
1979
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Futabasha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around November
Announcement Period
around August
Mystery fictionShort storiesEntertainment fiction

A Futabasha-sponsored open newcomer award for short entertainment fiction centered on mystery in a broad sense.

Prize: Main prize and additional prize

Kita-ku Uchida Yasuo Mystery Literary Award

Established
2002
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kita Ward, Tokyo
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around September
Announcement Period
around March–April
Mystery novelsShort stories

A public literary award for short mystery novels sponsored by Kita Ward, Tokyo, and established with the cooperation of writer Yasuo Uchida.

Prize: Grand Prize (1 work)

Japan Adventure Fiction Association Grand Award

Established
1982
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Japan Adventure Fiction Association
Selection Method
Vote
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Professional
Adventure Fiction

An award presented to adventure fiction works selected through member voting by the Japan Adventure Fiction Association.

Prize: Grand Prize Plaque and Title

Seiun Award

Established
1970
Frequency
annual
Organizer
Federation of the Science Fiction Fan Groups of Japan
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around July–August
science fiction and related genres

A fan-voted award chosen by Japan SF Convention participants from works and activities in science fiction and related genres released in the previous year.

Prize: Trophy and additional prizes

Sense of Gender Award

Established
2001
Frequency
annual
Organizer
Gender SF Study Group
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around July–August
science fiction, fantasy, and gender

An award for science fiction and fantasy-related works that deepen thinking about gender and sexual roles.

Hayakawa SF Contest

Established
1961
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Hayakawa Publishing Corporation
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around March
Announcement Period
around August–September
SFNovel

A publicly recruited newcomer prize for SF novels organized by Hayakawa Publishing Corporation. Open to broadly defined science fiction works in Japanese. Grand prize winners are published as books and e-books by Hayakawa Publishing.

Prize: Grand prize work will be published as a book and receive a publishing contract

Tsogen SF Short Story Award

Established
2009
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Tokyo Sogen Sha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around January
Announcement Period
around April
SFShort story

Open submission newcomer literary award for SF short stories hosted by Tokyo Sogen Sha. Targets works unpublished in commercial media.

Prize: Standard royalties, special prize (pocket watch)

The Hoshi Awards

Established
2013
Frequency
Annual
Organizer
Nikkei Inc.
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around September–October
Announcement Period
around February–March
Short short storyShort story

A literary award for short-short stories and short fiction based on scientific thinking, open to both humans and non-human entities such as artificial intelligence.

Sogen Fantasy Newcomer Award

Established
2014
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Tokyo Sogen-sha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around August
Announcement Period
around January–February
FantasyFull-length novel

Public newcomer literary award hosted by Tokyo Sogen-sha targeting commercially unpublished fantasy full-length novels.

Prize: Full royalties

Japan Fantasy Novel Grand Award

Established
1989
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Shinchosha Foundation for the Promotion of Literature
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around September–October
Announcement Period
around March–April
Fantasy novel

Open submission literary award targeting unpublished original fantasy novels

Prize: Grand Prize

Japan Horror Novel Grand Award

Established
1994
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
KADOKAWA Co., Ltd., KADOKAWA Culture Promotion Foundation
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around September–October
Announcement Period
around March–April
Horror novelNewcomer literary award

Japan's open submission newcomer literary award.

Prize: Grand Prize winner published as a single-volume book, Reader's Prize winner published by Kadokawa Horror Bunko

Mu Legendary Novel Grand Award

Established
2001
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Gakken (formerly Gakushū Kenkyūsha)
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around October
Announcement Period
around March–April

A public newcomer literary award for genre fiction, hosted by the magazine Mu (Gakken).

Prize: Winning works are published by Gakken Kenkyusha in B6 hardcover, or Wolf Novels, or Gakken M Bunko.

BK1 Ghost Story Grand Award

Established
2003
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Online bookstore BK1
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around July–August
Announcement Period
around October–November
Ghost stories

Public literary award for ghost stories hosted by online bookstore BK1.

Prize: Publication in Poplar Publishing's "Tenohira Kaidan" series

Established
2005
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Chūōkōron-Shinsha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Genre Fiction
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around September–October
Announcement Period
around July
New talent awardFantasy novel

Open submission award for new fantasy novels hosted by Chūōkōron-Shinsha.

Prize: Publication of the Grand Prize-winning work and prize money of 1 million yen