Japanese Literary Awards

Literary Awards

Browse award recipients, categories, and yearly award lists

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373 literary awards

Japan Poets Club Award

Established
1968
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Japan Poets Club
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around February–April
Poetry collection

An award targeting poetry collections

Eureka Emerging Poet

Established
0
Frequency
Annual
Organizer
Seidosha's Eureka magazine
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around December
Announcement Period
around January–March
PoetryNewcomer awardLiterary award

An annual emerging poet recognition selected from the contemporary poetry submission section of Seidosha's Eureka magazine.

Prize: The most outstanding submitter of the year is honored as 'Eureka's Newcomer'. Includes publication in the magazine and commendation.

Rekitei Emerging Award

Established
1990
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Poetry magazine 'Rekitei'
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Target
Newcomer
Announcement Period
around October–December
PoetryLiterary award

Literary award for newcomers sponsored by the poetry magazine 'Rekitei'

Mitsukoshi Sachio Youth Poetry Award

Established
1997
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Japan Children's Literature Authors Association
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Target
Open
Announcement Period
around May–July
Youth poetryChildren's songs

The Mitsukoshi Sachio Youth Poetry Award is a literary award established in 1997 by the Japan Children's Literature Authors Association, targeting poetry collections for boys and girls.

Kadan Award

Established
1990
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Honami Shoten
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Tanka
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around September
Announcement Period
around February
Tanka

Annual tanka newcomer award solicited by the monthly tanka magazine "Kadan"

Prize: Certificate and plaque

Kadokawa Tanka Award

Established
1955
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kadokawa Culture Promotion Foundation
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Tanka
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around May
Announcement Period
around November
TankaNewcomers award

Newcomers award targeting unpublished sequences of 50 tanka poems.

Prize: Certificate and 300,000 yen in prize money

Ishikawa Takuboku Award

Established
2008
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Hokumeisha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Target
Newcomer
TankaHaikuPoetryEssay

Open call comprehensive literary rookie award for tanka poets, haiku poets, poets, and essayists

Prize: 100,000 yen prize money per category and certificate

Kuzuhara Taeko Award

Established
2005
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Sunagoya Shobo
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Tanka
Target
Professional
TankaTanka collections

A literary award recognizing outstanding tanka collections by mid-career female tanka poets.

Prize: Certificate and 300,000 yen prize money

Contemporary Tanka Poets Association Award

Established
1957
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Contemporary Tanka Poets Association
Selection Method
Non-open
Category
Tanka
Target
Newcomer
Announcement Period
around April
TankaTanka collectionNewcomer award

A tanka award sponsored by the Contemporary Tanka Poets Association, targeting newcomers' tanka collections.

Prize: Certificate, 200,000 yen in prize money, and eligibility for membership in the Contemporary Tanka Poets Association

Contemporary Tanka Grand Award

Established
1978
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Association of Contemporary Poets
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Tanka
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around October
TankaLiterary Award

Literary award that honors the most outstanding work among tanka collections and songbooks published during the one-year period from October of the previous year to September of the current year.

Prize: Certificate and 300,000 yen prize money

Contemporary Tanka Newcomer Award

Established
2000
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Saitama City and Saitama City Board of Education
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Tanka
Target
Newcomer
Announcement Period
around December
TankaNewcomer Award

An open-submission literary award targeting debut tanka collections by newcomers in Japan.

Prize: Main prize: Certificate; Additional prize: 500,000 yen and commemorative item

Kono Aiko Award

Established
1991
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Mirai Tankakai, Sunakoya Shobo
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Tanka
Target
Professional
tankacriticism

Literary award targeting outstanding tanka collections by mid-career female tanka poets and criticism collections themed on Kono Aiko.

Saito Mokichi Tanka Literary Award

Established
1989
Frequency
annual
Organizer
Saito Mokichi Tanka Literary Award Steering Committee
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Tanka
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around May
tanka

A national award connected with Yamagata Prefecture that honors outstanding achievements in tanka in memory of Saito Mokichi.

Prize: Principal Award and Cash Prize

Tanka Research Newcomer Award

Established
1958
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Tanka Research Co.
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Tanka
Target
Newcomer
Application Deadline
around January
Announcement Period
around July
Tanka

A newcomer award for tanka poetry, selected annually from unpublished works submitted through the monthly journal Tanka Kenkyu. Recipients receive a prize of 200,000 yen.

Prize: Tanka Research Newcomer Award

Chōkū Prize

Established
1967
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kadokawa Culture Promotion Foundation
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Tanka
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around June
Tanka

An award given to the most outstanding work from tanka collections published in the previous year

Prize: Certificate, commemorative item

Terayama Shuji Tanka Award

Established
1995
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Sunagoya Shobo
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Tanka
Target
Professional
Tanka

Japanese tanka award targeting outstanding tanka collections by mid-career male poets.

Prize: Certificate and 300,000 yen prize money

Nagarami Contemporary Tanka Award

Established
1993
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Nagarami Shobo
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Tanka
Target
Professional
Tanka

A literary award sponsored by Nagarami Shobo, given to tanka collections from the second collection onward by mid-career and senior tanka poets. Established in 1993, held up to the 10th edition.

Prize: Honor awarded to the best tanka collection

Japan Tanka Poets Club Award

Established
1974
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Japan Tanka Poets Club
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Tanka
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around May
TankaTanka collection

An award sponsored by the Japan Tanka Poets Club targeting tanka collections by mid-career and veteran poets.

Prize: Certificate and prize money of 100,000 yen (2024)

Japan Tanka Poets Club Newcomer Award

Established
1995
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Japan Tanka Poets Club
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Tanka
Target
Newcomer
Announcement Period
around May
TankaNewcomer Award

Award for debut tanka collections sponsored by the Japan Tanka Poets Club.

Prize: Certificate and 100,000 yen prize money

Maekawa Samio Award

Established
2003
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Nagarami Shobo
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Tanka
Target
Open
Announcement Period
around June
Literary awardTanka

A literary award established to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Maekawa Samio, given to tanka-related books published in the previous year.

Prize: Certificate and 500,000 yen prize money

Wakayama Bokusui Award

Established
1996
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Wakayama Bokusui Award Organizing Committee
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Tanka
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around October
Tanka literature

An award given to those who have made outstanding achievements in tanka literature, commemorating the accomplishments of poet Wakayama Bokusui.

Prize: Certificate

Kishida Kunio Drama Award

Established
1955
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Hakusuisha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Plays, Scripts, and Screenplays
Target
Open
Announcement Period
around February–April
Playwriting awardNurturing young playwrights

A playwriting award that commemorates the achievements of playwright Kishida Kunio and aims to nurture young playwrights.

Prize: Commemorative clock as the main prize, cash prize as the subsidiary prize

Tsuruya Nanboku Drama Award

Established
1998
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kobunsha Cultural Foundation
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Plays, Scripts, and Screenplays
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around January
PlaysLiterary awards

A literary award hosted by the Kobun Cultural Foundation for new plays written in Japanese and performed during the year. The main prize is a Scheherazade statue, with a secondary prize of 2 million yen. The selection committee consists of seven active theater journalists from major Japanese newspapers and wire services.

Prize: Bronze statue as the main prize, 2 million yen as the special prize

Kishida Theater Award

Established
1954
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Shinchosha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Plays, Scripts, and Screenplays
Target
Professional
Play

A literary award sponsored by Shinchosha, targeting plays.

Prize: Commemorative item and prize money (100,000 yen)

Oya Soichi Nonfiction Award

Established
1970
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Japan Literature Promotion Association
Selection Method
Recommendation
Category
Nonfiction and Documentary Literature
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around May–June
Nonfiction

A literary award that honors outstanding nonfiction works of each year in commemoration of Oya Soichi's achievements.

Prize: Main prize: 1 million yen, sub-prize: Japan Airlines round-trip international flight ticket

Kaiko Takeshi Nonfiction Award

Established
2003
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Shueisha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Nonfiction and Documentary Literature
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around February
Announcement Period
around July
NonfictionLiterary award

A literary award established in memory of writer Takeshi Kaiko, targeting unpublished nonfiction works.

Prize: Commemorative item

Kitakyushu Autobiography Literary Award

Established
1990
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kitakyushu City
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Nonfiction and Documentary Literature
Target
Open
AutobiographyNonfiction

A literary award targeting autobiographies, conducted by Kitakyushu City from 1990 to 2013.

Prize: Published by Gakushu Kenkyusha

Kodansha Nonfiction Award

Established
1979
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Kodansha
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Nonfiction and Documentary Literature
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around July–September
NonfictionLiterary award

A literary award sponsored by Kodansha targeting nonfiction. Prize money of 1 million yen. Announced every September.

Prize: Certificate and commemorative item, and prize money of 1 million yen

Shogakukan Nonfiction Grand Prize

Established
1993
Frequency
Once a year
Organizer
Shogakukan
Selection Method
Open call
Category
Nonfiction and Documentary Literature
Target
Open
Application Deadline
around August
Announcement Period
around December
NonfictionLiterary prize

Open submission nonfiction literary prize sponsored by Shogakukan. Targets unpublished manuscripts and serves as a gateway for nonfiction writers.

Prize: The winning work will be published by Shogakukan as a single volume.

Shincho Document Award

Established
2002
Frequency
Annual
Organizer
Shincho Foundation for the Promotion of Literature
Selection Method
Selection
Category
Nonfiction and Documentary Literature
Target
Professional
Announcement Period
around August
NonfictionDocumentary writing

An annual award for nonfiction works that engage contemporary society journalistically while showing strong literary structure and expression.

Prize: 1 Million Yen Prize