Yo Henmi's Automatic Wake-Up Device, an Akutagawa Prize-winning work, portrays sleep and civilizational exhaustion through a man whose job is to wake others in a news agency nap room.

Through a man who wakes others, the deep fatigue of civilization becomes visible.

Anna Ogino's Seoi Mizu, an Akutagawa Prize-winning work, lets lies, fantasy, love, and bodily feeling tumble with lightness. As the title work of a collection, it creates a distinctive rhythm of wit and dark humor.

The wish to tell a rose-colored lie turns into witty laughter.