Jun Ishikawa's Japan Art Academy Prize recognized not a single book but his long career as a writer. His intellectually agile style, fiction rich in critical force, and broad work across adaptation and essays were central to that recognition.

An award for a sustained literary career rather than for one book title.

Tetsutaro Kawakami's Japan Art Academy Prize recognized his long career as a critic rather than a single work. He helped introduce French symbolism and modern criticism into Japanese critical discourse, writing across literature, music, and thought.

An award for criticism spanning literature, music, and ideas.