Matsumoto Seicho Prize
まつもとせいちょうしょう
A literary prize commemorating the achievements of Matsumoto Seicho, honoring high-quality long-form entertainment novels.
- Established
- 1993
- Organizer
- Japan Literature Promotion Association
- Category
- General Fiction and Popular Fiction
- Selection Method
- Open call
- Target
- Open
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Application Deadline
- around October
- Announcement Period
- around June
- Status
- Active
Description
Established in 1993 by the public interest incorporated foundation Japan Literature Promotion Association and operated by Bungeishunju, this literary award solicits and honors high-quality long-form entertainment novels. The selection meeting is held annually in April, winner announcements are made in the June issue of All Yomimono magazine, and the presentation ceremony is held in June.
Prize
- Main Prize
- Clock as the main prize, 5 million yen as the special prize
- Cash Prize
- 5,000,000 JPY
- Publication as a single-volume book
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Submission deadline | — | — | |
| Selection meeting | Selection committee | — | Winner announcement in the June issue of All Yomimono magazine |
| Award presentation ceremony | Japan Literature Promotion Association | — | Presented at the award presentation ceremony |
Criteria
- High-quality long-form entertainment novels regardless of genre
Official Resources
https://bungakushinko.or.jp/award/matsumoto/Past Winners
The debut work by Moriyama Sei, born in Osaka Prefecture in 2001, which won the 33rd Matsumoto Seicho Prize. The selection committee consisting of Abe Chisato, Ichiho Michi, Ogawa Tetsushi, Minato Kanae, and Morimi Tomihiko decided to award the prize on April 21, 2026. The detailed synopsis is scheduled to be published in the July/August 2026 issue of All Yomimono.
Set in the Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei in the late Edo period, this novel follows two Buddhist monks who undertake the grueling Sennichi Kaihogyo, a thousand-day mountain walk where failure means death. Though both master Jisho and disciple Kaien share the same secret of imperial lineage, rather than joining forces, they clash fiercely against each other. A full-scale historical entertainment novel that blends meticulous research into monastic life with raw human emotions of desire for recognition and hatred.
Death or immortality. A blazing human drama of monks who stake their lives on a grueling spiritual ordeal.