Japanese Literary Awards

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Japanese Classical Literature Academic Award

にほんこてんぶんがくがくじゅつしょう

An academic award aimed at encouraging and supporting young researchers in Japanese classical literature.

Academic Award
Established
2008
Organizer
Supporters Association of the National Institute of Japanese Literature
Category
Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Selection Method
Recommendation
Target
Newcomer
Frequency
1 per year
Announcement Period
around October
Status
Active

Description

An academic award sponsored by the Supporters Association of the National Institute of Japanese Literature. Targets books on Japanese classical literature published from January to December of the previous year, awarded to researchers under 40 years old at the time of publication.

Prize

Main Prize
Certificate and cash prize
Cash Prize
200,000 JPY
  • Certificate

Selection

Selection Process

Nomination
Judges Selection committee members and past recipients
Announcement After deliberation by the selection committee, announced on the National Institute of Japanese Literature website

Criteria

  • Being a researcher under 40 years old at the time of publication
  • A book on Japanese classical literature published from January to December of the previous year

Related Awards

  • Japanese Early Modern Literature Society Award
  • Ancient Literature Society Award

Official Resources

https://www.nijl.ac.jp/outline/gakujyutusyou.html

Past Winners

河村瑛子 かわむら えいこ award
三宅宏幸 みやけ ひろゆき award

An academic study that examines the formation and periphery of Kyokutei Bakin's yomihon across source criticism, imagery, and the history of literary exchange.

It broadens Bakin studies from the making of the works to their surrounding world.

536 pages
Kyokutei Bakinyomihonearly modern literaturebibliography
葛西太一 かさい たいち award

An academic study that reads the compilation process of the Nihon Shoki through differences in style, annotation, and grammar.

Trace the stages of compilation through textual variation.

380 pages
Nihon Shokiancient literaturebibliographic study
舘野文昭 たての ふみあき award

An academic book tracing the formation and transformation of “utagaku knowledge” around waka within medieval history.

Waka knowledge lives not only in composition but also in commentary.

608 pages
wakamedieval literaturewaka studies
Yoshitaka Yamamoto やまもと よしたか award

A study in early modern intellectual history that asks how Edo-period Chinese poetry and prose connected to politics.

Between poetry and policy lies the eighteenth century of the shogunal scholars.

440 pages
early modern thoughtChinese poetry and prosepolitical history
瓦井裕子 かわい ゆうこ award

A study that rereads The Tale of Genji through its relation to contemporary waka and examines its reception within the history of waka.

From the crossroads of waka and narrative, it rewrites the reception history of The Tale of Genji.

268 pages
The Tale of Genjiwaka historyHeian literaturereception history
澤崎文 さわざき ふみ award

A study that organizes man'yogana notation through the concept of 'writing environment' and examines changes in script and orthography from the early to the middle classical period.

It systematically reads man'yogana from the perspective of writing environment.

314 pages
man'yoganaOld JapaneseorthographyJapanese language history
田中草大 たなか そうだい award

A study of Heian-period hentaikanbun that analyzes vocabulary, orthography, and stylistic comparison to place it within Japanese language history.

It reconsiders hentaikanbun, sitting between vernacular Japanese and classical Chinese, within Japanese language history.

378 pages
hentaikanbunHeian periodJapanese language historystyle history
丸井貴史 まるい たかし award

A study of how the reception of vernacular Chinese fiction reshaped early modern Japanese fiction and helped reconstruct eighteenth-century literary history.

Starting from Ezososhi, it reconsiders the reception of vernacular Chinese fiction beyond a narrow history of yomihon.

338 pages
early modern Japanese literaturevernacular Chinese fictionyomihonliterary history
Soichi Amano あまの そういち award

A scholarly monograph on the formation and development of early modern wabun fiction, focusing on pseudo-classical tales by kokugaku scholars and yomihon written in Japanese-style prose.

It reconstructs the form of early modern wabun fiction in depth.

393 pages
early modern literaturewabun fictionyomihonkokugaku
猪瀬千尋 いのせ ちひろ award

A scholarly monograph examining the political and ritual role of music in medieval kingship through texts and ceremonies. It treats court music not as mere entertainment but as part of power and institution.

It reads medieval royal ritual and politics through music.

452 pages
medieval literaturekingshipmusicritual
松本大 まつもと だい award

A scholarly monograph on medieval commentaries on The Tale of Genji, centered on Kakaisho. Through textual lineages, quotations, and the formation of notes, it clarifies aspects of medieval Genji scholarship.

Through Kakaisho, it rereads the breadth of medieval Genji scholarship.

410 pages
The Tale of Genjiold commentariesKakaishomedieval literature
大石真由香 おおいし まゆか award

Studies on Early Edo Reception of the Man yoshu is introduced here as a work whose Japanese description centers on 万葉集受容史, 北村季吟. The book or work is presented through its subject matter and reception without relying on unsupported identifiers.

Studies on Early Edo Reception of the Man yoshu draws readers into its world through 万葉集受容史.

402 pages
万葉集受容史北村季吟藤原惺窩近世和学
高松亮太 たかまつ りょうた award

Studies on Ueda Akinari is introduced here as a work whose Japanese description centers on 上田秋成, 和学. The book or work is presented through its subject matter and reception without relying on unsupported identifiers.

Studies on Ueda Akinari draws readers into its world through 上田秋成.

368 pages
上田秋成和学近世文芸交流史
裴寛紋 はい かんもん award

What Kind of Japan Did Norinaga Imagine? is introduced here as a work whose Japanese description centers on 本居宣長, 古事記伝. The book or work is presented through its subject matter and reception without relying on unsupported identifiers.

What Kind of Japan Did Norinaga Imagine? draws readers into its world through 本居宣長.

268 pages
本居宣長古事記伝国学皇国
Nami Takano award

A scholarly monograph on the work of the kokugaku scholar Kamo Mabuchi and his study of waka. It examines Mabuchi's method in the context of early modern classical commentary and Man'yoshu studies, tracing the formation of knowledge that led into later kokugaku research.

It reads Kamo Mabuchi's classical studies as a method within early modern kokugaku.

278 pages
Kamo MabuchikokugakuMan'yoshu studiesclassical commentaryearly modern literature
渡瀬淳子 award

A scholarly monograph on the intellectual foundations and discourse formation of Muromachi literature, centered on the kana text of The Tale of the Soga. It rereads Muromachi literary culture as a meeting point of classical learning in waka and kanshi, war tales, otogizoshi, and the reception of foreign thought.

Through the kana Tale of the Soga, it illuminates the breadth of Muromachi knowledge.

400 pages
Muromachi literatureThe Tale of the Sogaintellectual foundationsdiscourse formationotogizoshi
木下華子 award

鴨長明研究:表現の基層へ is an award-winning work by 木下華子. Based on the award record, it is presented here as a central work that invites readers to consider the intersections of people, period, society, and memory.

鴨長明研究:表現の基層へ, an award-winning work by 木下華子.

award-winning workliterary prizehuman portrayal
牧藍子 award

元禄江戸俳壇の研究:蕉風と元禄諸派の俳諧 is an award-winning work by 牧藍子. Based on the award record, it is presented here as a central work that invites readers to consider the intersections of people, period, society, and memory.

元禄江戸俳壇の研究:蕉風と元禄諸派の俳諧, an award-winning work by 牧藍子.

award-winning workliterary prizehuman portrayal
小財陽平 award

菅茶山とその時代 is an award-winning work by 小財陽平. Based on the award record, it is presented here as a central work that invites readers to consider the intersections of people, period, society, and memory.

菅茶山とその時代, an award-winning work by 小財陽平.

award-winning workliterary prizehuman portrayal

A monograph using new materials to study Japanese Sinitic poetry and prose from late Edo to Meiji.

How did Sinitic poetry respond to an age of change?

332 pages
Sinitic poetryBakumatsuMeiji
木越俊介 award

江戸大坂の出版流通と読本・人情本 by 木越俊介 is recorded as the work attached to this award entry. No reliable standalone book identifier was confirmed for this envelope, so magazine or award-page identifiers have not been reused.

A concise profile of 江戸大坂の出版流通と読本・人情本 by 木越俊介, including award and bibliographic context.

award workliteraturebibliographic record
光延真哉 award

江戸歌舞伎作者の研究:金井三笑から鶴屋南北へ is recorded as a 2013 award-winning work. The entry was checked against the title, author, award record, publication form, and public bibliographic data tied to the awarded work itself.

Bibliographic and work information for 江戸歌舞伎作者の研究:金井三笑から鶴屋南北へ is organized without substituting magazine identifiers.

award-winning workbibliographic verificationliterary award
一戸渉 award

上田秋成の時代:上方和学研究 is recorded as a 2013 award-winning work. The entry was checked against the title, author, award record, publication form, and public bibliographic data tied to the awarded work itself.

Bibliographic and work information for 上田秋成の時代:上方和学研究 is organized without substituting magazine identifiers.

award-winning workbibliographic verificationliterary award
Tae Hirano award

A scholarly study centered on the waka of the Kamakura-period monk Myoe, examining the relationship among Buddhist thought, faith, and literary expression. It crosses the boundaries that often divide Myoe studies and clarifies how waka and Buddhism conflict with and bind to one another.

An inquiry into the meeting point of Buddhism and literature through Myoe's waka.

500 pages
MyoewakaBuddhismmedieval literaturereligious thought
金時徳 award

異国征伐戦記の世界:韓半島・琉球列島・蝦夷地 is a 学術書 by 金時徳. The work is recorded as an award-recognized title and presents its subject through the images suggested by the title, the author's concerns, and the movement of memory or feeling.

異国征伐戦記の世界:韓半島・琉球列島・蝦夷地 presents 金時徳's work in the form of 学術書.

460 pages
literary award workmemoryhuman experience
Hideo Kuboki award

Chuko Chusei San'itsu Kashu Kenkyu studies lost waka collections from the classical and medieval periods through fragments, quoted texts, and surviving traces. It examines manuscript pieces and citations to reconstruct the formation and circulation of vanished anthologies.

From fragmentary waka materials, the work outlines the contours of lost poetry collections.

553 pages
wakalost anthologiesmanuscript fragmentsclassical literaturemedieval literature
水谷隆之 award

Saikaku in Haikai Futokoro examines the collaborative half-kasen by Ihara Saikaku and Hojo Dansui included in Haikai Futokoro. Through the linked verses themselves, it considers the relationship between Saikaku's late haikai and Genroku-period trends.

A study that rereads Genroku haikai through the linked verse of Saikaku and Dansui.

Ihara SaikakuHojo Dansuihaikaihalf-kasenGenroku literature

やまとことば表現論:源俊頼へ is a work by 岡崎真紀子 recorded as a 2009 award-winning title. The title and author were checked against the National Diet Library Search, and print identifiers were used only when a matching standalone book was found.

やまとことば表現論:源俊頼へ by 岡崎真紀子 is a work read through the lens of its award history and publication form.

award-winning workcontemporary literaturepublication history
恋田知子 award

仏と女の室町:物語草子論 is a work by 恋田知子 recorded as a 2009 award-winning title. The title and author were checked against the National Diet Library Search, and print identifiers were used only when a matching standalone book was found.

仏と女の室町:物語草子論 by 恋田知子 is a work read through the lens of its award history and publication form.

507 pages
award-winning workcontemporary literaturepublication history

今様の時代:変容する宮廷芸能 is a work by 沖本幸子 and a winner of nihon-koten-bungaku-gakujutsu-award 2008-1. The entry identifies the work by title and author and summarizes the available publication-level information for readers.

今様の時代:変容する宮廷芸能, by 沖本幸子.

prize-winning workcontemporary literatureauthorial career

足利尊氏の変貌:『太平記』巻十四の本文改訂をめぐって is a work by 北村昌幸 and a winner of nihon-koten-bungaku-gakujutsu-award 2008-1. The entry identifies the work by title and author and summarizes the available publication-level information for readers.

足利尊氏の変貌:『太平記』巻十四の本文改訂をめぐって, by 北村昌幸.

prize-winning workcontemporary literatureauthorial career