Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize

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Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize
山本周五郎賞 (Yamamoto Shūgorō Shō)
Awarded forFiction that best exemplifies storytelling
Date1988 (1988)
CountryJapan
Presented byShinchō Society for the Promotion of Literary Arts
Reward(s)¥1,000,000
First awarded1988
Last awarded2018
Websitewww.shinchosha.co.jp/prizes/yamamotosho/

The Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize (山本周五郎賞) is a Japanese literary award established in 1988 in memory of author Shūgorō Yamamoto.[1] It was created and continues to be sponsored by the Shinchosha Publishing company, which published Yamamoto's Complete Works.[2] The prize is awarded annually to a new work of fiction considered to exemplify the art of storytelling, by a five-person panel consisting of fellow authors. Winners receive ¥1 million.[3]

Unlike the Mishima Yukio Prize, which was established at the same time and focuses on literary fiction, the Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize is more broad, encompassing a wide range of genre fiction that includes historical and period fiction, mysteries, fantasy, erotica, and more. Candidate works and prize winners for both prizes are typically announced in May each year and covered in national print media.[4]

Notable winners have included Banana Yoshimoto, whose winning novel Goodbye Tsugumi was later published in English, erotic and romance novelist Misumi Kubo, and crime fiction and thriller author Kanae Minato. Several prize winners have gone on to win the Naoki Prize, including Riku Onda, Miyuki Miyabe, Kaori Ekuni, and Honobu Yonezawa.[5]

List of winners[edit]

An official list of winning and nominated works is maintained by Shinchosha, the prize sponsor.[6]

Year Author Japanese Title English Title
1988 Taichi Yamada Ijin tachi to no Natsu (異人たちとの夏) Strangers (tr. Wayne Lammers, 2003)
1989 Banana Yoshimoto TUGUMI Goodbye Tsugumi (tr. Michael Emmerich, 2002)
1990 Joh Sasaki Etorofu-hatsu Kinkyūden (エトロフ発緊急電)
1991 Itsura Inami Dakku Kōru (ダック・コール)
1992 Yoichi Funado Suna no Kuronikuru (砂のクロニクル)
1993 Miyuki Miyabe Kasha (火車) All She Was Worth (tr. Alfred Birnbaum, 1999)
1994 Teruhiko Kuze 1934 nen Fuyu: Rampo (一九三四年冬―乱歩)
1995 Hōsei Hahakigi Heisa Byōtō (閉鎖病棟)
1996 Arata Tendō Kazoku-Gari (家族狩り)
1997 Yūichi Shinpo Dasshu (奪取)
Setsuko Shinoda Gosaintan: Kami no Za (ゴサインタン―神の座―)
1998 Yang Sok-il Chi to Hone (血と骨) Blood and Bones
1999 Kiyoshi Shigematsu Eiji (エイジ)
2000 Shimako Iwai Bokkē, Kyōtē (ぼっけえ、きょうてえ) Too Scary
2001 Yuzaburo Otokawa Go nen no Ume (五年の梅) The Five-Year Plum Tree
Kaho Nakayama Shiroi Bara no Fuchi made (白い薔薇の淵まで) To the Depths of White Roses
2002 Shuichi Yoshida Parēdo (パレード) Parade
Kaori Ekuni Oyogu no ni Anzen de mo Tekisetsu de mo Arimasen (泳ぐのに、安全でも適切でもありません) Not Safe or Suitable for Swimming
2003 Natsuhiko Kyogoku Nozoki Koheiji (覘き小平次) Peeping Koheiji
2004 Tatsuya Kumagai Kaikō no Mori (邂逅の森)
2005 Ryōsuke Kakine Kimi tachi ni Asu wa Nai (君たちに明日はない) You Have No Tomorrow
Hiroshi Ogiwara Ashita no Kioku (明日の記憶) Tomorrow’s Memory
2006 Haruaki Utsukibara Antoku Tennō Hyōkaiki (安徳天皇漂海記) Emperor Antoku beneath the Sea
2007 Tomihiko Morimi Yoru wa Mijikashi Aruke yo Otome (夜は短し歩けよ乙女) The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl
Riku Onda Nakaniwa no Dekigoto (中庭の出来事) The Incident in the Courtyard
2008 Kōtarō Isaka Gōruden Suranbā (ゴールデンスランバー, lit. Golden Slumber) Remote Control (tr. Stephen Snyder, 2011)
Bin Konno Kadan: Impei Sōsa 2 (果断 隠蔽捜査2) Decision: Cover-Up Investigation 2
2009 Kazufumi Shiraishi Kono Mune ni Fukabuka to Tsukisasaru Ya o Nuke (この胸に深々と突き刺さる矢を抜け)
2010 Shūsuke Michio Kōbai no Hana (光媒の花) Photophilous Flower
Tokurō Nukui Kōkai to Shinjitsu no Iro (後悔と真実の色) The Colour of Truth and Regret
2011 Misumi Kubo Fugainai Boku wa Sora o Mita (ふがいない僕は空を見た) Feckless Me with Eyes to the Sky
2012 Maha Harada Rakuen no Kanvasu (楽園のカンヴァス) Painting of Paradise
2013 Fuyumi Ono Zan'e (残穢) Lingering Pollution
2014 Honobu Yonezawa Mangan (満願)
2015 Asako Yuzuki Nairu pāchi no Joshikai (ナイルパーチの女子会, Nile Perch Women's Club)
2016 Kanae Minato Yūtopia (ユートピア, Utopia)
2017 Takako Satō Akarui yoru ni dekakete (明るい夜に出かけて, Going Out in the Bright Night)
2018 Satoshi Ogawa Gēmu no õkoku (ゲームの王国, Kingdom of the Game)
2019 Kasumi Asakura Hiraba no Tsuki (平場の月)
2020 Kazumasa Hayami Za roiyaru famirī (ザ・ロイヤルファミリー)[7]

Nominees available in English translation[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kikuchi, Daisuke (May 16, 2016). "Crime and thriller writer Kanae Minato named winner of Yamamoto Shugoro Prize". The Japan Times. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  2. ^ "Yamamoto Shugoro Prize". Books From Japan. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  3. ^ Kikuchi, Daisuke (May 16, 2016). "Literary Awards Run Spectrum". The Japan Times. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  4. ^ Examples of announcements in national media:
  5. ^ "第166回「直木賞」"時代もの"W受賞 『氷菓』原作者・米澤穂信氏『黒牢城』 今村翔吾氏『塞王の楯』". ORICON NEWS. 2022-03-31. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  6. ^ "山本周五郎賞 過去の受賞作品" [Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize Previous Winning Works] (in Japanese). Shinchosha. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  7. ^ "第33回三島由紀夫賞に宇佐見りんさん「かか」、山本周五郎賞に早見和真さん「ザ・ロイヤルファミリー」". book.asahi.com (in Japanese). 17 September 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.

External links[edit]