2015 in Japanese literature
The following is an overview of the year 2015 in Japanese literature. It includes winners of literary awards, yearly best-sellers, title debuts and endings, and deaths of notable Japanese literature-related people, as well as any other relevant Japanese literature-related events. For an overview of the year in literature from other countries, see 2015 in literature; for an overview of the year in manga, see 2015 in manga.
Awards
- Agatha Christie Award:
- Akutagawa Prize:
- * for Scrap and Build
- * Naoki Matayoshi for
- * for 死んでいない者
- * Yukiko Motoya for 異類婚姻譚
- Bungei Prize
- * for ドール
- * for 地の底の記憶
- Dazai Osamu Prize: for 変わらざる喜び
- Dengeki Novel Prize Grand Prize:
- * 松村涼哉 for ただ、それだけでよかったんです
- * 角埜杞真 for トーキョー下町ゴールドクラッシュ！
- Edogawa Rampo Prize: Katsuhiro Go for Dotoku no Jikan
- Honkaku Mystery Award:
- * Best Fiction: for Sayonara Kamisama
- * Best Critical Work: Aoi Shimotsuki for Agasa Kurisuti Kanzen Koryaku
- Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature
- * for 冥途あり
- * for 骨風
- Japan Booksellers' Award: Nahoko Uehashi for
- Mephisto Prize: for Koi to Kinki no Purediketto
- Mishima Yukio Prize: Takahiro Ueda for 私の恋人
- Mystery Writers of Japan Award:
- * Best Novel:
- ** for
- ** for Inosento Deizu
- * Best Critical/Biographical Work:
- ** Masahiko Kikuni for Hondana Tantei Saigo no Aisatsu
- ** Aoi Shimotsuki for Agasa Kurisuti Kanzen Koryaku
- Naoki Prize:
- * for 流
- * for つまをめとらば
- Nihon SF Taisho Award:
- * Koronbia zero by Kōshū Tani
- * Toppen by Hiroyuki Morioka
- Noma Award for the Translation of Japanese Literature: for Riku Onda's
- Noma Literary Prize : for 冥途あり
- Seiun Award:
- * Best Japanese Novel: Orbital Cloud by Taiyō Fujii
- * Best Japanese Short Story: "Umi no Yubi" by Hirotaka Tobi
- Sogen SF Short Story Prize: for 神々の歩法
- Tanizaki Prize: Kaori Ekuni for ヤモリ、カエル、シジミチョウ
- Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize: Asako Yuzuki for ナイルパーチの女子会
- Yomiuri Prize:
- *Fiction: for 女たち三百人の裏切りの書
- *Drama: Haruhiko Arai for この国の空
Best-sellers
Light novel titles
The following is a list of the 10 best-selling light novel titles in Japan during 2015 according to Oricon.| Rank | Title | Author | Copies |
| 1 | Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? | Fujino Ōmori, Suzuhito Yasuda | 1,220,217 |
| 2 | The Irregular at Magic High School | Tsutomu Satō, Kan Ishida | 1,175,978 |
| 3 | My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU | Wataru Watari, Ponkan8 | 1,050,446 |
| 4 | Overlord | Kugane Maruyama, so-bin | 927,413 |
| 5 | Naruto Story Series | several | 883,833 |
| 6 | Sword Art Online | Reki Kawahara, abec | 788,895 |
| 7 | Kagerou Daze | Jin, Sidu | 494,721 |
| 8 | Kokuhaku Yokō Renshū | Tōko Fujitani, Yamako | 413,663 |
| 9 | Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index | Kazuma Kamachi, Kiyotaka Haimura | 405,666 |
| 10 | Sword Art Online: Progressive | Reki Kawahara, abec | 390,856 |
Light novel volumes
The following is a list of the 10 best-selling light novel volumes in Japan during 2015 according to Oricon.| Rank | Volume | Author | Copies |
| 1 | Sword Art Online: Progressive vol.3 | Reki Kawahara, abec | 325,991 |
| 2 | Sword Art Online vol.16 | Reki Kawahara, abec | 285,081 |
| 3 | Kagerou Daze VI -over the dimension- | Jin, Sidu | 255,785 |
| 4 | The Irregular at Magic High School vol.16 | Tsutomu Satō, Kan Ishida | 251,640 |
| 5 | The Irregular at Magic High School vol.15 | Tsutomu Satō, Kan Ishida | 247,532 |
| 6 | The Boy and the Beast | Mamoru Hosoda | 244,336 |
| 7 | My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU vol.10 | Wataru Watari, Ponkan8 | 224,761 |
| 8 | Naruto: Kakashi's Story | Akira Higashiyama | 217,136 |
| 9 | My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU vol.10.5 | Wataru Watari, Ponkan8 | 207,460 |
| 10 | The Irregular at Magic High School vol.17 | Tsutomu Satō, Kan Ishida | 194,973 |
Title debuts
- January 25 - Ascendance of a Bookworm by Miya Kazuki and You Shiina
- February 7 - Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter by Futaba Hazuki
- February 28 - Isekai Shokudō by Junpei Inuzuka and Katsumi Enami
- March 20 - 2.43: Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team by Yukako Kabei and Aiji Yamakawa
- June 20 - Assault Lily by Kasama Hiroyuki, Yaegashi Nan and Mieko Hosoi
- June 25 - Arifureta by Ryo Shirakome and Takayaki
- August 1 - Gangsta by Jun'ichi Kawabata
- October 20 - Babylon by Mado Nozaki and Zain
- December 18 - Dagashi Kashi: Mō Hitotsu no Natsu Yasumi by Manta Aisora
- December 25 - Violet Evergarden by Kana Akatsuki and Akiko Takase
Title endings
- May 1 - Attack on Titan: Harsh Mistress of the City by Ryō Kawakami and Range Murata