Bungei Prize


The Bungei Prize is a Japanese literary award given by publishing company Kawade Shobō Shinsha. It was first awarded in 1962. The award is intended to recognize new writers, and several famous Japanese writers have won the award, but many Bungei Prize winners have not achieved any further literary recognition.

Awards history

For the first two years in 1962 and 1963, awards were given in dramatic works, short and medium stories, and long works categories. From 1964, all works were judged in a single category. In 1965 no prize selection process was held, thus 1964 is the third award, and 1966 is the fourth. In 1967 and 2010 no works were judged worthy of the award. In 1968, due to the bankruptcy of Kawade Shobō ShinshaIn, the sixth award was delayed by one year until 1969. In 1969, the selected winner, Nakano Shuhei, refused to accept the award.

Winners

Kawade Shobō Shinsha maintains a complete official list of winning works.
YearWinnerWinning WorkAuthor later won
1962Kazumi Takahashi悲の器
Meisei GotōHonorable mention for 関係 Taiko Hirabayashi Literary Award, Tanizaki Prize, Arts Selection Award
1963Kazuko SaegusaHonorable mention for 葬送の朝 Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature, Tamura Toshiko Award
1964No winner
Komitsu KitakojiHonorable mention for ミクロコスモス
1966Ei Kinkaku/Kim Hak Young凍える口
Atsumi KatoHonorable mention for 大山兵曹
Shôjo TadashiHonorable mention for 塔への道
1967No winner
Noboru TsujiharaHonorable mention for ミチオ・カンタービレ
Fukunaga ReizoHonorable mention for 家路
1969No winner
Shuhei Nonaka鈍夜
1970Eiji Kurobane目的補語
Asako Onogiクリスマスの旅
1971Motoya Honda家のなか・なかの家
Minako Goto刻を曳く
1972Shuya Odaka危うい歳月
1973No winner
Teruaki KitazawaHonorable mention for あわいの構図
Seiichi AkasakaHonorable mention for 帰らざる道
1974Fuyu Ozawa-
1975Seiichiro Aka世の中や
1976Hidetoshi Tooka北帰行
Mitsuyoshi NomuraHonorable mention for 輝かしき愚者の砦
1977Mitsunori Hoshinoおれたちの熱い季節
Yohei Matsuzaki狂いだすのは三月
1978Kojiro Kuroda鳥たちの闇のみち
Keiko KobayashiHonorable mention for 回帰点
1979Katsusuke MiyauchiYomiuri Prize, Itō Sei Literary Prize
Masako Meiōある女のグリンプス
1980Yasuo Tanakaなんとなく、クリスタル
Kenji Aoyama囚人のうた
Mami Nakahiraストレイ・シー プ
1981Sachi Fukuda百色メガネ
Akemi Hotta1980 アイコ 十六歳
Misuzu Yamamotoみのむし
1982Jun Hirano日曜日には愛の胡瓜を
Terai SumiCancelled award for レーシングカーに乗った聖者
1983Masayo Yamamoto応為坦坦錄 Mishima Yukio Prize
Wakaichi Koji海に夜を重ねて
1984Jōji Atsumiミッドナイト・ホモサピエンス
Yuichi Hiranakaシーズレイン
1985Eimi Yamadaベッドタイムアイズ Naoki Prize, Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature, Yomiuri Prize, Tanizaki Prize
1986Sumiko Okamoto零れた言葉
Umeda KakoHonorable mention for 勝利投手
1987Kazuzo Sasayama四万十川 あつよしの夏 Mishima Yukio Prize
Jūgi HisamaMention honorable pour マネーゲーム
1988Mayumi Nagano少年アリス Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature, Noma Literary Prize
Kazuichi Iijima汝ふたたび故郷へ帰れず
1989Sunao AshiharaYES・YES・YESNaoki Prize
Mako Yūkiハッピーハウス
1990Aohara Sunao青春デンデケデケデケ
1991Shunji Kawamotorose
Yoshino Hikaru撃壌歌
1992Megumi Miura音符
Kenichi MakiHonorable mention for 白い血
1993No winner
Kei ÔishiExcellence mention for 履き忘れたもう片方の靴
Yoichiro KotakeExcellence mention for DMAC
1994Zero Amemori首飾り
1995Takami Itō助手席にて、グルグル・ダンスを踊って Akutagawa Prize
1996No winner-
Kazumasa OgaExcellence mention for フレア
Ariko SatoExcellence mention for ボディ・レンタル
1997Seigō Suzukiラジオデイズ Mishima Yukio Prize
Tomoyuki Hoshino最後の吐息 Noma Literary New Face Prize, Mishima Yukio Prize
1998Maki Kashimada二匹 Mishima Yukio Prize, Noma Literary New Face Prize, Akutagawa Prize
1999Junko HamadaTiny, tiny
2000Akira Kurodaメイドイン
2001Risa Watayaインストール Akutagawa Prize, Kenzaburō Ōe Prize
2002Nakamura Wataruリレキショ
Tomohiko Okadaキッズ アー オールライト
2003Keisuke Hada黒冷水 ''Akutagawa Prize
Ikuta Sayoオアシス
Noriaki Fushimi魔女の息子
2004Nao-Cola Yamazaki人のセックスを笑うな Shimase Award for Love Stories
Gen Shiraiwa野ブタ。をプロデュース
2005Nanae Aoyama窓の灯 Akutagawa Prize
Minami Natsu平成マシンガンズ
2006Iwora Ogiyo公園
Saki Nakayamaヘンリエッタ
2007Ken'ichirō Isozaki肝心の子供
Kenta Tange青色讃歌
2008Fuari Kitaけちゃっぷ
Yûta Yasutoおひるのたびにさようなら
2009Ômori Brothers 犬はいつも足元にいて
Izumi Fujishiroボーダー&レス
2010No winner
2011Tomoki Imamuraクリスタル・ヴァリーに降りそそぐ灰
2012Naoko Tanigawaおしかくさま
2013Haruya Sakurai世界泥棒
2014Yondoku I死にたくなったら電話して
Kaoru Kanekoアルタッドに捧ぐ
2015Hiroka Yamashitaドール
Ushio Hatakeyama地の底の記憶
2016Ryōhei Machiya青が破れる
2017Chisako Wakatakeおらおらでひとりいぐも Akutagawa Prize
2018Hideyuki Hikamiはんぷくするもの
Tarō Yamanobeいつか深い穴に落ちるまで
2019Rin Usamiかか Mishima Yukio Prize, Akutagawa Prize
Haruka Tōno改良 Akutagawa Prize
2020Mū Fujiwara水と礫
Kurumi ArataExcellence mention for 星に帰れよ
2021Daichi Sawa眼球達磨式
2022Jose Andōジャクソンひとり
Coleco Hibinoビューティフルからビューティフルへ
2023Ayako Koizumi無敵の犬の夜
Riku SasakiExcellence mention for 解答者は走ってください
Shō ZunoExcellence mention for おわりのそこみえ
Short story prize Fuyuki Nishino子宮の夢
Short story prize Kei SaitaniExcellence mention for 海を吸う
2024Saji Machikawa光のそこで白くねむる
Irino Matsudaハイパーたいくつ