The Naoki Prize is a Japanese

Japanese literature

Early works of Japanese literature were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, often written in Classical Chinese. Indian literature also had an influence through the diffusion of Buddhism in Japan...

 literary award

Literary award

A literary award is an award presented to an author who has written a particularly lauded piece or body of work. There are awards for forms of writing ranging from poetry to novels. Many awards are also dedicated to a certain genre of fiction or non-fiction writing . There are also awards...

 presented semiannually. The official name is Naoki Sanjugo Prize. It was created in 1935 by Kikuchi Kan, then editor of the Bungeishunjū

Bungeishunju (magazine)

is a leading Japanese monthly magazine published by Bungeishunjū. The magazine was started by writer Kikuchi Kan in 1923 in tandem with the founding of Bungeishunjū. The name of the magazine came from the title of the literary review column in the magazine Shinchō by Kan...

 magazine, and named in memory of novelist Naoki Sanjugo. Sponsored by the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Literature

Society for the Promotion of Japanese Literature

The is an organisation, established in 1938, to promote Japanese literature.It organises five literary prizes:*Akutagawa Prize*Kikuchi Prize*Matsumoto Prize*Naoki Prize*Ohya Prize- External links :* * at Culturalprofiles.net...

, the award recognizes "the best work of popular literature

Literature

Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...

 in any format by a new, rising, or (reasonably young) established author." The winner receives a watch and one million yen.

Kikuchi founded the Naoki Prize with the Akutagawa Prize

Akutagawa Prize

The is a Japanese literary award presented semi-annually. It was established in 1935 by Kan Kikuchi, then-editor of Bungeishunjū magazine, in memory of author Ryūnosuke Akutagawa...

 which targets the newcomer of pure

Pure

-Computing:* A pure function* Pure Software, a company founded in 1991 by Reed Hastings to support the Purify tool* Pure-FTPd, FTP server software* Pure , functional programming language based on term rewriting-Companies and products:...

 literature

Literature

Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...

, and the two prizes are two sides of the same coin and inseparable from one another.

The 1st - The 100th

1935	1	Matsutarō Kawaguchi Matsutaro Kawaguchi was a Japanese novelist, playwright and movie producer active during the Shōwa period of Japan.-Biography:Kawaguchi was born in the plebian Asakusa district of Tokyo into an impoverished family. He was forced to leave home at the age of 14 to seek employment...	Tsuruhachi Tsurujiro, Fuuryuu Fukagawa Uta, Meiji Ichidai Onna
	2	Uko Washio	Yoshinochou Taiheiki etc.
1936	3	Chōgorō Kaionji Chogoro Kaionji was the pen-name of ', a Japanese author. Noted for his historical fiction novels, he was active during the Shōwa period of Japan.-Early life:Chōgorō was born in present-day Okuchi city Kagoshima Prefecture...	Tensho Onna Gassen, Budo Denraiki
	4	Takataro Kigi	Jinsei no Ahou
1937	5	There is no applicable work.
	6	Masuji Ibuse Masuji Ibuse was a Japanese author.-Life and work:Ibuse was born in 1898 to a landowning family in the village of Kamo which is now part of Fukuyama, Hiroshima.At the age of 19 he started studying at Waseda University in Tokyo...	John Manjiro Hyouryuuki etc.
1938	7	Sotoo Tachibana	Narin-denka eno Kaisou
	8	Tadao Oike	Akitaguchi no Kyoudai
1939	9	There is no applicable work.
	10	There is no applicable work.
1940	11	Chiyo Tsutsumi Sensuke Kawachi	Koyubi Gunji Yuubin
	12	Genzō Murakami Genzo Murakami was a Japanese novelist who was born in Korea during its occupation by the Empire of Japan. He is known for his historical novels as well as his influence on Japanese literature following the Second World War....	Kazusa Fudoki etc.
1941	13	Soju Kimura	Unnan Shubihei
	14	There is no applicable work.
1942	15	There is no applicable work.
	16	Norio Taoka Takeo Kanzaki	Goujou Ichigo etc. Kanyou etc.
1943	17	There is no applicable work.	(Shūgorō Yamamoto's Nihon Fudouki was chosen, but he declined the prize.)
	18	Soichi Mori	山畠, Ga to Sasabune
1944	19	Seizo Okada	New Guinea Sangakusen
	20	There is no applicable work.
1949	21	Tsuneo Tomita	?
	22	Katsurō Yamada	Umi no Haien
1950	23	Hidemi Kon Itoko Koyama	Tennō no Bōshi Shikkō Yūyo
	24	Kazuo Dan Kazuo Dan was a noted Japanese novelist and poet.-Biography:Dan was born in Tanimura, Yamanashi Prefecture, to a family from Kyūshū. His father's work required frequent changes of residence, so Dan grew up with his grandparents in Yanagawa from age 6 onwards...	?
1951	25	Keita Genji	Eigoya-san, Taifū-san, Gokurōsan
	26	Juran Hisao Juran Hisao was the pen-name of a Japanese author of popular fiction in Shōwa period Japan. His real name was .-Early life:Jūran was a native of Hakodate on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaidō... Renzaburō Shibata	? ?
1952	27	Shinji Fujiwara	Tsumina Onna etc.
	28	Nobuyuki Tateno	Hanran
1953	29	There is no applicable work.
	30	There is no applicable work.
1954	31	Yorichika Arima	?
	32	Haruo Umezaki Yukio Togawa	? ?
1955	33	There is no applicable work.
	34	Jirō Nitta Jiro Nitta is the pen name of popular Japanese historical novelist . He was born in an area that is now part of the city of Suwa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.-Career:... Eikan Kyū	? Hong Kong(novel)
1956	35	Norio Nanjō Kanichi Kon	? ?
	36	Tōkō Kon Miharu Hozumi	? ?
1957	37	Masanori Esaki	?
	38	There is no applicable work.
1958	39	Toyoko Yamasaki Toyoko Yamasaki is a Japanese novelist.A native of Osaka, Yamasaki worked as a journalist for the Mainichi Shimbun from 1945 to 1959 after graduating from Kyoto Women's University in Japanese literature. She wrote her first story Noren in 1957. The following year, she won the Naoki Prize for her second novel Hana... Eiji Shinba	? ?
	40	Saburō Shiroyama Kyō Takigawa	? ?
1959	41	Kieko Watanabe Yumie Hiraiwa	? ?
	42	Ryōtarō Shiba Ryotaro Shiba , born in Osaka, Japan, was a Japanese author best known for his novels about historical events in Japan and on the Northeast Asian sub-continent, as well as his historical and cultural essays pertaining to Japan and its relationship to the rest of the world.... Yasuji Toita	Fukurō no Shiro Fukuro no Shiro Fukurō no Shiro is a 1959 ninja-themed novel by the debuting Japanese author Ryōtarō Shiba, which won him the Naoki Prize in 1960 after the story was published by Kodansha... (Owls' Castle Owls' Castle Owl's Castle is a 1999 Japanese ninja-themed film written by Masahiro Shinoda and Katsuo Naruse and directed by Masahiro Shinoda. It is a remake of the 1963 film Castle of Owls, based on Ryotaro Shiba's 1959 novel under the same name.The film starred Kiichi Nakai, Takaya Kamikawa, Mayu Tsuruta and... ) ?
1960	43	Shōtarō Ikenami Shotaro Ikenami was a Japanese author.-Major works:Ikenami created several works, including:*Kenkaku Shōbai *Onihei Hankachō*Ninja Justice: Six Tales of Murder and Revenge...	?
	44	Daikichi Terauchi Jūgo Kuroiwa	? ?
1961	45	Tsutomu Minakami	Gan no tera (Temple of the Geese)
	46	Keiichi Itō	?
1962	47	Hisahide Sugimori	?
	48	Hitomi Yamaguchi Yamaguchi Hitomi was a popular novelist and essayist in Shōwa period Japan.-Early life:Yamaguchi was born in the Azabu district of Tokyo to a working class family. He was forced to support himself through college, attending the Kokugakuin University. After graduation, he went to work for the publishing company,... Sonoko Sugimoto	? ?
1963	49	Tokuji Satō	?
	50	Yoshie Wada Yoshie Wada was a Japanese novelist and critic.Wada was born in Oshamambe, Hokkaidō, and graduated from Chuo University with a law degree. In addition to his novels in the naturalist tradition, he edited the diaries of Ichiyō Higuchi and Fumiko Hayashi... Tsuruo Andō	Chiri no Naka ?
1964	51	There is no applicable work.
	52	Michiko Nagai Michiko Nagai ; is a writer of historical fiction in Japan.Born in Tokyo, Nagai graduated from the Tokyo Womens' University with a degree in Japanese literature in 1944. She also studied economy history at the University of Tokyo from 1947-1948... Atsuko Anzai Anzai Atsuko is a Japanese woman novelist in Shōwa and Heisei period Japan. Anzai has concentrated her efforts on stories set in China with historical themes, or on contemporary stories based on traditional Chinese motifs.-Biography:...	? ?
1965	53	Shigeo Fujii	?
	54	Yūkichi Shinbashi Jihei Chiba	? ?
1966	55	Masaaki Tachihara Tachihara Masaaki was the pen-name of a Japanese novelist of Korean descent, active during the Shōwa period.-Early life:Tachihara was born in Andong city, Gyeongsangbuk-do province, Korea to Korean parents, during the period when Korea was under Japanese occupation...	?
	56	Hiroyuki Itsuki	?
1967	57	Jirō Ikushima	?
	58	Akiyuki Nosaka Akiyuki Nosaka is a Japanese novelist, singer, lyricist, and former member of the House of Councillors. As a broadcasting writer he uses the name Yukio Aki and his alias as a chanson singer is Claude Nosaka.- Biography :... Tōru Miyoshi	Hotaru no Haka (Grave of the Fireflies Grave of the Fireflies (book) is a 1967 semi-autobiographical novel by Japanese novelist Akiyuki Nosaka. It is based on his experiences before, during, and after the firebombing of Kobe in 1945... ), Amerika Hijiki ?
1968	59	There is no applicable work.
	60	Shunshin Chin Chin Shunshin is a Taiwanese-Japanese novelist, translator and cultural critic. He is best known for his historical fictions and mystery novels, including First Opium War, Chinese History, Ryukyu Wind.-Major works:*Roots of Dried Grass... Mitsugu Saotome Mitsugu Saotome , is the pen-name of a Japanese writer of historical fiction in Showa and Heisei period Japan. His real name is Kanegae Hideyoshi.-Biography:...	? ?
1969	61	Aiko Satō Aiko Sato is a female Japanese judoka. She won the gold medal in the lightweight division at the 2011 World Judo Championships.-External links:* at the judoinside.com....	?
	62	There is no applicable work.
1970	63	Junichi Watanabe Junichi Watanabe is a Japanese writer, known for his portrayal of extra-marital affairs of middle aged people. His 1997 novel A Lost Paradise became a bestseller in Japan and over Asia, and was made into a film and a TV miniseries... Yūki Shōji	Hikari to Kage ?
	64	Jō Toyoda	?
1971	65	There is no applicable work.
	66	There is no applicable work.
1972	67	Hisashi Inoue Tsunabuchi Kenjō	Tegusari Shinju ?
	68	There is no applicable work.
1973	69	Shuhei Fujisawa Shuhei Fujisawa was a Japanese author. His real name is Tomeji Kosuge . Over fifty of his books were published, including both full-length novels and short story anthologies through the course of his lifetime. The focus of his writing was historical fiction. Before he became an author, he had been a... Hideo Osabe Hideo Osabe is a Japanese author. He has published novels as well as essays on movies and Osamu Dazai. He won the prestigious Naoki Prize in 1973 for Tsugaru jongara bunshi and Tsugaru yosare bushi. He was born in Aomori Prefecture, where Dazai was also born. He also once directed a movie...	Ansatsu no Nenrin (Annals of Assassination) Tsugaru jongara bushi, Tsugaru yosare bushi
	70	There is no applicable work.
1974	71	Giichi Fujimoto	?
	72	Ryō Hanmura Ryo Hanmura Ryō Hanmura was a Japanese science fiction, fantasy, and horror author. His name is alternatively transliterated as Ryo Hammura. He won the Naoki Prize for his 1975 novel Amayadori... Magoroku Ide	Amayadori ?
1975	73	There is no applicable work.
	74	Ryuzo Saki Ryuzo Saki is a Japanese novelist, non-fiction writer, born in North Hamgyong, a province of what is now North Korea. He is interested with many crimes in Japan and published many books about Japanese crimes....	fukushū suru wa ware ni ari (Vengeance Is Mine Vengeance is Mine (1979 film) Vengeance Is Mine is a 1979 film directed by Shohei Imamura, based on the book of the same name by Ryuzo Saki. It depicts the true story of serial killer Akira Nishiguchi .It stars Ken Ogata as Enokizu, with Mayumi Ogawa, Rentaro Mikuni, Mitsuko Baisho, Nijiko Kiyokawa and Chocho Miyako... )
1976	75	There is no applicable work.
	76	Kyōzō Miyoshi	Kosodategokko
1977	77	There is no applicable work.
	78	There is no applicable work.
1978	79	Yō Tsumoto Takehiro Irokawa Takehiro Irokawa was a noted Japanese writer who published both serious literature and light fiction under a variety of pseudonyms including Asada Tetsuya and Budai Irokawa ....	? Rikon
	80	Tomiko Miyao Natsuo Ariake	? ?
1979	81	Atoda Takashi Komimasa Tanaka Komimasa Tanaka was a noted Japanese writer.- Prizes :* 1979 Naoki Prize for Rōkyoku shiasahimaru no hanashi / Mimi no koto * 1979 Tanizaki Prize for Poroporo - Selected works :* Kaburitsuki jinsei, 1964.* Ueno shōgitai, 1968....	Napporeon kyo (Napoleon Crazy (novel)) ?
	82	There is no applicable work.
1980	83	Kuniko Mukōda Kuniko Mukoda was a Japanese TV screenwriter. Most of her scripts focus on day-to-day family life and relationships. She was also awarded the middle-brow Naoki Prize for her short stories "Hanano Namae", "Kawauso" and "Inugoya" .-Life:... Kageki Shimoda	"Hana no Namae", "Kawauso" and "Inugoya" Kiiroi Kiba
	84	Masanori Nakamura	Genshu no Muhon
1981	85	Yukio Aoshima Yukio Aoshima was a Japanese politician who served as a Governor of Tokyo Metropolitan Government from 1995 to 1999. He is also well known as a novelist, a film director and a TV-actor.- Early life :...	?
	86	Kouhei Tsuka Akira Mitsuoka	? ?
1982	87	Yūsuke Fukada Tomomi Muramatsu	? ?
	88	There is no applicable work.
1983	89	Kōshi Kurumizawa	?
	90	Takurō Kanki Osamu Takahashi	? ?
1984	91	Mikihiko Renjō Toshizō Nanba	? ?
	92	There is no applicable work.
1985	93	Yōko Yamaguchi	?
	94	Seigo Morita Moriko Hayashi	? ?
1986	95	Hiroko Minagawa	?
	96	Go Ousaka Shinpei Tokiwa	Cadiz no akai hoshi ?
1987	97	Amy Yamada Amy Yamada born February 8, 1959, is a popular but controversial contemporary Japanese writer who is most famous for her stories that address issues of sexuality, racism, and interracial marriage, topics not typically discussed openly in Japanese society.... Ichirō Shiraishi	Sōru Myūjikku Rabāzu Onrī (Soul Music Lovers Only) ?
	98	Makio Abe	?
1988	99	Kageyama Tamio Masaaki Nishiki	Toi Umi Kara Kita Coo (The Baby Dinosaur Coo From the Far-Off Sea) ?
	100	Akiko Sugimoto Shizuko Tōdō	? ?

The 101st to Present

1989	101	Nejime Shōichi Nejime Shoichi is a Japanese poet and novelist born on June 16, 1948. He dropped out of Aoyama Gakuin University while he was majoring in economics.-Biography:... Akira Sasakura	Kōenji junjō shōtengai ?
	102	Seiji Hashikawa Ryō Hara	? ?
1990	103	Tsumao Awasaka	?
	104	Kaoru Furukawa	?
1991	105	Masamitsu Miyagitani Sunao Ashihara	? ?
	106	Yoshio Takahashi Katsuhiko Takahashi	? ?
1992	107	Shizuka Ijūin	?
	108	Tatsurō Dekune	?
1993	109	Kaoru Takamura Aiko Kitahara	? ?
	110	Arimasa Oosawa Masayoshi Satō	Shinjuku zame - Mugen ningyo Ebisuya Kihee Tebikae
1994	111	Akihiko Nakamura Yasuhisa Ebisawa	? ?
	112	There is no applicable work.
1995	113	Shun Akasegawa	?
	114	Mariko Koike Iori Fujiwara	? ?
1996	115	Asa Nonami	The Hunter
	116	Masako Bando	Yamahaha
1997	117	Setsuko Shinoda Jirō Asada	Onnatachi no Jihad Mibu Gishiden (When the Last Sword Is Drawn)
	118	There is no applicable work.
1998	119	Kurumatani Chōkitsu	Akame shijūya-taki shinjū misui (Attempted Suicide at the Forty-eight Falls of Akame)
	120	Miyabe Miyuki	Riyū (The Reason)
1999	121	Kenichi Sato Natsuo Kirino Natsuo Kirino is a Japanese novelist and a leading figure in the recent boom of female writers of Japanese detective fiction.-Biography:A prolific writer, she is most famous for her 1997 novel, Out, which received the Mystery Writers of Japan Award, Japan's top mystery award, and was a finalist for the 2004...	Ouhi no Rikon Yawaraka na hoho (Soft Cheeks)
	122	Rei Nakanishi Rei Nakanishi Rei Nakanishi is a Japanese novelist and songwriter.-Career:Nakanishi was born Reizō Nakanishi in Mudanjiang, Manchukuo. He graduated from Kudan High School in Tokyo and received a degree in French literature from Rikkyo University...	Nagasaki burabura-bushi (Strolling Through Nagasaki: A Ballad)
2000	123	Yoichi Funado Kazuki Kaneshiro Kazuki Kaneshiro is a Zainichi Korean novelist who was born in Kawaguchi, Saitama.Later in his life he acquired Japanese citizenship. Due to early influence from his Marxist-Leninist father, he studied at the Chongryon-affiliated elementary school and middle school. Afterwards his father switched his affiliation...	Niji no Tani no Gogatsu GO Go (Kaneshiro novel) GO is a novel written by Kazuki Kaneshiro and published in 2000 by Kodansha. GO received a Naoki Prize, an award of high praise in Japan. A film adaptation was released in 2001 that won numerous awards in Japan....
	124	Shigematsu Kiyoshi Yamamoto Fumio	Bitamin F (Vitamin F) Puranaria (Planaria)
2001	125	Yoshinaga Fujita Yoshinaga Fujita is an award-winning Japanese novelist and screenwriter.-Novels:* Adrift in Tokyo * A Laughing Frog * Territory of Love -Screenwriting:* Adrift in Tokyo...	愛の領分 (Territory of Love)
	126	Yamamoto Ichiriki Yuikawa Kei	Akanezora (A Deep-Red Sky) Katagoshi no koibito (Over-the-Shoulder Lover)
2002	127	Yuzaburo Otokawa	Ikiru
	128	There is no applicable work.
2003	129	Ira Ishida Ira Ishida is a Japanese novelist, actor, and TV commentator.After graduating from Seikei University, he worked for a number of different advertising production companies and as a freelance copywriter.... Yuka Murayama Yuka Murayama is a modern Japanese female writer. She graduated from Rikkyo University and majored in Japanese literature.-Biography:...	4-Teen Hoshiboshi no fune (Voyage to the Stars)
	130	Kaori Ekuni Kaori Ekuni Kaori Ekuni is a Japanese author. She was born in Setagaya, Tokyo. Her father is Japanese haiku poet and essayist, Shigeru Ekuni.-Works:... Natsuhiko Kyogoku	Gokyu suru Jumbi wa Dekiteita Kosetsu Hyaku Monogatari (Requiem from the Darkness Requiem from the Darkness is a series of novels by Natsuhiko Kyogoku. It was made into a horror anime series, licensed in English by Geneon Entertainment, and into a series of live action TV specials directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi.-Plot:... )
2004	131	Hideo Okuda Tatsuya Kumagai	Kūchū Buranko Kūchū Buranko is a fictional psychiatrist in a series of short stories by Japanese writer Hideo Okuda, originally published primarily in the literary magazine All Yomimono from August 2000 to January 2006 and later collected in three tankōbon: , and... Kaikou no Mori
	132	Kakuta Mitsuyo	Taigan no kanojo
2005	133	Minato Shukawa	Hana manma
	134	Keigo Higashino Keigo Higashino is a Japanese author chiefly known for his mystery novels.-Biography:Born in Osaka, he started writing novels while still working as an engineer at Nippon Denso Co.　. He won the Edogawa Rampo Award, which is awarded annually to the finest mystery work, in 1985 for the novel Hōkago at age 27...	Yōgisha X no Kenshin Yōgisha X no Kenshin is a 2006 novel by Keigo Higashino, the third in his Tantei Galileo series and is his most acclaimed work thus far. The book won him numerous awards, including 134th Naoki Prize which is a highly regarded award in Japan and the 6th Honkaku Mystery Grand Prize.... (The Devotion of Suspect X)
2006	135	Shion Miura Eto Mori	Mahoroekimae Tada Benriken Kaze ni Maiagaru Vinyl Sheet
	136	There is no applicable work.
2007	137	Kesako Matsui	Yoshiwara Tebikigusa
	138	Kazuki Sakuraba Kazuki Sakuraba ' is a Japanese author of novels and light novels, and a Naoki Prize winner.Born in 1971, she began her career writing novelizations, but the hit mystery series Gosick brought her work with several light novel publishers, and her book A Lollypop or a Bullet placed third in the Kono Light Novel ga...	Watashi no Otoko (My Man)
2008	139	Areno Inoue	Kriha e
	140	Arata Tendo Kenichi Yamamoto	Itamu Hito Rikyu ni Tazuneyo
2009	141	Kaoru Kitamura Kaoru Kitamura is the pen name of , a popular contemporary Japanese writer, mainly of short stories.-Biography:Kitamura was born in the town of Sugito in Saitama Prefecture. He studied literature at Waseda University in Tokyo, and was a member of the Waseda Mystery Club while a student there...	Sagi to Yuki (Herons and Snow)
	142	Jō Sasaki  Kazufumi Shiraishi	Haikyo ni kou Hokanaranu hito e
2010	143	Kyoko Nakajima	Small Home (小さいおうち)
	144	Nobori Kiuchi Shusuke Michio	Hyosa no Utau (漂砂のうたう) Tsuki to Kani (月と蟹)
2011	145	Jun Ikeido	Shitamachi Rocket (下町ロケット)

Current members of the selection committee

• Jirō Asada
• Takashi Atoda
• Hiroyuki Itsuki
• Hisashi Inoue
• Kenzo Kitakata
  Kenzo Kitakata
  is an emminent Japanese novelist, especially known for his hard boiled style. He graduated with a degree in Law from Chuo University in 1973.- Bibliography :[Following is the list of translated to English texts, Kitakata is a prolific writer.]*The Cage...
  
  
• Mariko Hayashi
• Yumie Hiraiwa
• Masamitsu Miyagitani
• Miyuki Miyabe
  Miyuki Miyabe
  Miyuki Miyabe is a popular contemporary Japanese author active in a number of genres that include science fiction, mystery fiction, historical fiction, social commentary, and juvenile fiction...
  
  
• Junichi Watanabe
  Junichi Watanabe
  is a Japanese writer, known for his portrayal of extra-marital affairs of middle aged people. His 1997 novel A Lost Paradise became a bestseller in Japan and over Asia, and was made into a film and a TV miniseries...
  
  

See also

• List of Japanese literary awards