Japanese literary panel convenes to select 175th Akutagawa and Naoki Prize winners
NHK reports that the selection committee for Japan’s premier literary awards has begun deliberations, with winners to be announced immediately upon decision.
The selection committee for the 175th Akutagawa and Naoki literary prizes convened in Tokyo on July 15, 2026, at 4:00 PM. According to NHK News Japan, the panel is currently deliberating to determine the recipients of Japan’s most significant literary honours. The winning works for both awards will be announced as soon as the selection process is concluded.
For the Akutagawa Prize, the shortlist includes Chito Kosasagawa for the work "Zombie Recovery Woman" and Ryomi Suzuki for "Bad Blood". These titles represent the provisional English translations of the shortlisted entries as reported by the broadcaster.
A third candidate for the Akutagawa Prize has been identified as Rinsho Sa. However, the source material provided by NHK is truncated at this point, leaving the title of Sa’s nominated work unconfirmed in the available reporting.
The committee is also tasked with selecting the winner for the Naoki Prize. While the joint announcement structure implies that both awards will be revealed in the same session, the current reports do not list the shortlisted candidates or works for the Naoki Prize.
The outcome of this meeting will determine the recipients of these established cultural institutions, with the final decisions expected to be made public shortly following the conclusion of the deliberations.
