The Akutagawa Prize and Naoki Prize, regarded as prestigious literary awards in Japan, did not have any winners this year. This is the first time in 27 years that both awards have failed to select a winning work.
According to the Asahi Shimbun and others on the 17th, the selection committee for the 173rd Akutagawa Prize and Naoki Prize announced the previous day that there were "no eligible works." It is the first time since the 118th selection in January 1998 that neither an Akutagawa Prize nor a Naoki Prize-winning work has been announced, marking the sixth time in history.
The Akutagawa Prize is awarded to pure literary works written by emerging authors and is considered a gateway for new writers. Authors such as Abe Kobo and Murakami Ryu have received this award. The Naoki Prize targets popular fiction novels written by both emerging and established authors. Writers like Miyabe Miyuki and Higashino Keigo have received this prize.
Hiroko Kawakami, a commissioner for the Akutagawa Prize and a novelist, noted about the candidates, "Each had something appealing, but there was something lacking," and expressed regret for not being able to announce a winning work.
Naoki Prize commissioner Natsuhiko Kyogoku explained, "What typically takes about 3 hours to complete took 4 hours," saying that despite the heated discussion, they were unable to select any work.
The Akutagawa Prize and Naoki Prize select winning works twice a year. Winning works are often prominently displayed in bookstores.