Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize
The Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize (山本周五郎賞?) is a Japanese literary award established in 1988 in memory of author Shūgorō Yamamoto, and to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Shinchō Society for the Promotion of Literary Arts (Shinchō Bungei Shinkō Kai). It was created and continues to be sponsored by the Shinchosha Publishing company, which had close ties with the author throughout his career.
The prize is awarded annually to a new work of fiction considered to exemplify the art of storytelling, by a five-person panel consisting of fellow authors. Winners receive 1 million Yen or the equivalent of $10,000.
Unlike the Mishima Yukio Prize, which was established at the same time and focuses on literary fiction, the Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize is more broad, encompassing a wide range of genre fiction that includes historical and period fiction, mysteries, fantasy, erotica, and more.
A notable winner is Banana Yoshimoto for her work Goodbye Tsugumi early in her career in 1989.
List of winners
| Year | Author | Japanese Title | English Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Taichi Yamada | Ijin tachi to no Natsu (異人たちとの夏?) | Strangers (tr. Wayne Lammers, 2003) |
| 1989 | Banana Yoshimoto | TUGUMI | Goodbye Tsugumi (tr. Michael Emmerich, 2002) |
| 1990 | Joh Sasaki | Etorofu-hatsu Kinkyūden (エトロフ発緊急電?) | |
| 1991 | Itsura Inami | Dakku Kōru (ダック・コール?) | |
| 1992 | Yoichi Funado | Suna no Kuronikuru (砂のクロニクル?) | |
| 1993 | Miyuki Miyabe | Kasha (火車?) | All She Was Worth (tr. Alfred Birnbaum, 1999) |
| 1994 | Teruhiko Kuze | 1934 nen Fuyu: Rampo (一九三四年冬―乱歩?) | |
| 1995 | Hōsei Hahakigi | Heisa Byōtō (閉鎖病棟?) | |
| 1996 | Arata Tendō | Kazoku-Gari (家族狩り?) | |
| 1997 | Yūichi Shinpo | Dasshu (奪取?) | |
| Setsuko Shinoda | Gosaintan: Kami no Za (ゴサインタン―神の座―?) | ||
| 1998 | Yang Sok-il | Chi to Hone (血と骨?) | Blood and Bones |
| 1999 | Kiyoshi Shigematsu | Eiji (エイジ?) | |
| 2000 | Shimako Iwai | Bokkē, Kyōtē (ぼっけえ、きょうてえ?) | Too Scary |
| 2001 | Yuzaburo Otokawa | Go nen no Ume (五年の梅?) | The Five-Year Plum Tree |
| Kaho Nakayama | Shiroi Bara no Fuchi made (白い薔薇の淵まで?) | To the Depths of White Roses | |
| 2002 | Shuichi Yoshida | Parēdo (パレード?) | Parade |
| Kaori Ekuni | Oyogu no ni Anzen de mo Tekisetsu de mo Arimasen (泳ぐのに、安全でも適切でもありません?) | Not Safe or Suitable for Swimming | |
| 2003 | Natsuhiko Kyogoku | Nozoki Koheiji (覘き小平次?) | Peeping Koheiji |
| 2004 | Tatsuya Kumagai | Kaikō no Mori (邂逅の森?) | |
| 2005 | Ryōsuke Kakine | Kimi tachi ni Asu wa Nai (君たちに明日はない?) | You Have No Tomorrow |
| Hiroshi Ogiwara | Ashita no Kioku (明日の記憶?) | Tomorrow’s Memory | |
| 2006 | Haruaki Utsukibara | Antoku Tennō Hyōkaiki (安徳天皇漂海記?) | Emperor Antoku beneath the Sea |
| 2007 | Tomihiko Morimi | Yoru wa Mijikashi Aruke yo Otome (夜は短し歩けよ乙女?) | The Night is Short, Start Walking Young Maiden |
| Riku Onda | Nakaniwa no Dekigoto (中庭の出来事?) | The Incident in the Courtyard | |
| 2008 | Kōtarō Isaka | Gōruden Suranbā (ゴールデンスランバー?, lit. Golden Slumber) | Remote Control (tr. Stephen Snyder, 2011) |
| Bin Konno | Kadan: Impei Sōsa 2 (果断 隠蔽捜査2?) | Decision: Cover-Up Investigation 2 | |
| 2009 | Kazufumi Shiraishi | Kono Mune ni Fukabuka to Tsukisasaru Ya o Nuke (この胸に深々と突き刺さる矢を抜け?) | |
| 2010 | Shūsuke Michio | Kōbai no Hana (光媒の花?) | Photophilous Flower |
| Tokurō Nukui | Kōkai to Shinjitsu no Iro (後悔と真実の色?) | The Colour of Truth and Regret | |
| 2011 | Misumi Kubo | Fugainai Boku wa Sora o Mita (ふがいない僕は空を見た?) | Feckless Me with Eyes to the Sky |
| 2012 | Maha Harada | Rakuen no Kanvasu (楽園のカンヴァス?) | Painting of Paradise |
| 2013 | Fuyumi Ono | Zan'e (残穢?) | Lingering Pollution |
Nominees available in English translation
- 1991 - Mariko Koike, A Cappella, trans. Juliet W. Carpenter (Thames River Press, 2013)
- 2004 - Otsuichi, Zoo, trans. Terry Gallagher (Viz Media, 2009 / Shueisha English Edition, 2013)
