[Author Hotate Shinkawa] New Novel "The Wheat Will Not Wither" Begins Serialization on July 1, 2026!

PR poster for "The Wheat Will Not Wither." Art by Sachiyo Kaneko.

Hotate Shinkawa, author of "My Ex-Boyfriend's Will," releases new novel for the 50th anniversary of the Nankai Shimbun newspaper.

The "main story" of the newspaper novel "The Wheat Will Not Wither" by popular author Hotate Shinkawa will finally begin serialization in the Nankai Shimbun newspaper on July 1, 2026.

"The Wheat Will Not Wither" is a special project commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Nankai Shimbun newspaper. Shin Nihonkai Shimbun Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: 2-chome Tomiyasu, Tottori City, President: Toru Yoshioka) commissioned Shinkawa to write a novel set in Tottori Prefecture with the Arid Land Research Center of Tottori University (Tottori City, Arid Land Research Center) as its theme, and the author readily accepted, making the project a reality.

The work began serialization on May 12, 2026, and the 20 installments of the "Prologue" until the end of that month depicted the meeting and growing connection between Usama, a student from Sudan, and the protagonist, Takada, at the Arid Land Research Center. What will become of Usama, who has returned to Sudan, Takada's wavering emotions, and the research on wheat? The story will expand to Sudan, and the plot will move forward even more dramatically.

The story is scheduled to continue until around January 2027. Please look forward to future developments along with the illustrations by Sachiyo Kaneko.

To the site where the novel "The Wheat Will Not Wither" is published

"The Wheat Will Not Wither" will also be distributed on the digital version of the Nankai Shimbun newspaper.

Shin Nihonkai Shimbun Co., Ltd. will publish the main story in the Nankai Shimbun newspaper from July 1, and will also simultaneously distribute it on the digital news site "Net Nihonkai" (for subscribers only). Those outside Tottori Prefecture who do not receive the print newspaper will be able to read the serialized novel in real time.

Digital version includes past installments, allowing for catch-up reading.

In addition, the digital version will include the 20 installments of the prologue as well as back numbers of the past 60 episodes (approximately 2 months' worth). This is convenient for those who have missed installments or wish to read them all at once.

To view the novel on the Nankai Shimbun digital version, you need to subscribe to either the "Digital Only Plan" (¥2,600/month) or the "Home Delivery Plus Plan" (set with the print newspaper / ¥3,300/month).

Please apply from the button below. Please note that the Digital Only Plan is free for the first month of subscription (subscription fees will apply from the following month).

Apply for the Nankai Shimbun Digital Version

Author Hotate Shinkawa, who is writing "The Wheat Will Not Wither" (photo by Marisa Shimamoto)

Profile of Hotate Shinkawa

Shinkawa, Hotate

Born in Texas, USA in 1991, raised in Miyazaki Prefecture. After graduating from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Law, she worked as a lawyer. She won the 19th "This Mystery is the Best!" Award and debuted as a writer in 2021. Her award-winning works "My Ex-Boyfriend's Will" and "The Keeper of the Competition" were consecutively adapted into TV dramas. Her first newspaper serialization, "Himawari," was well-received by the Nankai Shimbun and others, and in 2025, she received the 38th Yamamoto Shugoro Prize for "The Women's Diet." Her other works include the "Ancestor Detective," "Cutting Ties is Fine!," and "The Beautiful Butler of the Magic Law School" series.

[Comment from Shinkawa]

I will deliver a story about researchers who create wheat varieties resistant to drought and high temperatures. This is a special story written for newspaper readers to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Nankai Shimbun newspaper. The story of a challenge spanning Tottori and Sudan, so it will jump to Sudan midway. However, it will definitely return to Tottori. I would be happy if you would enjoy it with us.

Profile of Illustrator Sachiyo Kaneko

Kaneko, Sachiyo

Born in Niigata Prefecture. Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts. Completed Illustration Aoyama Juku. In 2019, she won the MAYA Prize at the MAYA Illustration Competition. As an illustrator, she is active mainly in book cover illustrations and magazine illustrations.

[Comment from Kaneko]

While enjoying Hotate Shinkawa's story as a reader, I hope to carefully depict the charm of the theme of growing wheat in the desert and the emotional movements of the Sudanese youth. I am also hesitant about the unknown subject matter, but I want to depict its interesting aspects as well.

Illustrator Sachiyo Kaneko

Hotate Shinkawa interviewing inside the Arid Land Research Center's "Arid Dome"

Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University

Located on the Hamasaki Sand Dunes in Hamasaki, Tottori City, it is the only research institution in Japan dedicated to solving the challenges of arid lands worldwide. With a history of over 100 years since its days as a sand dune experimental station, researchers from all over the world gather here for numerous collaborative projects. They are also focusing on crops resistant to high temperatures and drought, and in 2025, they announced the creation of the world's first hybrid crop of corn and wheat through joint research. Support for sending precious wheat seeds, lost due to the civil war in Sudan, from Japan has also garnered attention.

"The Wheat Will Not Wither" Poster Giveaway for 10 People

To commemorate the serialization of Hotate Shinkawa's novel "The Wheat Will Not Wither," Shin Nihonkai Shimbun Co., Ltd. will present a "The Wheat Will Not Wither" poster (B3 size) by lottery to 10 people who subscribe to the "Digital Only Plan" or "Home Delivery Plus Plan" by the end of July 2026. Those who have already subscribed are also eligible. The deadline is August 20, 2026.

Please apply from the button below.

Apply for Poster Giveaway

[Company Profile of Shin Nihonkai Shimbun Co., Ltd.]

Company Name: Shin Nihonkai Shimbun Co., Ltd.

Location: 2-chome 137 Tomiyasu, Tottori City

Representative: Toru Yoshioka, President and Representative Director

Network: [Head Office] Tottori City [Central Headquarters] Kurayoshi City [Western Headquarters] Yonago City [Branch Offices] Tokyo, Osaka, Tajima, Matsue, Sakaiminato [Sub-branches] Hiroshima, Hino

URL: https://www.nnn.co.jp/list/company/overview