[Important] 131st Bungei Literary Award Announced: Yu Murashi's 'When Solitaire Grandpa Was Around' Wins, You Kutuno's 'Drop' Receives Honorable Mention!
The 131st Bungei Literary Award has been decided. The winning work is Yu Murashi's 'When Solitaire Grandpa Was Around', and the honorable mention is You Kutuno's 'Drop'.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 31, 2026 at 15:00
- 🔍 Collected: March 31, 2026 at 09:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 22:12 (373h 10m after Collected)
The selection committee for the 131st Bungei Literary Award was held on Tuesday, March 3rd, at the Bungeishunju Ltd. headquarters. With the five committee members Ms. Nanae Aoyama, Mr. Kazushige Abe, Ms. Hitomi Kanehara, Mr. Ryohei Machiya, and Ms. Sayaka Murata, the award-winning work and honorable mentions have been decided as follows.
Award-Winning Work: Yu Murashi "When Solitaire Grandpa Was Around"
Honorable Mention: You Kutuno "Drop"
[Biographies of Award Winners]
Yu Murashi (むらし・ゆう)
Born in 1979. Graduated from the Faculty of Letters, Kyushu University. Resides in Kyoto Prefecture.
You Kutuno (くつの・よう)
Born in 2003. Native of Gifu Prefecture. Graduated from Gifu Prefectural Gifu Nogyo High School and Gifu University, currently enrolled in graduate school.
The full text of the award-winning work and honorable mention, along with the reviews from the five selection committee members, will be published in the May 2026 issue of "Bungei" (on sale Tuesday, April 7th).
[Related Site]
FAQ
What is the Bungei Literary Award?
The Bungei Literary Award (文學界新人賞) is a prestigious literary award in Japan, presented by the magazine "Bungei" (文學界), published by Bungeishunju Ltd. It aims to discover and promote new literary talent.
Who won the 131st Bungei Literary Award?
The Grand Prize for the 131st Bungei Literary Award was awarded to Yu Murashi for his work "When Solitaire Grandpa Was Around" (ソリティアおじさんがいた頃).
Who received an honorable mention for the 131st Bungei Literary Award?
You Kutuno received an honorable mention for her work "Drop" (ドロップ).
When and where will the full award-winning works and reviews be published?
The full text of the award-winning work and honorable mention, along with the selection committee's reviews, will be published in the May 2026 issue of "Bungei" magazine, which goes on sale on Tuesday, April 7th.
What are the ages and backgrounds of the award winners?
Yu Murashi was born in 1979, graduated from Kyushu University, and resides in Kyoto. You Kutuno was born in 2003, is from Gifu Prefecture, and is currently a graduate student after graduating from Gifu University.