'Onitarokappa' Wins the 14th Kawai Hayao Story Award

Chuokoron-Shinsha, Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Junichi Abe) published 'Onitarokappa' by Akito Inui in September 2025, and it has won the 14th Kawai Hayao Story Award.

This award is given by the Kawai Hayao Foundation to outstanding literary works that create stories that support the human heart. It was selected by the selection committee members: Keiko Iwamiya, Yoko Ogawa, and Hitoshi Matsuie.

'Onitarokappa' is a story serialized in the evening edition of the Yomiuri Shimbun, about a father who is a struggling musician and his 3-year-old son Taro. Since its publication, it has received high praise in various media such as the Yomiuri Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Bungeishunju, Shukan Shincho, and NHK Radio's 'Takahashi Genichiro's Flying Classroom'.

[Award comment] 'I somehow felt that the Kawai Hayao Story Award and "Onitarokappa" were a good match, so I'm glad it wasn't unrequited love and I won. Thank you very much.' — Akito Inui

[Overview of the work] In a house by the seaside, 3-year-old Taro lives with his father and mother. His conversation partners are mysterious oni, kappa, and a cow stuffed animal named 'Ueda'. His musician father has hardly any work recently, so he decides to go on a final 'dosamawari' tour with Taro. The journey of a desperate singer father and Taro through Mojiko, Yamaguchi, Hiroshima, Onomichi, Kurashiki, Kyoto... A masterpiece of a long novel depicting the irreplaceable days with a growing child, full of laughter and tears.

[Bibliographic information] Title: 'Onitarokappa' Author: Akito Inui Release date: September 19, 2025 Format: 46-size paperback Pages: 384 pages Price: 2,860 yen (2,600 yen + tax) ISBN: 978-4-12-005790-8 Illustrations: Reiko Tada Design: Shingo Ikeda (next door design) First serialized: Yomiuri Shimbun evening edition, February 26, 2024 to February 4, 2025

[Author] Akito Inui Born in Tokyo in 1971. After working at Bungakuza, he founded the performance group 'Tetsuwari Albatrossket' and is responsible for scripts and also performs. In 2009, he was nominated for the Akutagawa Prize for 'Mazui Soup'. Subsequently, he was nominated for the Akutagawa Prize four more times for 'Pinzoro', 'Hii', 'Suppon Shinju', and 'Doro ni Yaito', but all were unsuccessful. On the other hand, he won the Kawabata Yasunari Literature Prize in 2014 for 'Suppon Shinju' and the Noma Literary Newcomer Prize in 2016 for 'Noroi Otoko: Haiyu Kameoka Takuji'. Other works include 'Sa no Yoi Yoi', 'Tsubo no Naka ni wa Nani mo Nai', and 'Akito Inui: Akutagawa Prize Failed Novels Collection'.