Futami Shobo's "Rough Gemstone Discovery Project" (Yamagata Novelist/Writer Course Presents) Judges Confirmed! Theme is BL. Grand Prix Works Guaranteed Publication as Book and Comic. Global Expansion Support Provided.

This project is a collaboration between Futami Shobo and Yamagata Novelist/Writer Course, aiming to discover and nurture new talent in the BL genre, breaking away from traditional frameworks. While author Shion Miura's participation as a judge has already been announced, we are pleased to report that three new judges have also been confirmed.

[Judges] (No particular order, honorifics omitted)

Shion Miura, Author

Born in Tokyo in 1976. Debuted in 2000 with "Kakutō Suru Mono ni Maru." Awarded the Naoki Prize in 2006 for "Mahoro Ekimae Tada Benriken," the Booksellers' Award in 2012 for "Fune o Amu," the Osamu Dazai Prize in 2015 for "Ano Ie ni Kurasu Yonin no Onna," the Shimase Love Literature Prize and Kawai Hayao Story Prize in 2018 for "Nonohana Tsushin," and the Special Award of the Botanical Society of Japan in 2019 for "Ai Naki Sekai," among many other accolades. Her other novels include "Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuite Iru," "Kamisari Nana Nichijo," "Hikari," "Elegy wa Nagarenai," and "Sumi no Yurameki." Her essays include "Honya-san de Machiawase," "Nokke Kara Shitsurei Shimasu," "Manner wa Iranai Shosetsu no Kakikata Kōza," and "Suki ni Natte Shimaimashita." Recent works include "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami," "Yubisaki ni Mahō," and the essay "Shingari de Nete Imasu."

Yukari Fujimoto, Professor at Meiji University

Professor at Meiji University's School of Global Japanese Studies. Specializes in "Gender and Representation" and "Manga Culture Theory." Until 2007, she worked as an editor handling gender-related issues at Chikuma Shobo while also actively writing critiques focusing on comics and sexuality. She also served as the secretary-general for the Dazai Osamu Prize and was a literary editor responsible for authors like Kikuko Tsumura, Rieko Matsuura, and Azusa Nakajima. In addition to regular columns in newspapers and magazines, she has served on the selection committees for prestigious awards such as the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize and the Kodansha Manga Award. She joined Meiji University in 2008. Recently, she has been researching the global spread of BL and other forms of expression and their relationship with local LGBTQ+ communities. Representative works include "Where Is My Place?" (Gakuyō Shobō / Asahi Bunko) and "Pleasure Current" (Kawade Shobō Shinsha).

Yuuri Enomoto / Yuuri Enokida, Author

Born in Tokyo, raised in Chiba. Debuted in 2000 with "Natsu no Shio." Publishes works across various genres, including BL novels, mysteries, and fantasy. Representative works include the "Negotiator Series," "Ayakian Yashō Series," and "Kyūtei Shinkan Monogatari." As of 2026, she has published over 170 books. Her work "Kabukibu!" was adapted into an anime in 2017, "Sensei no Otoriyose" (co-authored with Asumiko Nakamura) into a drama in 2022, and "Eien no Kinō" into a drama in 2023. Her latest work is "Koroshiya ga Reji ni Iru" (2025).

Yusuke Arai, Dentsu Co., Ltd.

Dentsu Inc., Entertainment Business Center, General Manager of Animation Business, Leader of Manga & Animation Growth Partners. Graduated from Tohoku University, Faculty of Letters, joined Dentsu in April 2002. After approximately 15 years in the television department, he moved to the entertainment department. Since January 2022, he has been in his current position, leading the animation business division, which comprises about 100 employees including those in specialized animation bases in Shanghai and L.A. He has participated in investments in numerous anime productions, promoting a wide range of businesses including production management, domestic and international licensing, promotion, exhibitions, stage performances, and other events.

[Regarding Judge Selection] (From the Project Team)

The concept of this project is to "refine talent and deliver it to the world." In other words, it aims to discover new rough gems that are not bound by conventional frameworks or contexts, and to create opportunities in the global market.

To achieve this, in the selection of works, we aim to ensure that diverse perspectives are applied through a panel of judges with varied backgrounds, avoiding a single evaluative standard.

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[Project Overview]

1. Introduction of a "Nurturing" Educational Step

Unlike traditional literary awards, this project offers special online seminars (2-3 sessions) by editors and others to those who pass the first screening (a special program of the Yamagata Novelist/Writer Course). This provides an opportunity for further study to create more appealing works.

2. Distinguished Panel of Judges

We have invited Naoki Prize-winning author Shion Miura, Meiji University Professor Yukari Fujimoto, author Yuuri Enomoto / Yuuri Enokida, and Dentsu Animation Business General Manager Yusuke Arai as judges. The goal is to discover works that are not constrained by traditional frameworks or contexts and can compete in the global market.

3. Comprehensive Support for Book Publication, Comic Adaptation, and Global Expansion

Award-winning works are guaranteed to be published as books and comics, and will also be produced with a view towards global expansion (translation and distribution).

[About Futami Shobo]

Futami Shobo entered the BL field in the 1990s and has led the market by developing specialized labels, fostering many authors, and publishing series of books. In recent years, we have focused on e-books and comic adaptations, promoting the diversification and international expansion of BL.

Official Website: https://www.futami.co.jp/

[About Yamagata Novelist/Writer Course]

Opened in April 1997 by Naoki Prize-winning author Yoshio Takahashi. Literary critic Fuyuki Ikegami has served as a facilitator for this literary course. It is self-operated by volunteers under the motto "Serious yet Casual." Many students from this course have gone on to become professional writers, including Akio Fukamachi, Yuko Yuzuki, and Aruji Kuroki. The course is held 10 times a year, inviting active writers and editors as lecturers. Shion Miura, a judge for this project, also lectures annually.

Official Website: https://yamagatakouza.fanbox.cc/

Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577847224631

[Inquiries from Media Regarding This Matter]

Dedicated inquiry email: jimukyoku@gensekihakkutsu.com