[Unpublished Manuscript Discovered!] Ayako Sono First Anniversary Memorial Project: "What It Means to Live Humanly" to be published on March 27. The concluding volume following February's "What It Means to Live Authentically." The truths of humanity and words of life she pursued throughout her career.

Kawade Shobo Shinsha (Shinjuku, Tokyo; President: Yu Onodera) will release the Ayako Sono first anniversary memorial project, "What It Means to Live Humanly" (list price 1,540 yen including tax), on March 27, 2026.

Ayako Sono made her literary debut in 1954 while attending the University of the Sacred Heart with the publication of "Enrai no Kyakutachi" (Guests from Afar).

By depicting the Catholic worldview, human dignity, karma, and forgiveness with delicate sensitivity, she made a vivid impact on society as one of the few female writers of that time.

● Ayako Sono at the time of her debut (photographed around 1956) [Image: Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)]

Following her debut, she released numerous bestsellers such as "Dare no Tame ni Ai suru ka" (For Whom Do We Love, 1970), "Taro Monogatari" (Taro's Story, 1973-79), "Kami no Kegareta Te" (God's Dirty Hands, 1979), "Oi no Saikaku" (The Talent of Aging, 2010), and "Otto no Atoshimatsu" (Taking Care of My Husband's Affairs, 2017), remaining at the forefront of the literary world for 70 years. For recent readers, she may be best remembered for her essays dealing with universal themes such as aging, death, life, and loneliness.

Throughout her career and her domestic and international social contributions, Ms. Sono received numerous awards, including the Vatican's Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal, the Japan Society of Civil Engineers Publication Award (1987 for "Kosui Tanjou"), the Imperial Prize and the Japan Art Academy Prize (1993), the NHK Broadcasting Culture Award (1995), the Yoshikawa Eiji Cultural Prize (1997, as representative of the Association for the Support of Overseas Missionaries), the Yomiuri International Cooperation Prize (1997), and the Kikuchi Kan Prize (2012). She is also known for serving as the first female chairperson of The Nippon Foundation for 11 years, from 1995 to 2005.

● First Anniversary Memorial Project: "What It Means to Live Authentically" and "What It Means to Live Humanly" "What It Means to Live Authentically" (published in February 2026) and "What It Means to Live Humanly" (published in March) are the two volumes of a first-anniversary memorial project containing unpublished manuscripts discovered after Ms. Sono's passing.

These manuscripts, dictated around 1992 at her villa on the Miura Peninsula, are revived now, over 30 years later, as words that have not faded with time. Dictated essays were rare at the time, and these works serve as a precursor to her later massive bestseller, "The Talent of Aging."

The discovery of the manuscripts and the release of these books were also reported on NHK News. https://news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/na-k10015057921000 (February 21, 2026)

〈Table of Contents for "What It Means to Live Humanly"〉 Chapter 1: Accepting Fate and Death Chapter 2: Encounters Seem Accidental, But Are Inevitable Chapter 3: People Give and Receive Chapter 4: Africa Reflects the Archetype of Humanity Chapter 5: Living as Yourself, While Others Live as Themselves

The truths of humanity and the words of the soul that the author pursued throughout her life will surely encourage and challenge the lives of contemporary readers.

Please pay attention to the release of the Ayako Sono first anniversary memorial project: "What It Means to Live Authentically" and "What It Means to Live Humanly" (list price 1,540 yen each, including tax).

● Author: Ayako Sono Born in Tokyo in 1931. Graduated from the Department of English Literature, Faculty of Letters, University of the Sacred Heart. In 1979, she received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal from the Vatican. In 1987, she received the Japan Society of Civil Engineers Publication Award for "Kosui Tanjou." In 1993, she received the Imperial Prize and the Japan Art Academy Prize. In 1995, she received the NHK Broadcasting Culture Award. In 1997, she received the Yoshikawa Eiji Cultural Prize and the Yomiuri International Cooperation Prize as representative of the Association for the Support of Overseas Missionaries. In 2003, she was named a Person of Cultural Merit. She served as Chairperson of The Nippon Foundation from 1995 to 2005. In 2012, she received the Kikuchi Kan Prize. Her many books include "Mumeihi," "God's Dirty Hands," "Tenjo no Ao," "Aika," "The Talent of Aging," "Jinsei no Shukaku," "Jinsei no Gensoku," "Suikyo ni Ikiru," "Namami no Ningen," "Fuuun wo Kouun ni Kaeru Chikara," "Taking Care of My Husband's Affairs," "Kaigo no Ryuugi," "Jinsei no Owari-kata mo Jibun-ryu," "Jinsei no Atokatazuke," "'Murenai' Ikikata," "Ningen no Dori," "Oi no Doraku," "Mikan no Bigaku," "Oi no Zeitaku," "Oi no Shukaku," "Mugen," and "Tenzan no Chiisana Haru." Passed away in February 2025.

● New Publication Information Title: What It Means to Live Humanly Author: Ayako Sono Specifications: B6 size / Paperback / 204 pages Release Date: March 27, 2026 List Price: 1,540 yen (Base price 1,400 yen) ISBN: 978-4-309-03259-7 URL: https://www.kawade.co.jp/np/isbn/9784309032597/ *The e-book version will be released after April. Please check individual e-book stores for details.

● Now on Sale Title: What It Means to Live Authentically Author: Ayako Sono Specifications: B6 size / Paperback / 176 pages Release Date: February 27, 2026 List Price: 1,540 yen (Base price 1,400 yen) ISBN: 978-4-309-03250-4 URL: https://www.kawade.co.jp/np/isbn/9784309032504/ *The e-book version is also on sale. Please check individual e-book stores for details.