Won the 30th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Short Story Award! 'Atarashii Tomodachi: Kawajiro Short Stories', also ranked in 'Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2026', is the author's first collection.

The book 'Atarashii Tomodachi: Kawajiro Short Stories' (published by Magazine House) has been awarded the Short Story Prize at the 30th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, hosted by Asahi Shimbun. This is the first collection of works by the author, Kawajiro, who created these stories while working as an office worker. Each short story became a topic of conversation as it was published on Magazine House's web manga site 'SHURO'. Since its release as a standalone volume, it has attracted widespread attention, ranking 16th in 'Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2026' (Male category) and 7th in 'THE BEST MANGA 2026: Read This Manga!'. It has also been featured on TV and in magazines. To celebrate the win of the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, a third reprint has been decided.

Synopsis of 'Atarashii Tomodachi: Kawajiro Short Stories': Melancholy school days, lonely days after the loss of a beloved wife, and the repetitive life of commuting between office and home—all begin to shine like a sky after rain. This collection portrays special moments in the lives of 10 different protagonists with a warm gaze.

[Profile] Kawajiro: Born in Kumamoto in 1992. He started drawing manga at age 29 and is currently active as a manga artist while maintaining his job as an office worker. He has won the 5th Genron Hirameki Manga Award and the Grand Prize in the 93rd Shogakukan Newcomer Comic Awards (Seinen category). This work marks his first serialization.