Kotonoha Bunko x indent "1st Nola Original Work Award" Winners Finally Decided! Book Serialization Commences for Grand Prize, Excellence Award, and Honorable Mention Works!
The winners of the Kotonoha Bunko x Nola Original Work Award have been decided, and book serialization is commencing.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 31, 2026 at 23:01
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 13:39 (14h 37m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 17, 2026 at 01:07 (371h 27m after Collected)
Kotonoha Bunko, a label for women handled by Micro Magazine Publishing Co., has selected one Grand Prize winner, one Excellence Award winner, and one Honorable Mention from the "Nola Original Work Award" hosted by Nola, a creative platform operated by indent Inc. We are pleased to announce the publication of the judges' comments for the Grand Prize and Excellence Award winners, and that the three winning works are now moving towards book serialization.
Award-Winning Works
◎Grand Prize: "Tokyo Shitamachi Nagaya Cafe ~Connecting Healing and Thoughts with Onigiri and Stuffed Animals~"
Karin Takeda
＜Synopsis＞
Yumi, 29, is exhausted with life after being dumped by her boyfriend, whom she was considering marrying.
She quits her job and reluctantly returns to her parents' home, where her mother, Tomoko, who is nearing sixty, has surprisingly opened an onigiri shop in a nagaya cafe in downtown Tokyo.
At the shop, there's a talkative, flirtatious bear stuffed animal named "Charles" who claims to be a dandy.
Feeling puzzled but unable to ask questions, Yumi ends up working there without understanding anything...
This story gently embraces the worries of various people with onigiri and cute stuffed animals.
A warm tale of healing and mother-daughter reconciliation.
＜Kotonoha Editorial Department's Review＞
We highly evaluate the unique perspective of using "onigiri" and "stuffed animals" to save lonely hearts, and the human warmth of the downtown nagaya.
Charles's character design, in particular, is superb, overflowing with an adorableness that makes everyone want to hug him.
We commend the skill in elevating descriptions of hunger and heartwarming drama into a compelling story.
◎Excellence Award: "Osaka Umeda Ayakashi Yokocho ~Searching for Something in the Underground Labyrinth~"
Kano Matori
＜Synopsis＞
Hatsuna Kosaka, a university student who came to Osaka from Tokyo, steps into the underground shopping mall rumored to confuse even locals, and gets completely lost.
The one who offered a helping hand to the bewildered Hatsuna was a mysterious young man named Kazami, possessing astonishing beauty.
However, this Kazami person is incredibly bad with directions, leading them to get even more lost...!?
A slightly warm, slightly poignant story of "searching for something" encountered in Osaka's underground shopping mall (underground labyrinth).
This is a place where anything can be found.
That's why everyone is searching for something.
What are you searching for?
＜Kotonoha Editorial Department's Review＞
The sensibility that transformed the familiar Umeda underground shopping mall into a beloved otherworldly realm is magnificent.
While enjoying the awkward interactions with the young man, we were gradually led to the question of "self-discovery."
We highly recommend its warm gaze and the gentle reading experience that slowly spreads through the heart.
◎Honorable Mention: "Onigiri Shop's Secret Business ~Exorcisms Undertaken~"
Yumi Sezaki
Kotonoha Bunko Editorial Department Page on the Creative Platform "Nola"
https://story.nola-novel.com/company/kotonoha
＜About the Nola Original Work Award＞
The "Nola Original Work Award" was held with the aim of connecting "original works" created by writers to commercialization as novels, manga, webtoons, or video adaptations. It was a creative contest with one of the largest numbers of editorial departments participating in Japan. Utilizing the "Editorial Department Bulletin Board" (https://story.nola-novel.com/company) function on the novel submission site "Nola Novel," where domestic and international editorial departments post and recruit works with commercial debut in mind, over 40 domestic and international editorial departments recruited works on their respective themes and conducted direct reviews of submitted works daily.
■What is "Nola"?
"Nola" is a creative platform for writers operated by indent Inc.
In June 2025, it will celebrate its 7th anniversary since its service launch, and the number of registered members has exceeded 650,000.
Its features include the ability to synchronize data between PC and smartphone, and support for structured story creation through managing plots and characters. We are committed to developing features such as manuscript writing, setting material management, and plot creation to support writers in their creative endeavors.
●Nola Service HP：https://nola-novel.com/
●App Store：https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/id1468307521
●Google Play：https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nola.app&hl=ja&gl=US
Kotonoha Bunko is a literary label for adult women from Micro Magazine Publishing Co., celebrating its 6th anniversary in 2025.
We publish various works that resonate with your heart, such as the "Our Home is a Rental Bookstore in the Otherworld" series, which has surpassed 70,000 copies in cumulative sales, the explosively popular ayakashi story "Policeman and the Lucky Cat" series, which has surpassed 80,000 copies in cumulative sales, and "Beyond Goodbye," which was adapted into a TV drama.
Kotonoha Bunko Official Website: https://kotonohabunko.jp/
X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/kotonoha_mm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kotonohabunko/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kotonoha_mm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kotonohaMM2
Micro Magazine Publishing Co. is a comprehensive publisher that delivers unique and innovative entertainment sought after worldwide.
On our official YouTube channel, we are releasing introduction videos for works such as Kotonoha Bunko, Haruki Shimizu's "Beyond Goodbye," and Chiren Kinashi's "The Scent of Summer"!
Micro Magazine Publishing Co. Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@micromagazineinc.9547
【Contact Information】
info@kotonohabunko.jp
FAQ
What kind of award is the "Nola Original Work Award"?
It is a contest hosted by the creative platform Nola, with over 40 domestic and international editorial departments participating, seeking works for novels, manga, and video adaptations.
What kind of stories are the Grand Prize winners this time?
The Grand Prize winner is "Tokyo Shitamachi Nagaya Cafe," and the Excellence Award winner is "Osaka Umeda Ayakashi Yokocho," both themed around healing, human warmth, and everyday mysteries.
What kind of label is Kotonoha Bunko?
It is a literary label for adult women by Micro Magazine Publishing Co., which publishes many popular series with high cumulative sales.