Announced Today! Ryo Asai's 'In the Megachurch' Wins the 2026 Japan Booksellers' Award!

Nikkei BP (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Tetsuya Iguchi) announces that Ryo Asai's 15th-anniversary work as an author, "In the Megachurch," has won the "2026 Japan Booksellers' Award". This work is narrated by three individuals from different generations and standpoints. Set in the fandom economy, it approaches the question, "What moves people in this day and age?" Immediately after its release, it became a major topic of conversation, being featured in various media and on SNS. It has won the 9th "Miraiya Fiction Award" and the 2nd "Did You Read That Book? Award," and has currently exceeded 470,000 copies in its 17th printing. In addition, the behind-the-scenes video shot by Ryo Asai himself is a must-see. By scanning the QR code attached to the book's wrap-around band, you can enjoy the process of how this work was completed. As a reader, it is the award that introduced me to "Isshun no Kaze ni Nare" (by Takako Sato, Kodansha, 2007 winner), which cemented my love for reading, so I have a special feeling about it. As a writer, I think it's a rare award that can simultaneously achieve the joy of being a novelist and returning the favor to the people who are constantly working on the front lines, a festival born from bookstores that I am indebted to on a daily basis. I would be happy if this award could contribute to the excitement of bookstore culture even a little. *The full text can be viewed here https://bookplus.nikkei.com/atcl/column/041500053/032700497/ ## Synopsis A man living apart from his family who gets involved in managing an idol group. A university student who wants to heal the mental fatigue that accumulates due to his introverted and sensitive nature. A woman who was happily supporting a stage actor with her friends, but whose situation changes completely due to a certain news report. From the side setting up the fandom economy, the side immersed in it, and the side formerly immersed—from three perspectives differing in generation and position, the merits and demerits of the "story" that moves people's hearts are brought to light. "In this country without a god, the best way to manipulate people is to use a 'story'." ## Author Profile