Gateway to Literary Translators: "The 11th Agency for Cultural Affairs Translation Competition" Opens Applications for Contemporary and Classical Literature Divisions from May 1 (Friday)!

The Visual Industry Promotion Organization (VIPO, Chairman: Takayuki Matsutani, Location: Chuo-ku, Tokyo), a specified non-profit organization, announced that it will begin accepting applications for translated works from 12:00 PM on May 1 (Friday) for "The 11th Agency for Cultural Affairs Translation Competition," held as part of the FY2026 "Promotion of Global Expansion of Print Culture Project" commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. The "Agency for Cultural Affairs Translation Competition" is a program aimed at discovering and nurturing excellent translators of Japanese literary works. It will be conducted in two divisions: Contemporary Literature and Classical Literature. For the 11th competition, the target languages are English and French for the Contemporary Literature Division, and English for the Classical Literature Division. Winners of the Grand Prize and Excellence Award in each division and language will be awarded prize money (1 million yen for the Grand Prize, 250,000 yen for the Excellence Award), a certificate, and a trophy. They will also be invited to translator training programs such as workshops. We await applications from all those aspiring to become translators of Japanese literary works. ### Past Major Agency for Cultural Affairs Translation Competition Winners and Representative Translated Publications - Ms. Polly Barton: Asa Nonami's "BUTTER" (Winner of The British Book Awards 2025 Debut Fiction category), Mieko Kanai's "Light Dizziness" - Mr. Sam Bett: Akira Otani's "Baba Yaga's Night" (Winner of the 2025 CWA Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation), Mieko Kawakami's "Heaven" *Co-translated by David Boyd - Ms. Yuki Teshima: Mizuki Tsujimura's "Tsunagu," Eimi Yagi's "Her Holiday Closures" These are just a few of the literary translators currently active on the global front lines who have emerged from this competition. ### "The 11th Agency for Cultural Affairs Translation Competition" Application Outline #### [Application Period] May 1 (Friday), 2026, 12:00 PM to May 31 (Sunday), 11:59 PM (Japan time) #### [Purpose] To discover and nurture translators, which is crucial for disseminating Japanese literary works overseas. #### [Languages and Assigned Works] - **** - Languages: English / French - Assigned Work: Yu Miri's "Dinosaurs" - **** - Language: English - Assigned Work: Ozaki Masayoshi's "Hyakunin Isshu Ichiyawa" edited by Hisashi Furukawa #### [Eligibility] Nationality and age are not factors. However, as the purpose of this project is to nurture professional translators who will lead the future, individuals with experience publishing a translated book (including co-translations) are not eligible to apply. However, in the Classical Literature Division, applicants with experience translating and publishing modern literature may apply. Publication experience in magazines or anthologies is acceptable. #### [Prize Money] - Grand Prize: 1 person per division/language, 1 million yen - Excellence Award: 2 people per division/language, 250,000 yen each #### [Judges] - **** - **English** - Mr. Sam Bett (Japanese Literature Translator) - Mr. Stephen Snyder (Japanese Literature Translator, Professor at Middlebury College) - Ms. Yuki Teshima (Japanese Literature Translator) - **French** - Ms. Anne Bayard-Sakai (Japanese Literature Researcher, Translator, Honorary Professor at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations, France) - Ms. Myriam Dartois-Ako (Japanese Literature Translator, Representative of Bureau des Copyrights Français) - Mr. Patrick Honnore (Japanese Literature Translator) - **** - **English** - Ms. Janine Beichman (Japanese Literature Researcher, Translator, Honorary Professor at Daito Bunka University) - Mr. Robert Campbell (Japanese Literature Researcher, Specially Appointed Professor at Waseda University) - Ms. Meredith McKinney (Japanese Literature Translator, Honorary Associate Professor at Australian National University) *Please check the profiles of each judge below. **Organizer**: Agency for Cultural Affairs Profiles of Each Judge Here 11th Agency for Cultural Affairs Translation Competition Official Website The 12th Agency for Cultural Affairs Translation Competition is scheduled to be held earlier than usual. Details regarding the schedule will be announced on the official website and other channels as soon as they are finalized. **FY2026 Agency for Cultural Affairs "Promotion of Global Expansion of Print Culture Project"** https://www.vipo.or.jp/project/jlpp/ To disseminate and promote Japan's diverse and rich print culture overseas, this project aims to discover and nurture translators who form the foundation for overseas dissemination, and to promote the overseas expansion of works by publishers and others. In addition, activities are conducted to deepen the understanding of Japanese print culture for literary and publishing professionals worldwide. ### Inquiries regarding this matter Agency for Cultural Affairs Translation Competition Secretariat E-mail: jlpp_office@jlpp.go.jp *When making inquiries by email, please include "11th Agency for Cultural Affairs Translation Competition Application" in the subject line.