News On Japan
Society

Rie Kudan Wins Akutagawa Prize with "Sympathy Tower of Tokyo"

Jan 18, 2024 | News On Japan

Rie Kudan, the Akutagawa Prize Winner, Secures the Award on Her Second Nomination

TOKYO - The 170th Akutagawa Prize selection meeting was held in Tokyo on the 17th, where Rie Kudan's "Tokyo Metropolitan Tower of Sympathy" was chosen for the award. The Naoki Prize selection is still ongoing.

Rie Kudan is a 33-year-old from Saitama Prefecture. After graduating from university, she worked as a research assistant and made her debut as a novelist in 2021 by winning a newcomer's award in a literary magazine with her work "Bad Music". This is her second nomination for the Akutagawa Prize, following "Schoolgirl" in the 166th selection two years ago, and it has now brought her the prestigious award.

Her winning work, "Tokyo Metropolitan Tower of Sympathy", is set in a future Japan where a high-rise tower, designed as a comfortable detention facility for criminals based on the notion that "criminals are people who deserve sympathy", is built in a park in Shinjuku. The story portrays a female architect who designed the tower as she experiences discomfort with the excessively tolerant society and the pervasive presence of generative AI, and despite her struggles, she lives her life with strength.

Source: NHK

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Typhoon No. 27 Shifts East, Set to Approach Ogasawara

Typhoon No. 27 is forecast to approach the Ogasawara Islands around October 6 as a very strong storm capable of bringing destructive winds and dangerous waves, with its predicted path shifting slightly eastward, while Hokkaido recorded Japan's first snowfall of the season on Mount Asahidake as cold air spread across northern Japan.

Time Names Kyoto Mayor Among 100 Emerging Global Leaders

Time magazine has named Shoko Kawata, the 36-year-old mayor of Yawata in Kyoto Prefecture, among its 100 most influential emerging figures worldwide, recognizing her decision to become Japan's first sitting mayor to take maternity leave and highlighting a political career that has taken her from municipal administration to national politics and the leadership of a city of nearly 70,000 people.

First Snowfall Recorded on Hokkaido's Mount Asahidake

Hokkaido's highest peak, Mount Asahidake in the Daisetsuzan mountain range, recorded its first snow cover of the season on October 2, with the area around the Asahidake Ropeway's Sugatami Station, at an elevation of approximately 1,600 meters, blanketed in snow.

First Emergency Bear Shooting Carried Out in Tokyo

Tokyo authorities carried out the capital's first emergency shooting of a captured bear in Hachioji after an adult Asiatic black bear was found caught in a trap near a residential area about 8 kilometers from Takao Station.

Japan's Population Falls to 122.97 Million

Japan's total population, including foreign residents, stood at 122.97 million as of October 1, 2025, down 3.17 million from the previous census in 2020, marking only the third decline since the national census began in 1920.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         
MORE Society NEWS

Australian Tourist Falls From Bridge, Sues Hakodate for 400 Million Yen

An Australian tourist who suffered a spinal cord injury after falling from a bridge near a popular sightseeing area in Hakodate, Hokkaido, has filed a lawsuit against the city seeking 400 million yen in damages, claiming that the bridge's railing was dangerously low.

Man Steals 24 Medaka Fish and Throws Evidence From Car Window

A man suspected of stealing 24 medaka fish from an unmanned roadside shop attempted to destroy evidence by throwing the fish and their containers from his car window while fleeing police in an incident on September 25.

Former Gang Member Arrested Over Deadly Kobe Shootings

A 79-year-old former gang member was arrested on September 30 following two shootings in Kobe that left one man dead and another seriously injured, with police investigating the possibility that the suspect acted alone rather than as part of a conflict between organized crime groups.

Doctor Admits Dismembering Wife's Body in Bathroom

A 46-year-old doctor arrested on suspicion of dismembering his wife's body and dumping the remains in a river in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, has admitted to the allegations, telling investigators that he laid a blue plastic sheet in the bathroom before cutting up the body and transporting it by car.

Bear Rams Car in Hokkaido

A brown bear repeatedly rammed a moving car on a prefectural road in Bifuka, Hokkaido, on the night of September 29, damaging the vehicle but leaving the driver unhurt, police said.

First Emergency Bear Shooting Carried Out in Tokyo

Tokyo authorities carried out the capital's first emergency shooting of a captured bear in Hachioji after an adult Asiatic black bear was found caught in a trap near a residential area about 8 kilometers from Takao Station.

Japan's Population Falls to 122.97 Million

Japan's total population, including foreign residents, stood at 122.97 million as of October 1, 2025, down 3.17 million from the previous census in 2020, marking only the third decline since the national census began in 1920.

Man-Eating Crocodile Kept Without Permit in Osaka

A 34-year-old pet shop owner has been arrested on suspicion of illegally keeping a saltwater crocodile, one of the world's largest and most dangerous crocodile species, along with numerous other regulated reptiles at his home and business in a residential area of Osaka.