11th Japan International Translation Competition｜Japanese Literature Publishing Project

The Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, is delighted to hold the 11th Japan International Translation Competition, aimed at discovering and fostering aspiring translators of contemporary Japanese literature. In the 11th Competition, the contemporary literature category accepts translations into English and French, while the classical literature category accepts translations into English only.

11th Japan International Translation Competition flyer

Click the image to open the PDF file.

Source Text

Contemporary Literature Category

Fiction

“Kyoryu”

by TAKIGUCHI Yusho

The source text may be downloaded via the link below : “Kyoryu” by TAKIGUCHI Yusho

Biography of Author

Classical Literature Category

“Hyakunin Isshu Hitoyogatari”

by OZAKI Masayoshi, edited by FURUKAWA Hisashi

source text may be downloaded via the links below : “Hyakunin Isshu Hitoyogatari” by OZAKI Masayoshi, edited by FURUKAWA Hisashi

Biography of Author

Prizes

The winners of the Contemporary Literature category (English and French) and the Classic Literature category (English) will each receive a certificate, a trophy, and a cash prize (grand prize of 1,000,000 yen and second prize of 250,000 yen).

Winners will be contacted individually and posted on this website in October 2026 (TBC). The translations of the prize winners will also be posted on this website, along with the judges' observations on their work.

Winners will be invited to translator-development events, such as a translation workshop.

Judging Process

Submission
Period

May 1st (Fri) - May 31st (Sun) 2026 (JST, TBC)
Judging

June – September 2026 (TBC)
Winners
Announced

October 2026 (TBC)
Award
Ceremony

November 2026 (TBC)

Overview

Submission Period	Friday, May 1st - Sunday, May 31st, 2026 (JST) *Please note that the schedule is subject to change.
Purpose	The Japan International Translation Competition aims to discover and foster translators essential to introducing Japanese literary works to the world.
Eligibility	There are no nationality or age-related eligibility criteria. However, because the purpose of the competition is to foster the next generation of professional literary translators, those who have published book-length literary translations are not eligible, although translations published in magazines and/or anthologies are permissible. As an exception, in the classical literature category, applicants with experience in translating and publishing modern literature are also eligible.
Target Languages and Source Texts	【Contemporary Literature Category】 Target Languages : English / French Source text : [Fiction] “Kyoryu” by TAKIGUCHI Yusho 【Classical Literature Category】 Target Language : English Source text : “Hyakunin Isshu Hitoyogatari” by OZAKI Masayoshi, edited by FURUKAWA Hisashi
Application Procedure	(1) Applications are to be submitted via this website. After visiting the "11th Japan International Translation Competition" section, click on the "Application Page" banner to proceed with your application. For details on the application procedure, please refer to the Application Page, which will be available starting May 1st, 2026. Please note that applications submitted via email will be disqualified. (2) Applications submitted via any other methods will not be accepted. (3) Translation manuscripts must be formatted on A4 or letter-sized paper, in portrait orientation, written horizontally, with approximately 32 lines per page (or double-spaced) using 12-point Times New Roman font, with left and right margins of at least 1.5 cm, specifying the “page number of total pages” on each page. Formatting discrepancies caused by differences in software will be selectively permitted. Files must be submitted as PDFs. When converting to PDF, please check for conversion errors and correct before submitting. (4) The name of the translator must not appear anywhere on the submitted translations. (5) Applications failing to comply with the above requirements will be disqualified, barring extenuating circumstances to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Judging Process	(1) Judging will be conducted in two stages: a preliminary screening, followed by a meeting of the judging committee to review the shortlisted works and select the prize winners. (2) The Grand Prize will be awarded, in principle, to one (individual) translator in each language in each category whose translation is considered to be of exceptionally high quality. (3) Second Prizes will be awarded to no more than two translators in each language in each category whose translations are considered to be of very high quality. (4) At the discretion of the judging committee, Honorable Mentions will be awarded to (individual) translators whose efforts show great promise, but are not considered to qualify for the Grand Prize or a Second Prize. The number of Honorable Mentions will not exceed the total of the Grand Prize and the Second Prizes. (5) Those who have received the Grand Prize in past Japan International Translation Competitions are not eligible for any prize.