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

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

TOKYO, Jan 18 (News On Japan) - 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.

by Andrew Yang

Source: NHK

Nissan to Cut 9,000 Jobs, Focuses Layoffs on Production Sites

Nissan Motor is implementing a workforce reduction plan involving 9,000 employees, with over 70% of the cuts concentrated in production sites, according to a JNN investigation.

Osaka-Kansai Expo Faces Construction Delays and Slow Ticket Sales

The Osaka-Kansai Expo is three months away and challenges remain in areas such as pavilion construction and ticket sales.

Tokyo Cedar Pollen Season Starts Record Early Since 1985

Cedar pollen dispersal in Tokyo began on January 8th, marking the earliest start since monitoring began in 1985, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Japan Backs Study on Deep-Sea Oxygen Beyond Photosynthesis

The Japan Foundation has announced a joint research project with a UK research group to investigate the mysterious oxygen produced in the lightless depths of the ocean, known as 'dark oxygen,' which forms through methods other than photosynthesis.

Nintendo to Launch Switch 2 in 2025, Teaser Video Released

Nintendo announced on January 16th that it will release the successor to the Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch 2, sometime in 2025.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Yokohama’s Connection to the Tale of Urashima Taro

The legend of Urashima Taro is said to exist in various parts of Japan, and traces of it have been discovered in Yokohama.

Osaka court awards family full lost wages of girl with disability killed in 2018

A Japanese high court has ruled that the calculation of earnings a girl with a hearing impairment who died in an accident would have made must be 100 percent based on the average income in Japan. (NHK)

Nobel Peace Prize: Hibakusha Reflect on 68 Years of Advocacy

The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Japan Hidankyo), marking the first time in 50 years that a Japanese entity has received the honor.

Co-pilot Vomits on Plane Just Before Departure

A Japan Airlines (JAL) international flight faced a major delay after one of its pilots was found to have consumed alcohol exceeding the allowable limits the night before departure. Investigations by FNN have revealed conflicting accounts between JAL and the pilot involved regarding the decision to proceed with the flight.