Michi Ichiho [Congratulations! Naoki Prize Winner] "Tsumidemic" Special Contribution Essay

Text by Michi Ichiho

Kobunsha, I hear this is your first Naoki Prize in 57 years; congratulations. ...I apologize for starting with a tone that might sound presumptuous, but that is truly how I feel.

At the time of the nomination, there was already a great surprise. "Tsumidemic" was published in November 2023, and while it should have been eligible for the second half of 2023 in principle, it had slipped into the candidate list for the first half of 2024. There were no backroom deals. If Kobunsha had that kind of power, it wouldn't have been 57 years. When I received the call from the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Literature, I thought, "I didn't know you could be more surprised on your third nomination than your first." My editor at Kobunsha was, of course, also surprised, saying, "Wait... what?"

When I told an editor from another company about these circumstances, they said, "Well then, neither Kobunsha nor you, Ichiho-san, had to spend time feeling nervous wondering if 'the call (for the nomination) might come today.' That sounds incredibly happy!"

I thought, "That makes sense," and when I relayed that conversation back to the Kobunsha side, there was a rebuttal.

"We were properly disappointed last year!"
"Oh, really?"
"Well, we couldn't tell you that, Ichiho-san..."

This is a case of "parents don't know their children's hearts, and editors don't know their authors' hearts (and vice versa)," and I thought, "Oops, sorry." And while it was great to be nominated, imagining what would happen next naturally brought bad scenarios to mind. It is a short story collection where "lightness" is often a bottleneck, it hadn't buzzed on the streets, and it wasn't (perhaps) significantly better than the two previous works that were nominated... The phrase "Expectation and anxiety become one" from Crystal King's "Daitokai" kept echoing in my mind.

Then, on the day of destiny, I received the call about winning and raised my right arm high. The small private room in the cafe was about to burst with the cheers of the editors, and I, flustered, hurriedly turned to the wall and stuck my finger in one ear to continue the call. I still regret not looking closely at everyone's faces in that moment. I should have burned it into my memory.

At the after-party following the press conference, a certain person from Kobunsha who appeared at the izakaya still had the press seal from the conference stuck to their shirt. It was about the size of a medical patch and quite noticeable. When I said, "You still have the seal on!" they smiled and stroked the seal.

"I'm so happy, I'm keeping it on."

I was happy. With my novel, I was able to make someone this happy. It wasn't an explosive joy, but a slowly warming, permeating happiness.

So, once again, congratulations, Kobunsha!

Michi Ichiho
Debuted in 2008 with "Yuki yo Ringo no Ka no Gotoku." In 2021, won the Eiji Yoshikawa New Writer Award for "Small Worlds," ranked 3rd in the Japan Booksellers' Award, and was a Naoki Prize nominee. In 2022, ranked 3rd in the Japan Booksellers' Award for "Hikari no Toko ni Ite ne" and was a Naoki Prize nominee. In 2024, won the 171st Naoki Prize for "Tsumidemic."

"Tsumidemic" List price 1,870 yen (tax included)
Yuto, a college dropout, works a part-time job as a tout in the nightlife district. One day, a woman who speaks to him while he is working uses the name of a classmate who should have died in junior high school—"Birds of Different Feathers." Kyoichi, who lost his job as a chef. His son brings home an old 10,000-yen note featuring Prince Shotoku from an elderly neighbor—"Special Beneficiary."
A heart-shaking collection of 6 stories depicting the pandemic and "crime."

*** Click here for the September issue of Shosetsu Hoseki featuring the above essay ***

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