[This recruitment has ended] Author Sonoko Machida will be the final judge! We are accepting submissions for the theme project "#EmotionsThatCannotBeExpressedInOneWord".
[Updated March 24, 2026]
Following the end of the recruitment period, the header image and parts of the article have been edited and updated.
[Updated November 28]
The judging results have been announced! Please take a look via the article link below.
In your daily life, are there moments when you are unexpectedly moved?
A day when you almost shed tears at the sunset you looked up at on your way home.
The moment you felt the warmth of the sender from the handwriting in a letter you received.
A conversation you had with a stranger while traveling.
It is not easy to put emotions into words. However, by putting them into words, you may be able to share your feelings with someone else, or discover new insights within yourself.
Why not try writing down your emotions? As a collaborative project with the TV program "Until My Days Become Words" (E-Tele), which explores hints for expression with professionals of language such as novelists and singer-songwriters, we are accepting submissions on note for "
#EmotionsThatCannotBeExpressedInOneWord#EmotionsThatCannotBeExpressedInOneWord".
Author Sonoko Machida will perform the final judging of the submitted works and select the winning entries. The winning works will be published in a program-related book to be released by Shodensha, and will also include comments from Sonoko Machida.
Please try writing down your experiences, memories, and stories and sending them in.
Recruitment Overview
◾️ Theme/Format
We are looking for note posts in text format under the theme "#EmotionsThatCannotBeExpressedInOneWord". Please feel free to write essays, novels, poems, diaries, etc. The submitted works will be judged, and the winning entries will be published in a program-related book released by Shodensha, accompanied by comments from author Sonoko Machida.
The submitted works will be judged, and the winning entries will be published in a program-related book released by Shodensha, accompanied by comments from author Sonoko Machida.
* Since this project is based on the premise of book publication, works in image, manga, or illustration formats are not eligible.
* If an image is included in the middle of the text, only the text portion will be published in the book.
■ Character Count
Approximately 1,000 characters (the amount that fits on a two-page spread of the program-related book)
◾️ Schedule
Recruitment period: August 18, 2025 (Mon) 11:00 - September 21, 2025 (Sun) 23:59
Result announcement: Scheduled for late November 2025
* The announcement of the winning works will be made via this article and by email to the winners.
* The timing of the result announcement is subject to change.
◾️ Awards
Publication in the Shodensha-published program-related book "Until My Days Become Words": Approximately 5 people
* Winners will be contacted by a representative from NHK Educational or Shodensha regarding book publication.
◾️Judges
The final judging will be conducted by Sonoko Machida, along with representatives from the program "Until My Days Become Words" (E-Tele) and Shodensha.
How to apply
(1) Create a note account or log in
(2) Post an article with the hashtag "#AnEmotionThatCannotBeExpressedInOneWord"
・Please publish your entry for "free".
・You can also enter by adding the project hashtag to an article you have posted in the past.
・You may submit multiple entries.
Regarding the use of submitted content
Submitted content may also be featured on note's official social media accounts. We look forward to your submissions!
A message from final judge Sonoko Machida
I work as a writer, but I often regret, "Ah! The words I used at that time weren't enough." How can I convey the emotions that fill my body to someone else? A portion of them always slips through my fingers.
And when I hold onto those emotions that remained in my palm, the ones I failed to pass on, I feel a little lonely.
Why don't we try to reduce that loneliness together?
I look forward to your submissions!
Sonoko Machida Profile
Born in 1980. Lives in Fukuoka Prefecture. In 2016, she won the Grand Prize at the "R-18 Literary Award for Women by Women" for "Cameroon's Blue Fish." She debuted the following year with "Chocolate Grammys Swimming in the Night Sky." In 2021, she won the Japan Booksellers' Award for "52-Hertz Whales." Her other books include "Gyoran," "Convenience Store Brothers: Tenderness Mojiko Kogane-mura Branch," "Sora Gohan," "Hazama of Dawn," and "The Flowers I Know." Her latest work, "Prayer of the Fireflies," will be published in July 2025.
<Notes on Application>
■ Regarding submitted works
・The copyright of submitted works belongs to the creator.
・Please ensure your submission complies with copyright law. Please check "Copyright concepts that support creation".
・Please refrain from submitting works that have won other contests held by note or other companies, or works similar to them.
・Note management may remove hashtags from articles that are unrelated to the recruitment theme or from paid articles.
■ Regarding judging and winning works
・We cannot respond to inquiries regarding judging criteria.
・If a winning work or the creator themselves is found to be in violation of the Terms of Service, the award may be revoked even after judging.
・Winning works will be announced in this article and via email to the winners.
・Personal information will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
・No manuscript fees, royalties, etc., will be paid for the publication of articles in books related to the program "Until My Days Become Words."
・Details regarding the handling of works will be provided directly to the winners by the representatives of "Until My Days Become Words" and Shodensha.