[Award Interview] A Place to Return To, A Place to Face Creation | Tomoshibi Cup 5th Tomoshibi Award Winner: Yutaka Aomi

The results were recently announced for the 5th competition, "Tomoshibi Cup 5th Re:Christmas".
This was the second winter tournament within the independent note project contest "Tomoshibi Cup," and it served as a revival of the first-ever "Tomoshibi Monogatari Cup."

Among the entries, the one we selected for the Tomoshibi Award, which is equivalent to the Grand Prix, is Yutaka Aomi's work!
This time, we spoke with Aomi-san about what inspired the submission and the story behind the creation of the work!

Furthermore, this was the first time in Tomoshibi Cup history to have a double win of the Tomoshibi Award and the participant-voted Yell Award. You can find Aomi-san's work here!
The story, centered on a father who was a Santa and his children, grips your heart precisely because you want to believe there was genuine goodwill behind it.

1. A place to return to

Aomi-san mentioned that they started on note in February 2025. It hasn't even been a year yet, has it?

It seems they first learned about the independent projects held on note through X and thought, "Oh, there are projects like this." Thank you for finding the Tomoshibi Cup, especially with major year-end projects like Monomonokingdom, one of the largest independent projects on note, taking place!

Following a transfer to a department outside their field, their mental health gradually deteriorated, and they eventually reached a point where, "the moment I tried to open the front door, all the strength left my body, and I collapsed and couldn't move."

▽ This part of the story is discussed in detail in Aomi-san's pinned note ▽

For Aomi-san, they explained that they opened their note account with the hope of making it a place to return to.

In fact, Aomi-san mentioned that they had written about their experiences at the time in a diary or other private places that no one else could see. However, it ultimately became a painful memory that they couldn't help but dwell on, and they found it difficult to view it positively.

By using note, they could publish it for many people to see.
They also felt that by publishing it on note, they might be able to view it as something slightly separate from themselves.

Publishing one's painful experiences on note allows for an objective re-examination of oneself. That, too, may be a major "benefit" of note and a form of self-care.

By the way, I apologize for interjecting my own story, but in my case, I had been harboring a sense of discomfort and anxiety about not achieving results for over 10 years. From there, taking a leave of absence allowed me to listen more closely to my own inner voice, which led me to rethink my way of life.

I had assumed that many people followed that pattern, but Aomi-san's case was different.

As mentioned in the pinned note earlier, Aomi-san was a workaholic who, while questioning the company's direction, continued to make proposals that truly considered the customer and demonstrated results through numbers.

That "strong-minded, number-crunching self" was tasked with a mission where the customers were not external, but internal members of the company, and the goal was to reduce errors within the branch to "zero."

"I never thought someone like me would get depressed."
They said it took a long time before they could even admit to themselves that they had become depressed.

2. I, too, have "something I can create in a tangible form"

As they continued to look back and record their experiences, another thought began to emerge within Aomi-san.

That perhaps I, too, have something I can create in a tangible form.

Since then, they have challenged themselves with a wide range of creative genres, and recently, they have even started trying their hand at tanka poetry!

They say that although they read many novels as a student, they only read business books after entering the workforce. They felt a growing desire to once again immerse themselves in the world they loved so much.

Because we are chased by results, we live in a world that seeks know-how and 'correct answers.' Of course, that is important, but knocking on the door of the world of stories that you once loved again might truly be called a 'return to one's own axis.'

3. A work rewritten twice

The work submitted this time underwent two major revisions.
One was a version with a different ending. The other was one where the structure was rearranged.

Moreover, this story was based on real-life experiences for each individual episode.

Furthermore, they thoroughly prepared by reading the paid retrospective note I published after the Tomoshibi Cup 4th results announcement, which I also mentioned in the feedback for all entries; I can only say that it was truly impressive.

This is purely my subjective opinion as a judge, but I think the impression would have been quite different if the story had followed a chronological order. Also, they told me the reason behind the heart-wrenching episodes, and it was a conversation that made me nod in complete agreement.

I believe that starting the scene with a father who has become cynical and quit being Santa, rather than starting with the 'Santa' who thinks of the children, provided an impactful opening and drew the reader into the subsequent developments.

In the episode about the trial and error involved in refining the ending and structure, I felt I saw the depth of their commitment to the work.

Aomi-san says they want to continue creating works that leave a lasting impression after reading. Since they have declared their ambition to focus even more on their creative work in 2026, we certainly cannot take our eyes off their future activities!

The note containing feedback for all works entered in the Tomoshibi Cup 5th, including my thoughts on Aomi-san's work, is here!

I would be happy if you could read everyone's works as well!