# 2015 in Japanese literature

The following is an overview of the year 2015 in Japanese literature. It includes winners of literary awards, yearly best-sellers, title debuts and endings, and deaths of notable Japanese literature-related people, as well as any other relevant Japanese literature-related events. For an overview of the year in literature from other countries, see 2015 in literature; for an overview of the year in manga (Japanese comics), see 2015 in manga.

## Awards

* Agatha Christie Award:
* Akutagawa Prize:
** Keisuke Hada [ja] for Scrap and Build (スクラップアンドビルド)
** Naoki Matayoshi for Hibana (火花) ("A Spark") [ja]
** Yūshō Takiguchi [ja] for 死んでいない者
** Yukiko Motoya for 異類婚姻譚
* Bungei Prize
** Hiroka Yamashita [ja] for ドール
** Ushio Hatakeyama [ja] for 地の底の記憶
* Dazai Osamu Prize: Akari Itō [ja] for 変わらざる喜び
* Dengeki Novel Prize Grand Prize:
** 松村涼哉 for ただ、それだけでよかったんです
** 角埜杞真 for トーキョー下町ゴールドクラッシュ！
* Edogawa Rampo Prize: Katsuhiro Go for Dotoku no Jikan (道徳の時間)
* Honkaku Mystery Award:
** Best Fiction: Yutaka Maya [ja] for Sayonara Kamisama (さよなら神様)
** Best Critical Work: Aoi Shimotsuki for Agasa Kurisuti Kanzen Koryaku (アガサ・クリスティー完全攻略, The Definitive Guide to Agatha Christie)
* Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature
** Mayumi Nagano [ja] for 冥途あり
** Katsuyuki Shinohara [ja] for 骨風
* Japan Booksellers' Award: Nahoko Uehashi for Shika no Ou [ja]
* Mephisto Prize: Magi Inoue [ja] for Koi to Kinki no Purediketto [Predicate] (恋と禁忌の述語論理)
* Mishima Yukio Prize: Takahiro Ueda for 私の恋人
* Mystery Writers of Japan Award:
** Best Novel:
*** Ryōe Tsukimura [ja] for Dobaku no Hana [ja]
*** Kazuma Hayami [ja] for Inosento Deizu (イノセント・デイズ, Innocent Days)
** Best Critical/Biographical Work:
*** Masahiko Kikuni for Hondana Tantei Saigo no Aisatsu (本棚探偵最後の挨拶)
*** Aoi Shimotsuki for Agasa Kurisuti Kanzen Koryaku (アガサ・クリスティー完全攻略, The Definitive Guide to Agatha Christie)
* Naoki Prize:
** Akira Higashiyama [ja] for 流
** Bunpei Aoyama [ja] for つまをめとらば
* Nihon SF Taisho Award:
** Koronbia zero (Columbia Zero) by Kōshū Tani
** Toppen by Hiroyuki Morioka
* Noma Award for the Translation of Japanese Literature: Kwon Young-joo [ja] for Riku Onda's Sangatsu wa Fukaki Kurenai no Fuchi wo [ja]
* Noma Literary Prize : Mayumi Nagano [ja] for 冥途あり
* Seiun Award:
** Best Japanese Novel: Orbital Cloud (オービタル・クラウド) by Taiyō Fujii
** Best Japanese Short Story: "Umi no Yubi" (海の指星) by Hirotaka Tobi
* Sogen SF Short Story Prize: Iori MIyazawa [ja] for 神々の歩法
* Tanizaki Prize: Kaori Ekuni for ヤモリ、カエル、シジミチョウ
* Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize: Asako Yuzuki for ナイルパーチの女子会
* Yomiuri Prize:
** Fiction: Hideo Furukawa [ja] for 女たち三百人の裏切りの書
** Drama: Haruhiko Arai for この国の空

## Best-sellers
### Light novel titles

The following is a list of the 10 best-selling light novel titles in Japan during 2015 according to Oricon.
| Rank | Title | Author(s) | Copies |
| 1 | Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? | Fujino Ōmori (story), Suzuhito Yasuda (art) | 1,220,217 |
| 2 | The Irregular at Magic High School | Tsutomu Satō (story), Kan Ishida (art) | 1,175,978 |
| 3 | My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU | Wataru Watari (story), Ponkan8 (art) | 1,050,446 |
| 4 | Overlord | Kugane Maruyama (story), so-bin (art) | 927,413 |
| 5 | Naruto Story Series | several | 883,833 |
| 6 | Sword Art Online | Reki Kawahara (story), abec (art) | 788,895 |
| 7 | Kagerou Daze | Jin (Shizen no Teki-P) (story), Sidu (art) | 494,721 |
| 8 | Kokuhaku Yokō Renshū | Tōko Fujitani (story), Yamako (art) | 413,663 |
| 9 | Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index | Kazuma Kamachi (story), Kiyotaka Haimura (art) | 405,666 |
| 10 | Sword Art Online: Progressive | Reki Kawahara (story), abec (art) | 390,856 |

### Light novel volumes

The following is a list of the 10 best-selling light novel volumes in Japan during 2015 according to Oricon.
| Rank | Volume | Author(s) | Copies |
| 1 | Sword Art Online: Progressive vol.3 | Reki Kawahara (story), abec (art) | 325,991 |
| 2 | Sword Art Online vol.16 | Reki Kawahara (story), abec (art) | 285,081 |
| 3 | Kagerou Daze VI -over the dimension- | Jin (Shizen no Teki-P) (story), Sidu (art) | 255,785 |
| 4 | The Irregular at Magic High School vol.16 | Tsutomu Satō (story), Kan Ishida (art) | 251,640 |
| 5 | The Irregular at Magic High School vol.15 | Tsutomu Satō (story), Kan Ishida (art) | 247,532 |
| 6 | The Boy and the Beast | Mamoru Hosoda | 244,336 |
| 7 | My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU vol.10 | Wataru Watari (story), Ponkan8 (art) | 224,761 |
| 8 | Naruto: Kakashi's Story | Akira Higashiyama | 217,136 |
| 9 | My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU vol.10.5 | Wataru Watari (story), Ponkan8 (art) | 207,460 |
| 10 | The Irregular at Magic High School vol.17 | Tsutomu Satō (story), Kan Ishida (art) | 194,973 |

## Title debuts

* January 25 - Ascendance of a Bookworm by Miya Kazuki (story) and You Shiina (art)
* February 7 - Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter by Futaba Hazuki
* February 28 - Isekai Shokudō by Junpei Inuzuka (story) and Katsumi Enami (art)
* March 20 - 2.43: Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team by Yukako Kabei (story) and Aiji Yamakawa (art)
* June 20 - Assault Lily by Kasama Hiroyuki (story), Yaegashi Nan and Mieko Hosoi (art)
* June 25 - Arifureta by Ryo Shirakome (story) and Takayaki (art)
* August 1 - Gangsta by Jun'ichi Kawabata
* October 20 - Babylon by Mado Nozaki (story) and Zain (art)
* December 18 - Dagashi Kashi: Mō Hitotsu no Natsu Yasumi by Manta Aisora
* December 25 - Violet Evergarden by Kana Akatsuki (story) and Akiko Takase (art)

## Title endings

* May 1 - Attack on Titan: Harsh Mistress of the City by Ryō Kawakami (story) and Range Murata (art)