Ono wins Akutagawa literary award, Nishi wins Naoki Prize

Ono wins Akutagawa literary award, Nishi wins Naoki Prize

TOKYO, Japan - Kanako Nishi (L) and Masatsugu Ono smile while posing for photos at a hotel in Tokyo on Jan. 15, 2015, after winning the Naoki Prize for popular fiction and the prestigious Akutagawa Prize for up-and-coming authors, respectively. Nishi was awarded the prize for her work "Saraba!" (Farewell!) while Ono won the prize for his work "9 Nen Mae no Inori" (A Prayer Nine Years Ago).

Ono wins Akutagawa literary award, Nishi wins Naoki Prize

Ono wins Akutagawa literary award, Nishi wins Naoki Prize

TOKYO, Japan - Kanako Nishi (L) and Masatsugu Ono pose for photos at a hotel in Tokyo on Jan. 15, 2015, after winning the Naoki Prize for popular fiction and the prestigious Akutagawa Prize for up-and-coming authors, respectively. Nishi was awarded the prize for her work "Saraba!" (Farewell!) while Ono won the prize for his work "9 Nen Mae no Inori" (A Prayer Nine Years Ago).

Winner of Akutagawa literary prize attends award ceremony

Winner of Akutagawa literary prize attends award ceremony

Novelist Masatsugu Ono, winner of the 152nd Akutagawa Prize for budding authors with his "9 Nen Mae no Inori" (A Prayer Nine Years Ago), smiles at an award ceremony in Tokyo on Feb. 19, 2015. The Akutagawa Prize was named after renowned novelist Ryunosuke Akutagawa in 1935. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Winners of Japan's coveted literary prizes attend award ceremony

Winners of Japan's coveted literary prizes attend award ceremony

Novelists Masatsugu Ono (L) and Kanako Nishi pose for a photo during an award ceremony in Tokyo on Feb. 19, 2015. Ono received the prestigious Akutagawa Prize for up-and-coming authors while Nishi won the Naoki Prize for popular fiction. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Ono wins Akutagawa literary award, Nishi wins Naoki Prize

Ono wins Akutagawa literary award, Nishi wins Naoki Prize

TOKYO, Japan - Kanako Nishi (L) and Masatsugu Ono smile while posing for photos at a hotel in Tokyo on Jan. 15, 2015, after winning the Naoki Prize for popular fiction and the prestigious Akutagawa Prize for up-and-coming authors, respectively. Nishi was awarded the prize for her work "Saraba!" (Farewell!) while Ono won the prize for his work "9 Nen Mae no Inori" (A Prayer Nine Years Ago). (Kyodo)