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).

Japan's publication sales post largest drop in 2015

Japan's publication sales post largest drop in 2015

Photo taken Jan. 22, 2016, at Kyodo News in Tokyo shows some of Japan's bestseller novels in 2015; (from L) "Saraba!" by Kanako Nishi, "Hibana" by Naoki Matayoshi and "Ryu" by Akira Higashiyama. A research institute said Jan. 25 that sales of books and magazines in Japan for 2015 fell 5.3 percent from the previous year to an estimated 1.5 trillion yen ($12.6 billion), marking the largest drop on record and the 11th year of decline. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Winner of Naoki literary prize attends award ceremony

Winner of Naoki literary prize attends award ceremony

Novelist Kanako Nishi, whose book "Saraba!" (Farewell!) won the 152nd Naoki Prize for popular fiction, reacts at an award ceremony in Tokyo on Feb. 19, 2015. The prestigious Naoki award, named after popular writer Sanjugo Naoki, was created in 1935. (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)