Actor Hiro Mizushima has won an award for fiction for his debut novel but says he will not accept the ¥20 million in prize money.
"I feel quite honored, as my precious first novel has been granted such a major prize," Mizushima, 26, said at a news conference after receiving the Poplar Publishing Co. prize Monday at the publisher's head office in Tokyo for his novel titled "KAGEROU," which has yet to be released.
Mizushima reportedly said he wants the prize money to go toward helping other aspiring novelists.
The publisher said Mizushima submitted the novel under the pen name Satoshi Saito but will accept the prize under his real name, Tomohiro Saito.
The novel is about two men, one who wants to commit suicide and the other who strives to prevent him from doing so, according to the company, which said the date of publication has not been set.
Mizushima, a popular "ikemen" (good-looking) actor, quit a talent agency in September to concentrate on his writing.
He started out as a fashion model when he was still in college. He has appeared in numerous television dramas, including "Hanazakari no Kimitachi e Ikemen Paradise," since gaining popularity for playing the leading role in the television series "Masked Rider Kabuto" from 2006 to 2007.
