Mariko Asabuki, a 26-year-old graduate school student at Keio University, and writer Kenta Nishimura have won the Akutagawa Prize for promising writers of serious fiction.
Asabuki, a Tokyo native, won the 144th prize with an award of ¥1 million for her "Kikotowa," which depicts the memories and dreams of two women through their first reunion in 25 years, the selection committee said Monday.
Her father is the poet Ryoji Asabuki and her great aunt is Tomiko Asabuki, a renowned translator of works by Francoise Sagan.