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Kinokuniya Humanities Award 2026: Top 30 Books Announced

The prestigious Kinokuniya Humanities Award 2026 has just unveiled the top 30 titles chosen by readers, highlighting noteworthy contributions to the humanities sector. Organized by the celebrated Kinokuniya Bookstore Co., Ltd., under the leadership of Chairman Masashi Takai, the award aims to spotlight excellent humanities literature and cultivate an inviting bookstore environment by engaging readers and encouraging their participation in the selection process.

Initiated in 2010, the Kinokuniya Humanities Award has steadily grown in popularity, garnering significant participation from readers across Japan. This year saw a diverse range of book nominations and enthusiastic commentary submitted by the public, culminating in a thorough evaluation process by a committee of 16 Kinokuniya employees. The results were carefully compiled to determine the final rankings of the top 30 titles.

The list of the top 30 books for 2026 is as follows:

1. “Naname-Ron: The Pathology of Spaces” by Takuya Matsumoto (Chikuma Shobo)
2. “Linguistics of the 0.2 Seconds in Conversation” by Taiki Mizuno (Shinchosha)
3. “Queer Levinas” by Nozomu Kudo and Iriya (Seidosha)
4. “Tales from the Garden” by Tsunekata Uno (Kodansha)
5. “Healing Souls Through Living: Ethnography of the People of Rwanda” by Yuko Ohtake (Hakusuisha)
6. “Social Warfare of People: Why Did Japan Walk the Path to War?” by Hajime Masuda (Iwanami Shoten)
7. “What is Counseling?” by Kaito Higashihata (Kodansha)
8. “Conflicts Concerning Sex/Life” by Genya Fukunaga (Akashi Shoten)
9. “Critique of Internal Diversity: From Postmodern Anthropology to Ontological Turn” by Akihiro Kubo (Sakuhinsha)
10. “Introduction to Asexual and Aromantic Identities” by Yuu Matsuura (Shueisha)
11. “How to Allow Living Beings to Die: Sociology of Those that Transcend Coexistence” by Satoshi Watanabe (Nakanishiya Publishing)
12. “Modern History of Food Power: The Nazi Hunger Plan and Its Legacy” by Tatsushi Fujiwara (Humanities Shobun)
13. “Care and Editing” by Masaaki Shiraishi (Iwanami Shoten)
14. “If I Caused Misunderstanding, I Apologize: Politics of Language and Language of Politics” by Naoya Fujikawa (Kodansha)
15. “On the Middle Theory in the Era of Air” by Takashi Shimizu (IAAB EDIT)
16. “The Extreme of Reality: The 'Currently' is Ubiquitous” by Kiyoshi Irifune (Seidosha)
17. “Philosophy of Narrative Critique: To Play with 'My Life'” by Yuuki Namba (Kodansha)
18. “Upcoming Women: The Thought and Literature of Michiko Ishimure, Kiko Nakamura, and Kazue Morisaki” by Eiri Watanabe (Shoshi Kankankobo)
19. “Opening Men’s Studies with Great Books: Thinking About the Future of 'Men'” by Shunsuke Sugita and others (Shueisha)
20. “Critical Insights into the Death Penalty” by Yasuhiro Maruyama (Chikuma Shobo)
21. “Introduction to Modern Strip” by Daisuke Muto and Usagi Natsuhori (editors) (Shoshi Kankankobo)
22. “Visualizing Discrimination: Statistical Analysis Explaining Discrimination Against Immigrants and Ethnic Minorities” by Akira Igarashi (Shinseinsha)
23. “We Know Nothing About Words: Linguistics of Loneliness, Misunderstanding, and Frustration” by Junichi Ono (NewsPicks Publishing)
24. “Thoughts on Living Beings: Around Bodily Fluids” by Tatsushi Fujiwara (Katabami Shobou)
25. “What Was 'That War'?” by Masanori Tsujita (Kodansha)
26. “Media as Human: Technology and Existence in the 21st Century” by Ryohei Fukushima (Blueprint)
27. “Linguistics of Spells: Listening to Romania's Witches” by Yusuke Kaku (Sakuhinsha)
28. “The Murder Case of Professor Schlick: A History of the Vienna Circle” by David Edmonds (trans. by Satoshi Kodama and Kazuhiro Hayashi) (Akabunkan)
29. “Philosophical History of the Archipelago” by Ryohei Noguchi (Misuzu Shobou)
30. “Co-dependency and Care: Listening to Voices That Are Filtered Out” by Mariko Konishi (Seidosha)

Notably, these books fall within the broader definition of humanities literature, comprising genres such as philosophy, psychology, religion, history, social sciences, and education. Allowing for a rich exploration of diverse topics, this initiative emphasizes the importance of nuanced discussions and disseminations of thought.

The Kinokuniya Humanities Award 2026 Fair is set to commence on February 1, 2026, across all stores in the Kinokuniya Group and their online platforms. Visitors can look forward to receiving a small booklet featuring comments on each selected title at participating locations.

For more information, please visit the dedicated webpage: Kinokuniya Humanities Awards.

For inquiries related to this announcement, please contact Kinokuniya Bookstore Co., Ltd, Public Relations Department via email at [email protected].