In 2017, on the occasion of the 1300th anniversary of the birth of Otomo no Yakamochi, author of many splendid poems in Etchu Province, Toyama Prefecture created the Yakamochi Medal, which is awarded every two years to honor the achievements of outstanding poets around the world.
We now would like to inform you that we are accepting nominations of candidates for the 3rd Yakamochi Medal.
■Criteria for Recommendations for the 3rd YAKAMOCHI MEDAL
- About the Yakamochi Medal：
In 2017, on the occasion of the 1300th anniversary of the birth of Otomo no Yakamochi, author of many splendid poems in Etchu Province, Toyama Prefecture created the Yakamochi Medal to honor the achievements of outstanding poets around the world, with the objective of awarding contributions to the creation of a spiritually rich life for all, starting with Toyama Prefecture citizens.
- Organizer： Toyama Prefecture
- Nominal Support： The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
- Eligibility：
A poet (of any nationality or residency) with outstanding literary achievements in poetry* around the world regardless of the presence of a connection to Japan
*poetry: An expression of language in varied forms with metre
- Recommendation：
Public appeal for recommendations from experts, poetry specialists, and poets from multiple countries
- Recommendation Form：
Please use the prescribed recommendation form. The recommendation form can be downloaded from the Koshinokuni Museum of Literature website.
https://www.koshibun.jp/?tid=100509
- Awards： Medal and a prize of two million yen
- Recipients： One
- Deadline： November 30th 2022 (Recommendation must be received by mail by this date)
- Results： Results will be announced in May 2023.
- Ceremony：
We plan to invite the recipient and organize a presentation ceremony in July 2023. Furthermore, we hope to organize a celebratory lecture from the recipient.
- Point of Contact： For any questions, please send an email in English or Japanese to the following address.
E-mail：akoshinokuni@pref.toyama.lg.jp
- Where to send the Application, Department in Charge：
Please send the recommendation form by mail to the following address.
Koshinokuni Museum of Literature Yakamochi Medal Office
2-22 Funahashi Minamicho, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture 930-0095
TEL: +81-76-431-5492 FAX: +81-76-431-5490
■Selection Committee
- Toshiko ELLIS
Professor of Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo (Modern Japanese Poetry and Comparative Literature)
- Ikuo KAMEYAMA
President of Nagoya University of Foreign Studies (Russian Literature)
- Susumu NAKANISHI
Scholar of Japanese Literature, Director of Koshinokuni Museum of Literature
- Shozo FUJII
Professor of Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo (Modern Chinese Literature)
- Hisaki MATSUURA
Poet, Novelist, Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo (French Literature)
- Tadahiko WADA
Translator, Professor Emeritus of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (Italian and Comparative Literature)
■Explanation behind the creation of the YAKAMOCHI MEDAL
The Manyoshu has been read and reread for around 1300 years. It contains over 4500 poems written by the imperial household and nobility as well as nameless, ordinary people, and each poem still deeply moves us readers in the modern era.
Otomo no Yakamochi, who was very involved in the compiling of the Manyoshu, was appointed governor of Etchu Province (now Toyama Prefecture) in 746, and spent the next 5 years writing many splendid poems. The grandiose and beautiful yet sometimes harsh environment and the changes of the scenery following the seasons imparted Yakamochi with new emotions, differing from what he knew in the capital.
The poems composed in Etchu Province by Yakamochi and his entourage as well as local folk songs from Etchu Province are collectively called “Etchu Manyo,” and they are the point of origin for “hometown literature” born in Toyama.
To promote this “hometown literature,” Toyama Prefecture established the Koshinokuni Museum of Literature in 2012 and in 2017, to celebrate the 1300th anniversary of Otomo no Yakamochi’s birth by honoring a poet with outstanding literary achievements from around the world, Toyama Prefecture created the Yakamochi Medal. The creation of this literary prize is hoped to help promote the beauty of Otomo no Yakamochi’s poems and Etchu Manyo to the world, and to contribute to the creation of a spiritually rich life to people in Japan and abroad.
■Previous Winners of the YAKAMOCHI MEDAL
The inaugural winner: Michael Longley (Poet, United Kingdom (Northern Ireland))
The second winner: Bei Dao (Poet, China)
■Toyama Prefecture
Toyama Prefecture is the place to enjoy world class mountain sights, such as the 3000 meter high Tateyama Mountain Range in the Northern Japanese Alps and the Kurobe Gorge, along with Toyama Bay, the “Sea of Mysteries” where one can witness mirages, and the beautiful changes in natural scenery along the seasons.
Toyama Prefecture aims to create a rich and warm lifestyle for all and promotes arts and culture to the world, while supporting a multitude of cultural activities locally.