Canada-Japan Literary Awards

Book covers: Gaman – Perseverance: Japanese Canadians’ Journey to Justice (left) and Penriuk et sa douleur: Ossements aïnous retenus prisonniers (right).
Photo courtesy of Talonbooks (left) and Presses de l’Université du Québec (right).
Winners
Arthur Miki for his book Gaman – Perseverance: Japanese Canadians’ Journey to Justice
Mr. Art Miki is an active leader in the Japanese Canadian community, having served as president of the National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) from 1984 to 1992. He led the negotiations to achieve a just redress settlement for Japanese Canadians interned during the Second World War. He and his family were forcibly relocated to Manitoba sugar beet farms in 1942. For his efforts, he has received the Order of Canada—this country’s highest recognition—as well as the Order of Manitoba and, recently, the Order of the Rising Sun, from the government of Japan.
Etienne Lehoux-Jobin for his translation of Penriuk et sa douleur : Ossements aïnous retenus prisonniers, written by Dobashi Yoshimi
Etienne Lehoux-Jobin holds a master’s degree in professional translation from Université Laval (2016) and a PhD in translation studies from the Université de Montréal (2024). It was during a student exchange program, while completing his bachelor’s degree in international studies and modern languages, at Université Laval, that he first lived in Japan, in the Osaka region (Kansai Gaidai University; 2009). He then worked for three years as an English teaching assistant in Ehime Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku (JET Programme; 2014–2017). Later, as part of his doctoral studies, he spent two years conducting research at Rikkyo University, in Tokyo (2019–2021).
The awards
The Canada-Japan Literary Awards recognize the literary merit of books on Japan, on Japanese themes or on themes that promote mutual understanding between Japan and Canada, written by authors from Canada or translated from Japanese into English or French by translators from Canada.
Background
Funding for the Canada-Japan Literary Awards comes from a gift from the Government of Japan.
Additional information
canadajapan-prizes@canadacouncil.ca
1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or 613-566-4414 ext. 4068
Deadline
October 5, 2026
Biennial
Prize Amounts
$10,000 each
2 prizes valued at $10,000 each
- 1 English-language work
- 1 French-language work
Nomination-based
For the upcoming prize deadline, nominations will be submitted through the online portal, opening in the summer of 2025.
The Canada Council is committed to equity in all its activities, including the administration of prizes and awards.
Accessibility
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