Life in Fukuoka "English"

【Akutagawa Prize / Naoki Prize】

One of Japan's most prestigious literary awards, the Akutagawa Prize, has been awarded this year to 23-year- old Yui Suzuki, a graduate student at Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka City. While conducting research on English literature in graduate school, Suzuki also pursues creative writing.

Japan's literary world is home to numerous awards, but two of the most prominent and historically significant are the Akutagawa Prize and the Naoki Prize.
The Akutagawa Prize recognizes short to medium-length pure literary works by emerging writers published in magazines. The Naoki Prize, on the other hand, is awarded to single-volume novels, full-length works, or collections of short stories by both emerging and mid-career authors in the realm of entertainment literature.
Selection committees for both awards convene twice a year—in July for works from the first half of the year and in January for those from the latter half of the year. These awards are not open for public submission. The Akutagawa Prize focuses on works published in magazines, while the Naoki Prize targets works released as books. Both prizes go through several preliminary screenings before the final nominees are selected, and the winners are determined after deliberation during the selection meeting. In some cases, no winner is chosen.
The winning works often reflect the social context and values of their time, offering insight into modern Japanese culture and history.
This year's Akutagawa-winning story features a male professor who is a scholar of Goethe, the German literary giant. If you have the chance, be sure to give it a read!

【Fukuoka City International Foundation Information】

Legal Consultation and Personal Counseling

The Fukuoka City International Center offers free legal consultation and personal counseling for the
international residents of Fukuoka City.
Legal consultations are available from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM on the first Saturday of every month, and from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM on the third Wednesday of the month. Each session runs for 45 minutes and is completely free.
However, you do need to make a reservation to consult with the lawyer. Free English interpretation services are also available so if you will need an interpreter, please mention that when you make your reservation.
Personal counseling services are available every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday with a Japanese clinical psychologist in English or Japanese. Reservations are necessary, so please make one if you are interested.
Both types of consultations ensure strict confidentiality, so you can feel at ease when you come these consultations. Reservations will be taken from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM on weekdays. For detailed inquiries, please contact (0120-66-1799). 

Use Line Call for Consultations

And if you connect with the Foundation's official LINE account, you can make an appointment for
consultations on daily life or free professional consultation using the LINE call feature. Telephone
consultations are available in a number of foreign languages, so please feel free to contact them. In addition, you can get information on the Foundation's events and announcements from Fukuoka City, so please add the Foundation's official LINE account to your friends' list from the Fukuoka City International Foundation website.
One thing to keep in mind though is that the foundation will not accept consultations via the Line chat feature.
So if you want advice via text rather than calling, please use the inquiry form on the foundation's website.