Manga Taisho 2026 Winner Announced: Hon Nara Uru Hodo (Books Aplenty) Delivers a Heartwarming Human Drama Where Books Connect Unexpected Lives

The Manga Taisho 2026 award ceremony was held on March 26 in Tokyo, where Hon Nara Uru Hodo (本なら売るほど, Books Aplenty) by Ao Kojima was awarded the grand prize. The award is decided by manga enthusiasts from various fields, primarily bookstore staff, who select the manga they consider the most interesting at this moment.

Hon Nara Uru Hodo is a human drama dedicated to everyone who loves books and whose lives have been changed by them. The story is set in a secondhand bookstore called Jugatsudo, run by a laid back young man with tied back hair. At this place where books and people reconnect, a variety of customers visit every day. These include regular book lovers, a high school girl eager to grow up, a man looking to discard unwanted books, and a widow selling her late husband's collection. A single book picked up on a whim creates unexpected connections between people.

The series was serialized in Harta published by KADOKAWA.

Creator Background and Editorial Insight

The presenter of the award was Kiko Urino, author of last year's winner Alice, Doko Made mo. Upon receiving the handmade commemorative item from the executive committee, Kojima expressed gratitude, saying it was a great honor to receive such a prestigious award supported by volunteers for nearly twenty years. A commemorative illustration was also revealed.

In place of Kojima, editor Kohei Asai gave an interview. He explained that he first discovered Kojima around the end of 2021 after seeing the work gain attention on social media. At that time, Kojima had not intended to become a manga artist. However, after being approached during the COVID period, Kojima began working as a manga artist as a side job, marking the start of the creator's career.

Asai praised Kojima's artistry, noting that the drawings were so refined that he initially assumed it was a pen name of an experienced artist. He highlighted the strength of the visual storytelling, emphasizing how the work leaves space for readers to imagine, resulting in a rich and deeply engaging narrative.

Reader Response and Creative Approach

The work gained attention at multiple stages, including its one shot publication in 2022, serialization in 2023, and the release of its volume in January of the following year. According to Asai, the strongest reaction came when it ranked first in reader surveys during a short term serialization.

Asai also revealed that he never made proposals to Kojima regarding the content. The stories are primarily based on books Kojima has read, with occasional inspiration drawn from particularly memorable works. While the series is not based on research at specific bookstores, it draws from accumulated experiences. There is also the possibility of future stories being inspired by real locations.

He added that one of the key appeals of the work is its relatability, as it portrays people with varying degrees of connection to books rather than only dedicated book lovers.

About the Manga Taisho Award

The Manga Taisho awards were established in 2008 and this year marks the 19th edition. Eligible works are those that released new collected volumes between January 1 and December 31, 2025, with a maximum of eight volumes published at the time of consideration.

In the first round of voting, each judge selected five titles they would most strongly recommend to others. Based on total votes, the top 12 works including ties were nominated. This year, 94 judges cast votes across 249 different manga titles.

Manga Taisho 2026 Nominated Works

The 12 nominated works are as follows:

Imoto wa Shitte Iru (JP: 妹は知っている) / Mari Ganki
Home at the Horizon (JP: おかえり水平線) / Taiyo Watabe
Kaiju wo Kaibo Suru (JP: 怪獣を解剖する) / Sado Saito
Strikeout Pitch (JP: サンキューピッチ) / Kyu Sumiyoshi
The Devil's in the Lunch Deal (JP: 邪神の弁当屋さん) / Ishiko
Dan Mitsu (JP: 壇蜜) / Tohru Seino
Kinuta Miya's Short Story Collection Someone Who Was Once a Friend (JP: 友達だった人 絹田みや作品集) / Miya Kinuta
Maison and the Man-Eating Apartment (JP: 人喰いマンションと大家のメゾン) / Kuu Tanaka and Akima
Hon Nara Uru Hodo (JP: 本なら売るほど) / Ao Kojima
Ichi The Witch (JP: 魔男のイチ) / Shiro Usazaki and Osamu Nishi
RIOT / Yuta Tsukada
Robo no Fujii (JP: 路傍のフジイ) / Kurao Nabe

Past Manga Taisho Grand Prize Winners

2008: Gaku: Minna no Yama by Shinichi Ishizuka
2009: Chihayafuru by Yuki Suetsugu
2010: Thermae Romae by Mari Yamazaki
2011: March Comes In like a Lion by Chica Umino
2012: Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa
2013: Umimachi Diary by Akimi Yoshida
2014: A Bride’s Story by Kaoru Mori
2015: Blank Canvas: My So Called Artist’s Journey by Akiko Higashimura
2016: Golden Kamuy by Satoru Noda
2017: Hibiki: Shōsetsuka ni Naru Hōhō by Mitsuharu Yanamoto
2018: Beastars by Paru Itagaki
2019: Astra Lost in Space by Kenta Shinohara
2020: Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi
2021: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
2022: The Darwin Incident by Shun Umezawa
2023: Draw This, Then Die! by Minoru Toyoda
2024: Spacewalking with You by Inuhiko Doronoda
2025: Alice, Doko Made mo by Kiko Urino

Source : ORICON NEWS