The Kiyoshi Hayakawa Foundation

The Kiyoshi Hayakawa Foundation (公益財団法人 早川清文学振興財団) is a Japanese public-interest incorporated foundation based in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was established in April 1999 as the Hayakawa Memorial Literature Promotion Foundation (財団法人早川記念文学振興財団), named after Kiyoshi Hayakawa, who founded the publisher Hayakawa Publishing on 15 August 1945 and launched the theatre magazine *Higeki Kigeki* (悲劇喜劇), devoting his life to publishing drama books and translations of foreign literature. The foundation was created to carry on his aims as a social enterprise: to contribute to the improvement of theatrical culture in Japan and abroad, and to introduce and popularise outstanding foreign literature in Japanese translation. In February 2011 the foundation received certification as a public-interest incorporated foundation from the Prime Minister, and on 1 April 2011 it relaunched as the Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Hayakawa Kiyoshi Literature Promotion Foundation. Its stated purpose, per its articles of incorporation, is to contribute to the promotion of Japanese culture and the arts through research and award programmes concerning literature and theatre, and through reading-support programmes for the visually impaired. Its main activities are carried out nationwide across Japan. The foundation's flagship programme is the Agatha Christie Award (アガサ・クリスティー賞), a mystery-fiction award for promising new writers, created with the cooperation of Agatha Christie Limited in the UK and co-organised with Hayakawa Publishing. It also runs the Hayakawa 'Higeki Kigeki' Award (ハヤカワ「悲劇喜劇」賞) for theatre activity, holds seminars on literary and performing-arts research, operates reading rooms for foreign literature — the Hayakawa Library, including the Noda Masahiro Collection (野田昌宏文庫) of some 20,000 SF-related magazines and books, and the Kotaka Nobumitsu Collection (小鷹信光文庫) of vintage paperbacks — and supports the reading activities of visually impaired people by producing and donating DAISY recorded books. The foundation is governed by a board of directors and auditors, with a council of councillors (評議員). Its representative director is Hiroshi Hayakawa (早川 浩). It publishes information disclosure materials including officer lists, remuneration rules, and financial statements, and its fiscal year runs from 1 April to 31 March. It is a non-profit cultural institution rather than a commercial enterprise, but it operates as a registered corporate entity and brand in the Japanese publishing and literary world.

The Kiyoshi Hayakawa Foundation traces its origins to Kiyoshi Hayakawa, who founded Hayakawa Publishing on 15 August 1945 and launched the theatre magazine *Higeki Kigeki* (悲劇喜劇). He devoted himself to publishing drama books and translations of foreign literature, with the aims of contributing to the improvement of theatrical culture in Japan and abroad and of introducing and popularising outstanding foreign literature in Japanese translation. To develop these ideals as a social enterprise, the Hayakawa Memorial Literature Promotion Foundation (財団法人早川記念文学振興財団) was established in April 1999 and continued its activities. In February 2011 the foundation was certified as a public-interest incorporated foundation by the Prime Minister, and on 1 April 2011 it made a fresh start as the Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Hayakawa Kiyoshi Literature Promotion Foundation (公益財団法人 早川清文学振興財団). The new foundation's main activities are research and award programmes concerning theatre and literature in Japan and abroad, and reading-support programmes for the visually impaired, thereby contributing to the promotion of Japanese culture and the arts. With the cooperation of Agatha Christie Limited in the UK and co-organised with Hayakawa Publishing, it created the Agatha Christie Award to discover promising new mystery writers. It also maintains the Noda Masahiro Collection, which holds some 20,000 SF-related magazines and books and is a valuable resource for researchers and readers. It continues to hold seminars on theatre and literature and to expand its recorded-book donation programme. According to its articles of incorporation, the foundation's purpose is to contribute to the promotion of Japanese culture and the arts through research and award programmes concerning literature and theatre, and through reading-support programmes for the visually impaired. Its activities are carried out nationwide in Japan. Its fiscal year runs from 1 April to 31 March. It is governed by a board of directors and auditors, with a council of councillors, and it discloses officer lists, remuneration rules, and financial statements. Its representative director is Hiroshi Hayakawa.

• 2026

  The 16th Agatha Christie Award winner is decided (July); the 13th Hayakawa 'Higeki Kigeki' Award is decided (January).

• 2025

  The 15th Agatha Christie Award winner is decided (July).

• 2011

  Certified as a public-interest incorporated foundation by the Prime Minister in February; relaunches as the Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Hayakawa Kiyoshi Literature Promotion Foundation on 1 April.

• 1999

  The Hayakawa Memorial Literature Promotion Foundation is established in April.

• 1945

  Kiyoshi Hayakawa founds Hayakawa Publishing on 15 August and launches the theatre magazine *Higeki Kigeki*.

A public-interest cultural foundation dedicated to literature and theatre, operating awards, grants, seminars, a specialised library, and accessibility programmes in Japan.

• Agatha Christie Award

  A mystery-fiction award for promising new writers, created with the cooperation of Agatha Christie Limited and co-organised with Hayakawa Publishing.

• Hayakawa 'Higeki Kigeki' Award

  An award and grant programme for theatre activity.

• Noda Masahiro Collection

  A collection of some 20,000 SF-related magazines and books, valuable to researchers and readers.

• Kotaka Nobumitsu Collection

  A collection of vintage paperbacks.

• DAISY recorded books

  Production and donation of DAISY recorded books to support the reading activities of visually impaired people.

1. 1早川清文学振興財団WEBサイトhayakawa-foundation.or.jp
2. 2情報公開hayakawa-foundation.or.jp
3. 3代表理事の挨拶hayakawa-foundation.or.jp
4. 4定款hayakawa-foundation.or.jp
5. 5The Kiyoshi Hayakawa Foundation - Wikidatawikidata.org