The bi-annual Akutagawa prize ( 芥川賞 ) was created in 1935 to commemorate the eminent writer Ryunosuke Akutagawa. Its purpose is to reward the best serious work of fiction by a promising new Japanese writer. It is generally considered, along with the Naoki Prize, Japan's most prestigious and sought-after literary award.

The 2004 prize was awarded to both Risa Wataya, 19, a second-year student at Waseda University, for her novel Keritai senaka (The Back I Want to Kick), and Hitomi Kanehara, 20, who debuted as a writer only last year, for Hebi ni piasu (Snake with Pierced Tongue).

Congratulations ! They are the hope of Japanese literature.

Read this article for more detail : Akutagawa Prize Awarded to Two Youngest-Ever Women Writers