The central theme of our work—that the Hoshi Awards for short-form science fiction are ‘a departure point for exploring future possibilities’—is expressed using a variety of different materials and craft techniques. From award ceremony invitations in the form of boarding passes, to anthologies of winning works in the form of travel journals, each item was crafted to support the idea that the Hoshi Awards have helped many past winners depart on career journeys to scientific and literary success.

Shinichi Hoshi was the author of more than 1,000 science fiction short stories during his lifetime, and his works are widely recognised for the impact they have had on generations of Japanese scientists. The Hoshi Awards, founded in his honour, are open to all ages in the belief that stories born from science-based ideas can also inspire advances in real-world science. As this year marked the 10th anniversary of the awards, it was an ideal opportunity to remind people of the awards’ important role in promoting the study of science.

The Hoshi Awards are named after Shinichi Hoshi, one of Japan's leading science fiction writers. They are presented each year to authors of science fiction short stories whose work exhibits a high level of creativity and imagination. As in past years, we needed to create materials with an overall thematic consistency that made them suitable for both advance promotion and display at the awards ceremony. But for the awards’ 10th anniversary year, we wanted to do more than just capture their spirit — we also wanted to salute past award winners and encourage aspiring writers to submit their work in the future.

＜＜Posters＞＞

Poster1: The future isn't just for people.

Poster2: There is more than one future.

Poster3: Take a journey into the unknown.

Poster4: My ticket just says, 'What if?'

Poster5: Board first, then decide where to go.

Poster6: You can get to the future from anywhere.

＜＜Awards Ceremony Invitation＞＞

Congratulations!

You are hereby invited to attend

the 10th Annual Hoshi Awards

Entry Submissions

General Division: 2,025 works

Junior Division: 542 works

Out of a total of 2,767 entries, your work has been selected by the judging panel for its exceptional imagination and creativity.

We look forward to seeing you at the awards ceremony.

Nikkei Inc. Hoshi Awards Executive Committee

＜＜Leaflet＞＞

The future doesn't arrive on its own.

The power to imagine 'What if?'

lives within each one of us. That

is what enables us to create a

better future for all.

What if there was such an invention?

What if a change like this had occurred?

The future branches in myriad directions,

and can unfold in countless ways.

The Hoshi Awards are open to

everyone, from children to adults.

They are the departure point on

a journey to the land of 'What if?'

The departure bell is already ringing

for the 2,676 entry submissions on board.

Just as Shinichi Hoshi's works shape

scientific inquiry today, your 'What if?'

ideas can the shape the future of tomorrow.

===========

Program

1. Opening remarks

2. Video introduction of award winners

3. Greetings from distinguished guests

4. Introduction of judges, sponsors and cooperating organisations

5. Award presentation and commentary

6. Overall commentary

7. Closing remarks

===========

And...

Titles, author names, and synopses of each of the 10 award-winning works.

＜＜Book＞＞

An anthology of the year's 10 award-winning stories compiled in travel journal format. The book comes with 10 different bookmarks, each with a unique ticket-like design that includes the title, author's name, and a synopsis of the story.

＜＜Award Certificate＞＞

Nikkei Hoshi Awards General Division

Grand Prix

In recognition of your exceptional imagination and creativity, your work has been selected as the winner of the Grand Prix in the General Division of the 10th Nikkei Hoshi Awards.

March 4, 2023

Hoshi Awards Executive Committee, Nikkei Inc.

Our illustration depicts the Hoshi Awards as a ‘departure terminal’ from which passengers depart on journeys to a variety of possible futures, and the design of each of the passengers was inspired by a story submitted by a previous Hoshi Award winner. One, for example, was inspired by a story in which humans survive through photosynthesis; another was inspired by a story about a world where men can conceive and give birth. We depict the terminal teeming with passengers to express the wide variety of futures that past award winners have imagined, and use a fresh, light-green colour to express a sense of hope for the future. The same design theme was also used to illustrate the anthology of the year’s award-winning works, which takes the form of a travel journal and features ticket-shaped bookmarks for each of the year’s winning works.