“Short Lives Burning Bright”: Wataya Risa’s New Novel on What Love Means

In 2004, Wataya Risa made history as the youngest ever winner of the Akutagawa Prize at just 19 years old. Her latest novel, Short Lives Burning Bright, a 634-page epic in the original Japanese, delves into a same-sex relationship between two women. The story is set in Kyoto, the author’s hometown.

Hisano and Rin are two 13-year-old girls who meet at the entrance ceremony of their new public junior high school. When Hisano’s long hair comes undone, Rin, standing behind her, skillfully ties it into a ponytail. It is a small moment that makes a big impression, thanks to Wataya’s skillful portrayal, which leaves unmistakable hints that something significant is about to unfold between the two girls.

Then, finally, her hands took a firm grip of the bundled ponytail by the roots and gently tugged it down. As she smoothed it into place, I felt a pleasant prickle on the back of my neck.

Hisano is a model student, quiet and reserved, while vibrant, energetic Rin struggles academically but stands out as a member of the class’s leadership group. The first part of the novel follows their school years, mixing moments of innocence with the hormonally charged stirrings of adolescent sexual awakening. The reader is hooked with a premonition that something dramatic is looming on the horizon.

Moments of Chilling Realism

The two girls are happy together but keep their relationship secret until their idyll is suddenly shattered by rumors. The apparent lack of malice behind the rumors only seems to make them all the more destructive, and the fragile bond between the girls is torn apart.

The heart-wrenching developments that follow allow Wataya to demonstrate the impressive range of her talents as a writer. As in her previous novels, she has a remarkable ability to puncture a mood of apparent happiness with revelations that send a shiver down your spine. The chills come from a recognition of the innocent cruelty inherent in human nature and the harshness of reality, giving the narrative a sense of gritty authenticity that draws readers in.

As the story progresses, you become immersed in the two girls’ lives, hoping for their happiness, only for the author to turn things upside down as if to say: “You didn’t think I was going to let you have it so easy, did you?”

The first part of the book, which began with the two main characters on their first day at a new school, ends with their graduation. They do not meet again until the events described in part two, by which time they are 32.

“I’m Battling with Myself”

In the second part, the author continues to challenge the reader, alternately satisfying, evading, or outright betraying expectations. In the midst of it all, I found myself asking: Why did Wataya choose to center her novel on a same-sex relationship?

Nothing could be more universal than two people falling in love. But this commonplace event, which would normally be welcomed as something positive, is still viewed negatively in some circles when the two people are of the same sex. It can also lead to confused emotions for the lovers themselves.

“The problem isn’t with other people. I can’t accept myself as I am. I’m battling with myself. . . . Maybe they’re right, maybe there is something abnormal about us.”

“All this time, I’ve been wondering. You only live once. How do I want to live this life, which will never come again?”

What does it mean to love someone? What kind of person do you want to be? Perhaps you feel a pressure to conform to a certain idea of the kind of person you should be? As readers engage with Hisano and Rin’s raw, vulnerable emotions, they are likely to be confronted by similar questions about their own lives and relationships.

Wataya seems to have chosen to explore these issues by focusing on a same-sex relationship, taking her characters on a journey from junior high school into adulthood. With this novel, she demonstrates once again why she has won the admiration of so many readers.

(Originally published in Japanese on January 16, 2026. Banner photo © Bungei Shunjū.)