Office worker wins prize for temps novel

A 23-year-old Tokyo office worker who won Japan's most prestigious literary prize this week says she wants her book to help young people who are afraid of growing up and becoming independent.

Nanae Aoyama won the Akutagawa prize for her novel Hitoribiyori or Being Alone, the story of a young woman who has a temporary job and lives with an elderly relative while struggling to achieve independence.

The story is a familiar one for many young Japanese it reflects an increasing trend among young people who find themselves unable or unwilling to find full-time work and drift between temporary jobs.