Merck Kakehashi Literature Prize (German: Merck âÂÂKakehashiâ Literaturpreises) is a biannual literary translation prize awarded by the Goethe-Institut Tokyo and Merck KGaA, a German chemical and pharmaceutical company. It is for works by German authors made accessible for a Japanese readership. The prize is â¬10,000 each going to the author and the translator.