There’s still time to enter the competition for the 20th Japan International MANGA Award, an annual challenge that aims to spread Manga culture overseas and promote international cultural exchanges through Manga.
It’s an opportunity for creators to win a trip to Japan by submitting your stories either published or unpublished, that need to be 16+ pages in length, and created within the last three years.
Closing 30th June 2026, in the UK, you can enter this challenge through the Embassy of Japan in London. (Contact the Japanese Embassy or Consulate nearest to you for those seeking to enter elsewhere in the world).
Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs founded the International MANGA Award in 2007 for the purpose of expanding international exchange and mutual understanding through the Manga culture which is widely accepted around the world. The award honours Manga artists who contribute to the development of Manga culture in the world.
The Japan International MANGA Award will present the Gold Award to the best MANGA work, the Silver Award to three excellent works, and the Bronze Award to approximately eleven other works. Gold and silver Award winners will receive certificates and trophies, and Bronze Award winners will receive certificates.
The Special Encouragement Award may be given to a manga work that does not qualify for the Silver Award but is more highly regarded than the other Bronze Award entries. A Special Encouragement Award winner will receive a certificate.
One representative – the creator of the work, or either the artist or writer in the case of a collaborative work – of the Gold Award and Silver Award winning works will be invited to Japan for approximately seven days for the award ceremony in early 2027 as an additional prize. (Special Encouragement Award and Bronze Award winners are not eligible for the invitation program).
• Check out the full details about the competition here, and to download an entry form
• For any questions, write directly to: manga@ld.mofa.go.jp
• Manga Jiman Competition (UK) Facebook Page
Submitted works will not be returned to applicants
Past Award Winners
- The 19th Japan International MANGA Award
- The 18th Japan International MANGA Award
- The 17th Japan International MANGA Award
- The 16th Japan International MANGA Award
- The 15th Japan International MANGA Award
- The 14th Japan International MANGA Award
- The 13th Japan International MANGA Award
- The 12th Japan International MANGA Award
- The 11th Japan International MANGA Award
- The 10th Japan International MANGA Award
- The 9th Japan International MANGA Award
- The 8th Japan International MANGA Award
- The 7th Japan International MANGA Award
- The 6th Japan International MANGA Award
- The 5th Japan International MANGA Award
- The 4th Japan International MANGA Award
- The 3rd Japan International MANGA Award
- The 2nd Japan International MANGA Award
- The 1st Japan International MANGA Award
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Comic Art, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events, International Comic News
Leave a Reply