MANGA JIMAN COMPETITION 2016

2016/6/22
Artwork by 9th Manga Jiman winner Luca Fruzza
Our quest to find the best creators of comic short-stories is back as the Embassy of Japan is delighted to launch our comic-writing competition, MANGA JIMAN 2016!

This is a special anniversary year as we celebrate the TENTH edition of this competition.

The competition has two categories; Yonkoma Manga, a comic strip of 4 panels on one page, for entrants aged between 11 and 13 (see details below) and Manga Jiman, a short story told across 6 to 8 pages for anyone aged 14 or over.

Entrants for both sections of the competition are asked to create a story referring to this year’s theme 'Sights of Japan'.  Your story does not need to be set in Japan but must make a reference, written or visual, to a location or everyday scenes / imagery of the country.

Winners and runners-up will receive superb prizes and will have their artwork displayed in a special exhibition at the Embassy in 2017.

So what are we looking for? Drawings of characters with big eyes and crazy hair? Not necessarily. The judges are looking for originality, good storytelling, artistic ability and style. If you read winning entries from previous years here you will see a variety of styles and innovations.
 
  Manga Jiman Yonkoma Manga
What is required? A story created on 6 to 8 A4-sized pages and drawn so that it reads from left to right.                         A story told in 4 panels on one A4 portrait sized paper. The manga must only contain four panels and must be drawn so that it reads from top to bottom. A template can be found here.
What are the prizes?
  • 1st Prize: Two (2) return air tickets to Japan, courtesy of All Nippon Airways*
  • 2nd Prize: An exciting prize which will be confirmed at a later date!
  • 3rd Prize: A digital camera from RICOH UK Ltd
Runners-up will receive a selection of manga publications, available in the UK from various UK manga
publishers amongst others prizes.           
  • 1st Prize: A prize from the Japanese Gallery.
Runners-up will receive a selection of fantastic manga-related prizes.
Who can enter?                   Entrants must be legal residents of the United Kingdom who are or will be 14 years old on 1 January 2017.                       Entrants must be legal residents of the United Kingdom who are, or will be, aged 11, 12 or 13 by 1 January 2017. Entrants must be born between 2 January 2003 and 1 January 2006.
What to send?     Please submit a completed Entry Form along with your photocopied artwork. Entry Forms can be downloaded here.
Anything else to note? Please read the Manga Jiman Competition 2016 Rules & Regulations carefully before applying. Please read the Yonkoma Manga Competition 2016 Rules & Regulations carefully before applying.
The winning entries from both sections of the competition will also be displayed in a special MANGA JIMAN EXHIBITION at the Embassy of Japan.
Should you wish to enter, please read the full rules and then fill out and submit the official application form along with your entry by post or in person to Manga Jiman 2016 Competition, JICC, Embassy of Japan, 101-104 Piccadilly, London W1J 7JT.

Entries received after 5pm Monday, 24 October 2016 will not be deemed eligible to be judged in the competition. Please contact manga@ld.mofa.go.jp with any queries about the competition.


*The 1st prize winner of Manga Jiman is responsible for the payment of Air Passenger Duty (U.K. Departure tax) and Passenger Service Charges, the total of which as of 25 May 2016 amounts to approximately GBP £130.85 per ticket based on a return flight from London Heathrow to Tokyo Haneda. Please note the amount of Air Passenger Duty and Passenger Service Charge may change depending on airport and the exchange rate.