What is Creative Karuta Award?

• This is an international contest to call for pictures & writing for creating a new set of a traditional Japanese card game called ‘Karuta’.
• The prize winners will receive karuta cards with the winning works printed on each card.
• It aims to promote karuta globally through the contest.

Theme

• Creative Karuta Award was started to create karuta cards themed around Tokyo Olympic countries (which number is 206) and to hold an international Karura game Championship in 2020.
• This is the final contest to complete ‘206 countries karuta’ set so we will select and award 206 works representing 206 countries/regions.

Who can take part?

• Open to everybody worldwide from children to adults.
• Entries from individuals or schools will be accepted.

Age Category

Country Category

• All entry works will be also judged by the subject’s country.
• The only one (1) work per one (1) country will be selected so 206 works in total will be selected for this category award.
• Please note that all entries to the Awards in last few years will be included for this category’s selection
• This selection is made separately from the one for the age category but some works may be selected for the both category.
  

Timeline

• Deadline: 31st March 2020
• Result Announcement: Early May 2020
• Award Ceremony: June 2020, Tokyo

Entry Work

• Submit a pair of picture and writing (called ‘Work’) representing the subject freely chosen by the applicant.
• Multiple entries by the same applicant will be accepted.
  

Subject to draw and write

• Wonderful nature, rich culture in your chosen country.
• For example buildings, places, foods, festivals, sports and natural scenes.
• It must be something which is well-known, represents the chosen country.
  

Picture

• Use white paper less than or equal to A4 in size.
• Any art media, materials and method can be used.
• The picture must be the unreleased, original work created by the applicant himself/herself.
  
• No computer generated images will be accepted.
• No picture showing copyrighted images such as characters from books, movies will be accepted.
  

Writing/Sentence

• Choose a language, English or Japanese.
• Write with 3 to 12 words if you choose English.
• Write in Japanese with 5 to 20 syllables.
• Your writing should include words which serves as a clue to find the matching picture.
• Writing can be assisted by another person such as your family or teacher.
  

Judging for Age category

• The entry work will be judged by creative karuta experts including Ms. Mikiko Haraguchi (Vice chairman, Japan Kyodo Karuta Association).
• The judges would like to see Works with a charm that makes them feel like seeing the real ones.
• The total 20 Works, at least 2 Works from each category, will be selected.
  

Judging for Country category

• All entry work will be also judged by experts in 206 countries/regions.
• The judges expect to see the works really representing the chosen country.

Prizes for Age Category

• A set of Karuta cards with a winning work printed on each card.

Prizes for Country Category

• A pair of sentence and picture card with the winner’s work printed on each card. (no karuta pack)

Results Announcement

• By early May 2020 the only winners will be notified of the results by email.
• The results will be also announced on Karuta 2020 website.
• All winning entries will be displayed at the Award Ceremony held in Tokyo, June 2020.
  
• All prize winners will be invited to attend the Award Ceremony and to be presented with their prizes.
• The winners who can’t attend the ceremony will receive the prizes by post after the ceremony.
  

Entry Conditions

• Regardless whether winning or not all rights in the entry works belong to FROM JAPAN Institute.
• All entry works won’t be returned.
• The entry works may be used partially or modified when we print Karuta cards. For example we may use only the picture or edit writing.
• Regardless whether winning or not your entry work may be published on our websites, SSN and printed materials.

Handling of Private information

• Any private information which we collect for the Creative Karuta Award 2019-20 will be only used for this contest.
• Usage purposes: confirming the entry information, notifying the contest results, sending the prizes and conducting the contest smoothly.
• Disclosure of personal information to the third parties: With the only winner’s consent of printing their name on karuta card, their name will be provided with the printing contractor.
• Except for this case any personal information won’t be disclosed to third parties without permission of the applicant.