• Everybody is invited to enter the 2nd Creative Karuta Award by submitting art & writing works of their favorite scenes/objects in their home/chosen country, featured on Karuta, a traditional Japanese playing card.

• Karuta (English version) is played with 26 clue (writing) cards and the answer cards with the picture.  Spread out the answer cards, face up on the table/floor. When a clue is read, out 2-6 players around the answer cards race to be the first to touch the answer card. The winner is the player with the most cards at the end of game.

• The closing date is 30 November 2017, and the 12 winning Works will be selected and awarded at Karuta Festival 2018, February Tokyo.
• This is a great opportunity for you to show off your creative skills and promote the charm of your favorite country globally through your works.

Who can enter? – Eligibilities

• Open to individuals, schools/groups of all ages, abilities worldwide
• Both Individual and co-created works are welcomed

What to be submitted? – Entry work

• A pair of artwork and writing (called ‘Work’) representing the chosen topic in the chosen country by Entrant.
• Multiple entries will be accepted

What is the topic?

• A topic should be a scene/object making distinctive a chosen countryand promoting the charm of the country
• All scenes are regarded as important, not only iconic landmarks, but also the modest scenes playing a role in the country such as culture, people, nature, food and indusry.

Artwork(picture)

• Any style of painting/drawing on no larger than A4 (297mm x 210mm) paper.
• No digital work is accepted.

Writing (Clue/caption)

• Must be in English or Japanese
• Use 3 to 15 words in English
• Compose 5-7-5 syllables like a Haiku in Japanese
• The whole topic should not be included in your writing.
• (eg. If the topic is Statue of Liberty you can write a clue like ‘This is a famous statue in NY’. But ‘You can see the Statue of Liberty over there’. is not acceptable.)

Selection

• The 12 winning Works will be selected by a selection committee including Ms. Mikiko Haratuchi, chairman, Kyodo Karuta Association.
• The selection will be made to include the works by different age group.

Awards

• The winners will be awarded with the following items at the 3rd Karuta Festival, Tokyo in January 2018.
• Award Certificate
• A set of karuta cards including the winning works

  View last year’s winning works here! 

  Prize: A set of Karuta cards with the awarded works

  

Other conditions

• Only original art work will be accepted.
• All works that have been shown or accepted elsewhere will not be accepted.
• All submitted Works will not be returned and shall become the property of FROM JAPAN Institute regardless awarded or not.
• The copyrighted images or words (e.g. Pokémon, etc.) are not accepted
• Your work may be modified or partially used to make Karuta cards
• The first name of authors and artists will be put on our website and other publications.
• The school’s name, age of student’s entrants will do the same
• By entering Creative Karuta Award your works will be automatically registered as entries to the ‘200 Countries Karuta Award’ to be selected in 2020.

Ready to enter?

1st step:

• Choose a country
• Choose a topic
• Write the clue reflecting the topic
• Fill in a Clue Sheet
• Draw/paint a picture
• Paste the Clue Sheet on the back of picture
• Fill in the Entry Form
  Entry Details and Forms

2nd step:

• Post the following items
  (1) the completed Entry Form 
  (2) the picture on which the clue sheet was pasted at the back 
• Mailing address: 
  2nd Creative Karuwa Award 
  c/o FROM JAPAN Institute
  3-4-45 Shibakubo-cho, Nishitokyo 
  Tokyo 188-0014 JAPAN

For more information, visit the contest website. You can also click here for the contest flier.