Kuni-umi Manga World Cup, 1st Award Ceremony!

 ■ Kuni-umi Manga World Cup, 1st Award Ceremony!

The "National Kuni-umi Manga World Cup".

The first award ceremony was held on Awaji Island.

The aims are to spread "Awaji Island Japan Heritage" through manga, and have exchange between domestic and foreign people by utilizing history and folklore.

http://kuniumi-mangaworldcup.jp/

It was held in two categories, "Awaji Island Japan Heritage Category" and "The Kojiki and Nihon Shoki/Man'yoshu Category".

Stories based on "The Myth of the Birth of a Nation", etc., of Awaji Island, Hyogo Prefecture, certified as a Japanese heritage site, and manga work with the subject of folklore and myths passed down throughout the country relating to "Kojiki", "Nihon Shoki", and "Man'yoshu", were collected. 437 works including those from overseas were gathered.

The honorable first prize winners ranged from professional illustrators and aspiring manga artists, to elementary school first graders.

Committee members made the following comments:

Mr. Yoshimura said, "It's a contest that requires the ability to draw manga and the ability to study history. There were also submissions from overseas, so I saw international perspectives on myths and manga."

Mr. Horii said, "Both the quality and the quantity were high."

Ms. Satonaka said, "It is the ability to shape the imagination that is the power of human beings. It is more important to be moved than for something to be useful. The world of manga is an equal and fair one, regardless of whether you are a veteran or a newcomer."

I made the following comments:

Everyone creates a new world by combining over 1,300 years of historical culture with world-leading expressions and manga. It's an endeavor that can only be done in Japan. It will be a model for the Cool Japan strategy to discover the charms of each place through pop culture, and share it with the world. The situation now makes it difficult for people to come from overseas, but when COVID-19 has settled let's share the information.

An appropriate amount of good quality works were collected. We received contributions of 437 works and paintings. There were also high-level works that seemed to be professional serializations, and works by elementary school first graders that make you feel happy as soon as you look at them. There were many works in which I myself learned about myths and Japanese culture.

Professor Satonaka once said, "Anyone can make manga. There are not only pictures, but also sentences, characters, and stories. That's why you should make a manga too." I replied, "Yes!", though I haven't submitted that assignment yet. Through this work, I too feel energized that I have to do my best.