The 14th Iwate Manga Award Contest – Submissions
We are now accepting submissions!
You can submit your digital submission via the online submission form!
Submission deadline:
Submitted works must arrive by Friday September 20, 2024
Submissions are open for “general”, “1-4 panel (koma) manga” and “illustration” categories!!
［Theme］
An original work based on Iwate or anything Iwate-related that has not been previously submitted or published.
*For international participants or foreign nationals, submissions that feature any of the following will be accepted:
Iwate’s natural topography or popular spots, such as Mt. Iwate, Hiraizumi, or the Sanriku Coast, etc.
Any local crafts or specialties of Iwate that make an appearance (Wanko soba, Nambutekki ironware, etc.)
Any characters, places, or objects that bear names related to locations in Iwate (such as Iwate-san, Iwate School, etc.)
See this link for references.
岩手県 - All About Iwate
［Category］
General category（Around 4-24 pages.）
Grand prize (1 winner) ¥100'000 + published on "Comic Iwate WEB" and in a stand-alone manga volume.
Excellence award (3 winners) ¥50'000 + published on "Comic Iwate WEB"
Student division (*Applies to currently enrolled school and university students)
Student division gold award (2 winners) ¥30'000 worth of bookstore gift card
Student division silver award (3 winners) ¥10'000 worth of bookstore gift card
1-4 panel manga category (2/3 panel manga will also be accepted)
General division (High school and above)
First prize (1 winner): ¥30'000 prize money
Excellence award (2 winners): ¥10'000 prize money
Junior division (middle school and younger)
First prize (1 winner): library card worth ¥5'000
Excellence Award (3 winners): library card worth ¥3'000
Illustration category(Multiple submissions accepted)
First prize (1 winner): ¥30'000 prize money
Excellence award (3 winners): ¥10'000 prize money
［Entry requirements］
No prerequisites. Multiple entries allowed. Limited only to
original manga that has not been previously submitted or published.
［Number of manuscript pages per submitted manga］
General category: Around 4-24 pages.
1-4 panel manga category: One story per page (up to 16 pages).
Illustration category: Multiple submissions accepted (a minimum of one drawing must be submitted)
① In the general category, use B4 size manga paper or Kent paper.
For digital submissions, entries must be in B4 manuscript size with an image quality of 600dpi or more.
② The 1-4 panel manga category will accept any B4 size white paper (copy paper, drawing paper, manga manuscript paper etc.).
Please refer to the 4 panel manga template on our homepage.(Color is permitted in the 1-4 panel manga category)
1-3 panel manga can be drawn to fit the scaling of the 4 panel manga category, or in a size that is easy to draw.
Please submit only one 1-4 panel manga per page.
Panel direction will be up to the artist per page per submission.
For digital submissions, entries must be in B4 manuscript size with an image quality of 600dpi or more.
※Print on B4 paper
Length of one 4-panel manga: 270mm
Size of one panel: 58mm long x 85mm wide
Size of each story's title box: 18mm long x 85mm wide
③ The recommended size for the illustration category is B4.
If you plan on doing a digital submission, the illustration must at least have image resolution of 600 dpi.
［Submitted Manga］
1)Traditional paper submissions
Please draw upon the front side of a blank sheet of paper in India ink,
drawing ink, or black pen, and send it on without folding the paper.
Drawings in pencil, light Japanese ink, and ink in colors other than black will not be accepted
in the general category. Color is permitted in the 1-4 panel manga and illustration categories.
However, please write titles and any text in pencil.
If the text will go over the image (outside of speech bubbles),
please attach tracing paper to your manga and fill in the lines upon it in pencil.
Make sure to write, in pencil, the page numbers in the margin of your drafts.
2)Digital submissions
Colors other than black are not permitted in the general category.
Color is permitted in the 1-4 panel manga and illustration categories.
Please submit your digital submissions online via the form on the official website or
mail an enclosed CD-R or DVD-R with the manga files on it, as well as a version available to print.
The files must include a JPG or PDF file of your artwork with all the text in place,
as well as a PSD or TIFF file without the text.
［Language of submissions］
Submissions will be accepted in Japanese, English, French, and Chinese.
*If it is possible for you to have your draft translated into Japanese, we ask that you include a Japanese translation.
［Return of submissions］
① If you would like your submissions returned to you after the contest; please mark "yes" on the application
form and include a self-addressed envelope with appropriate postage along with your submissions.
If a self-addressed envelope is not included with your submission, we will not be able to return your drafts.
② If you do not wish to have your submissions returned; please mark "no" in the return of
drafts section of the application form and do not include an envelope or stamps with your draft.
③ We will not be returning submissions from overseas. Please submit only photocopies of your artwork
when applying by traditional paper submission.
④ We will not be returning submissions that have been submitted via the online form.
［Application forms］
Please print the application form from this website (photocopies are also accepted).
After filling out the required information on the application form,
please attach it to the reverse side of the first page of your submitted manga.
Please be sure to include a valid email address.
Group submissions via school email addresses are permitted.
Application forms from abroad should be filled out in English.
If you use a foreign language, please enter English or pinyin in "phonetic" in the
"pen name" and "name" fields of the application form.
You do not have to fill out an application if submitting digital entries
through the online submission form on the official website.
［Important points］
① Submitted works must not infringe on third party copyrights,
author's rights, design rights, trademarks, or any third party rights.
If any claims of infringement of rights are received in relation to submitted works,
the applicant will bear complete and total responsibility.
Furthermore, in the event that infringement has occurred, or that there is concern that it may have occurred,
any prizes awarded in relation to that artwork may be revoked.
② Prize winners grant the right, without further compensation,
to Iwate Prefecture that all or part of the winning manga may be:
A) Reproduced, exhibited, televised, published in articles or otherwise used in order to announce the winners.
B) Iwate Prefecture may use the winning manga on their event homepage or in print in order to promote the manga and the event.
C) Iwate Prefecture may reproduce the winning manga as record of this event.
Prize winners also grant Iwate Prefecture the right to edit, translate, modify, and adapt winning manga.
③ All or part of the winning works may be published in stand-alone manga book volumes without further compensation.
④ If the applicant is not yet an adult, they must receive the consent of their parent or guardian.
［Announcement & Award Ceremony］
The final results will be released around the end of November, and an award ceremony is planned to be held in December.
［Submission mailing address］
10-1 Uchimaru, Morioka-shi, Iwate, 020-8570, Japan
Iwate Prefecture Cultural Promotions Division, Cultural Exchange Section
The 14th Iwate Manga Award.
［Inquiries］
iwatemangagp@gmail.com
Organizer: Iwate Prefecture
Joint Sponsor: MCL Morioka Joho Business & Design School