Press Conferences

Foreign Press Secretary KITAMURA Toshihiro: At the outset, I have one announcement regarding the Japan International MANGA Award.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) established the Japan International MANGA Award in 2007, and awards outstanding manga works from overseas in the name of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

This year marks the 19th edition of the award, and a record number of 738 entries from 110 countries and regions were received. Entries are received every year from a wide range of regions, including Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe. This year, entries were received for the first time from six countries and regions: Afghanistan, Saint Vincent, Togo, Nepal, Puerto Rico, and Libya.

For the Gold Award, the selection committee chose “Winged” by Laica Chrose (pen name, female) from Brazil. In addition, the committee awarded the Silver Award to three works from Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and the Special Encouragement Award to one work from Taiwan.

Details of other winning works will be announced shortly on the Japan International MANGA Award website.

We will invite the Gold Award and Silver Award winners to Japan through the Japan Foundation, and hold an awards ceremony in Tokyo in March next year.

Japanese Manga enjoys high popularity in various countries and regions around the world, serving as a gateway to interest in Japanese culture and Japanese language learning. MOFA will continue to support the promotion of international exchange through manga and strive to further enlarge the circle of “Japan’s friends,” who have a positive view of Japan, by promoting manga overseas through the Japan International MANGA Award.