About the Niigata Manga Competition

– Creating the opportunity to show off works of professionals and amateurs
– Sharing and spreading the fun of creating manga
– Promoting Niigata as the Land of Manga and supporting Niigata’s manga culture

When you hear “Niigata,” what comes to mind?

Everyone knows Niigata has rice, sake, snow, the sea, mountains and so on – a place where you can really feel each of the seasons – but did you know that Niigata also hasmanga that is worth boasting about?

From super famous artists to young creators whose works are published in periodicals, there are many people that will surprise you as being from Niigata!

So, why is there a manga contest in Niigata?

In addition to all of the well-known manga artists that have come out of Niigata, the city is also teeming with creative amateur talent that get to show off their works at GataKet, a large-scale doujinshi manga market that even draws in people from surrounding prefectures including Yamagata, Fukushima, Tochigi, and Toyama. Every year, the area swells with energy as fans flood into the events center, find groups of fans like them, and wear their cosplay outfits.

Additionally, in 1997, Niigata held the Japan Lifelong Learning Festival Manabi Pia Niigata ’97 and with that started the movement to support the manga culture that exists in the city.

Then, in 2011 the Niigata Anime and Manga Festival, sponsored by the city, was held for the first time as we know it today. Since then, every year more and more fans come to enjoy the festival which has grown to welcome over 50,000 people.

These are all reasons how Niigata, despite being a more suburban area, is so easily saturated with manga culture. That said, many locals do not realize how much manga is an asset to the area, let alone how amazing it has become…

What is so great about the Niigata Manga Competition?

That magazine editor! That manga artist! They are the ones who judge your beloved works.

To learn more about the judges click here(Japanese language only).

The 26th Niigata Manga Competition

■Entry Period：

August 1 (Tue.) to September 19 (Tue.), 2023 (firm deadline)
*Digital works must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. (JST)

■Entry Conditions and Rules

• Only original works that have not yet been published are eligible (works that have been published in Dojinshi books or fanzines are eligible).
• Dialogue and narration all must be written in Japanese.
• Each person can enter up to five works per category.
• Works that have been entered into other competitions can be submitted if they have not won any awards. However, please refrain from having the same work in another competition at the same time.
• Both professionals and amateurs are welcome to enter.

■Important Notes

• Be sure to read through these guidelines before submitting your work. By completing your entry, you hereby agree to the Guidelines for Applicants.
• The copyright ownership of the submitted works will remain that of the author. However, the author shall allow the organizer to use all or a part of the works free of charge for the following:
  1. Publications or PR materials produced by the organizer
  2. Publishing in electronic media (the internet, etc.) managed or approved of by the organizer
  3. When you write under a pen name, all publications, such as the results announcement and the anthology, will be published under your pen name.

• All works will be returned. (Data for digital works will not be sent back.)
• Please note that because (all or part of) winning works will be included in the anthology, displayed in exhibitions, posted on the official website, and used for other competition purposes, they will be returned around June of the following year.
• Regarding cash prizes, in the case that the winner is underage, consent from a parent or guardian is required to receive them.
• The organizing committee secretariat may contact you at the request of a publishing company involved as a judge in the competition.
• The organizing committee secretariat may send you information related to future Niigata City manga projects.

■Entry Fee

Free of charge

Categories and Prizes

【Niigata Manga Grand Prize】
1 person    200,000 yen grand prize
【Children’s Niigata Manga Grand Prize】
1 person    20,000 yen book gift card
* Chosen from the primary school students’ category.
* If the Niigata Manga Grand Prize winner was chosen from the primary school students’ category, the Children’s Niigata Manga Grand Prize will not be awarded.
【Other Awards】

Types of Manuscripts and their Submission

Manuscript Requirements

【Analog Manuscripts】

• Manuscript size is to be B4 or A4.
• The title page is included in the total number of pages. Number the pages at the bottom of each page.
• The manuscript should be formatted to read from right to left (bound on the right), with the first page falling on the left side of an open book.
• Use manga manuscript paper or kent paper, and submit the original manuscripts. (Copies are not accepted.)
• Do not glue or otherwise affix the entry form to the manuscripts. When you submit more than one work, write the work’s title on the back of each page.
• Use India ink or fountain pen ink made for drawing.
• Works in color are accepted. However, if they are included in the anthology, they will be printed in black and white.
• Write all dialogue and narration in pencil clearly and legibly

【Digital Manuscripts】

• Manuscript size is to be B4 or A4.(For 600 dpi, A4 size is 4961 x 7016 pixels, and B4 size is 6071 x 8598 pixels.)
• The title page is included in the total number of pages. Number the pages at the bottom of each page (outside of cropped or finished border).
• The manuscript should be formatted to read from right to left (bound on the right), with the first page falling on the left side of an open book.
• The resolution must be over 600 dpi for monochrome and over 350 dpi for colored works.
• If you draw in monochrome, use black-and-white or grayscale.
• Works in color are accepted. However, if they are included in the anthology, they will be printed in black and white.
• Include all text, including the title and dialogue, in the digital manuscript.
• Merge all layers, including the text layer, into one layer before submitting.
• Manuscripts must have crop marks and cropped (finished) borders.
• If you are submitting via mail or in person, print your manuscript on manga manuscript paper, or kent paper.

How to Submit Works

【To Submit via Mail or in Person (Residents of Japan only)】

1. Fill out an entry form. An entry form is required for each work.
   >Download Entry Form
2. After completing your manuscript according to the requirements, mail it in along with the entry form. If submitting it in person, go to the address listed below.
   Regardless if you bring it in or mail it, manuscripts will be returned to you, so be sure to include a stamped envelope with the return address written on it. If a stamped return envelope is not enclosed, the manuscripts will be mailed to you using “cash on delivery,” which can be expensive.
   Write the name of the title of the work in red on the backside of both the return envelope and the envelope used to submit the work.
3. Where to Submit
   Niigata Manga Competition Office, Niigata Manga House
   Address:6-971-7 Furumachi-dori, Chuo Ward, Niigata City 951-8063
   Hours:11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
   Closed:Wednesdays
   (When a national holiday falls on Wednesday, it is closed the next weekday instead)

【To Submit Digital Works Electronically】

1. Manuscripts
   Complete the manuscripts according to the digital manuscript requirements.
   Any software can be used but it must be saved as a JPG or PDF file and submitted according to the following steps.
   (1)Upload to a File Sharing Service
   ・Use a file uploading or sharing service such as firestorage or Google Drive.
   ・Compress the data of the work into a ZIP file before upload. Name the file “(work’s title).zip” using only single-byte lower-case alphanumeric characters.
   ・Set the expiration period to be at least seven days long.
   (2)Make a note of the upload URL (and the password if you set one).
   (3)Click the “>Entry Form for Digital Works” below and fill out the necessary personal information and the upload URL.
2. Confirmation Notice
   ・The Niigata City Manga House will send an automatic e-mail from niigata-mangataisyou@nmam.jp confirming your registration. Registration is complete when you receive that e-mail. Be sure to check your e-mail.
   ・If you do not receive an e-mail, it may be because it was flagged as spam by your e-mail software or service settings so please check your spam folder and settings.
   ・If you still have not received an e-mail, there is a chance your entry was not completed. In that case, e-mail the registration account (niigata-mangataisyou@nmam.jp) with your question.
   ・You may be contacted for more information in days following your application if your entry information is incomplete.
   ・Digital entries will be handled by the Niigata City Manga House

>Entry Form for Digital Works

Results Announcement

Results will be announced in December 2023 on the Niigata Manga Competition website.
(Winners will be contacted directly by the Organizing Committee Office.)

Other Information

• Upon notice of results, the winners of each category will be asked to submit a profile and comments 　　to be included in the anthology.
• The awards ceremony is planned to be held in Niigata City around February 2024.
• Certificates and prizes will be awarded at the ceremony. In the case that you cannot attend the ceremony, you will be contacted about the handling of your prizes.

Organaizers & Contact

【Organizers】

Niigata Manga Competition Organizing Committee
(City of Niigata, Gataket Inc., JAM Japan Animation and Manga College, and Kaishi Professional University Manga and Anime Department)

【Contact】

Office of the Niigata Manga Competition Organizing Committee
Cultural Policy Division, Niigata City Office
5th floor, Furumachi Refuru, 7-1010 Furumachi-dori, Chuo Ward, Niigata City 951-8554, JAPAN

TEL：025-226-2566（From outside Japan: +81-25-226-2566）
FAX：025-226-0066（From outside Japan: +81-25-226-0066）
E-mail：bunka@city.niigata.lg.jp

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ regarding Application