The 31st Sanae National Children's Drawing Competition was held, attracting 1,025 entries. Nishida Ikkyu (西田 一休) of Kagoshima Prefecture won the National Grand Prize, while 5 winners were selected for the National Excellence Awards and 10 for the Special Awards.
The Sanae National Children's Drawing Competition, organised by ISEKI & CO., LTD. since 1996, reached its 31st edition this year. A total of 1,025 entries were submitted by children aged 0 to 12, with 1 winner selected for the National Grand Prize, 5 for the National Excellence Awards and 10 for the Special Awards.
The entries were judged by ISEKI & CO., LTD. representatives and external judges. The winning works were divided into regional awards and national awards, and recipients of national awards received certificates and supplementary prizes, including gift certificates and event admission tickets. The national award-winning works will also be featured on the ISEKI & CO., LTD. website. The external judging panel included Fujisawa Hideaki (藤澤 英昭) and Otsubo Keisuke (大坪 圭輔), who praised the children's creativity and sense of immediacy in their comments on the judging.
The National Grand Prize went to Nishida Ikkyu (西田 一休) of Kagoshima Prefecture for “The Space Farm.” The work was recognised for its originality and bold use of colour. The 5 National Excellence Award-winning works were “I Met a Gecko in the Rice Field!”, “The Sun's Tomato,” “Creatures in the Rice Field,” “The Field I See” and “Flying Combine!!” A total of 10 works, including “Thank You Always, Grandma,” were selected for the Special Awards.
In the closing remarks, the organisers expressed their intention to continue the Sanae Drawing Competition and support the creative work of children who will shape Japan's future.
This year's winning works were submitted and screened through sales offices across Japan, with regional awards, regional excellence awards and special awards also determined. Recipients of national awards received supplementary prizes, including admission tickets.