Felissimo’s Kotoba Club has opened submissions for the “Matching Tanka Prize 2026” for another year. Submissions will be accepted from 11 September, with Okano Daishi (岡野大嗣) and Sakaguchi Ryotaro (坂口涼太郎) serving as judges.
Felissimo’s “Felissimo Kotoba Club” has begun accepting submissions for the “Matching Tanka Prize 2026,” a competition for 31-mora tanka poems on the theme of “matching.” The submission period runs from 11 September 2026 to 11 October 2026, and eligibility is open to “anyone who loves words.” The winning tanka poems are scheduled to be announced on the Felissimo official website on 11 November 2026.
The judges will be poet Okano Daishi (岡野大嗣) and actor Sakaguchi Ryotaro (坂口涼太郎), whose “Ryo Tanka” poems have attracted attention on social media. Two Grand Prizes, one Okano Daishi Prize, one Sakaguchi Ryotaro Prize, and multiple Special Prizes will be selected. Grand Prize winners will receive an original mug featuring an illustration based on their tanka poem, along with Felissimo-original chocolat sablés.
The submission requirements include that entries must be original works that have not previously been submitted, works generated by AI are not eligible, and copyright remains with the entrant, while the submission also grants permission for royalty-free use by Felissimo and designated third parties. After the submission period ends, the winning entries will be announced online on 11 November.
The judging results and related information are scheduled to be announced on the official Felissimo Kotoba Club website and through media designated by the company. Details will be as set out in the submission guidelines.