Japan Media Arts Festival facts for kids

The Japan Media Arts Festival is a cool yearly event in Japan that started in 1997. It's organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan. Think of it like an awesome showcase for creative digital art, games, animated movies, and comics!

The festival starts with artists and creators sending in their best work. Then, a group of expert judges picks the winners. The festival ends with a big awards ceremony and an exhibition where everyone can see the amazing winning pieces.

Awards are given in four main areas:

• Art: This category is for creative digital art, like interactive installations or visual images.
• Entertainment: This includes things like video games, cool websites, and other fun digital experiences.
• Animation: This is for animated films, TV shows, and short cartoons.
• Manga: This category celebrates Japanese comics and graphic novels.

In each of these categories, one Grand Prize (the top award) is given. There are also four Excellence Prizes for other great works, and an Encouragement Prize for promising new artists (since 2002). The judges also pick other "Jury Selections" that are really impressive. Winners get a certificate, a trophy, and a cash prize!

Art Awards: Celebrating Digital Creativity

The Art category celebrates amazing digital and interactive artworks. It used to be called "Non-Interactive Digital Art" and "Interactive Art" before 2003. Winners often create unique experiences using technology.

Here are some examples of past Grand Prize winners:

• 2003: Digital Gadgets #6,8,9 (interactive art)
• 2004: 3 minutes2 (an installation art piece)
• 2005: Khronos Projector (an interactive artwork)
• 2008: Oups! (an installation)
• 2011: plain voices by Yoshihiro Yamamoto
• 2012: Pendulum Choir by Cod.Act (a unique sound sculpture)
• 2013: crt mgn by Carsten Nicolai
• 2019: Pulses/Grains/Phase/Moiré by Ken Furudate
• 2021: Prometheus Bound by Meiro Koizumi
• 2022: Sun and Moon Room by the "Sun and Moon Room" Production Team

These awards show how artists use new technology to create exciting and thought-provoking works.

Entertainment Awards: Fun and Innovation

The Entertainment category highlights works that are fun, engaging, and often use new technology in cool ways. This includes popular video games, interesting websites, and other interactive experiences.

Some famous Grand Prize winners include:

• 1998: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (a very popular video game)
• 1999: AIBO, model ERS-110 (a robotic dog!)
• 2000: Dragon Warrior VII (another well-loved video game)
• 2006: Ōkami (a beautiful action-adventure game)
• 2007: Wii Sports (a game that got everyone moving)
• 2012: Perfume "Global Site Project" (a creative website for a music group)
• 2014: Ingress by Google's Niantic Labs (an early augmented reality game)
• 2017: Shin Godzilla (a famous Japanese monster movie)
• 2018: The Last Guardian (a highly anticipated video game)
• 2019: Chico Will Scold You! (a popular Japanese TV segment)
• 2020: Shadows as Athletes by Masahiko Sato and team

These awards show how entertainment can be both fun and incredibly creative, pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

Animation Awards: Bringing Stories to Life

The Animation category celebrates the best animated films, TV series, and short animations. Japan is famous for its animation, so this category always features amazing works.

Here are some of the Grand Prize winners:

• 1997: Princess Mononoke (a classic animated film)
• 2001: Spirited Away and Millennium Actress (both iconic films)
• 2006: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
• 2009: Summer Wars
• 2011: Puella Magi Madoka Magica (a popular anime series)
• 2017: Your Name (a hugely successful animated film)
• 2018: In This Corner of the World and Lu over the Wall (both great films)
• 2020: Children of the Sea
• 2021: Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! (a fun anime series about making anime)
• 2022: The Fourth Wall by Mahboobeh Kalaee

This category highlights the incredible artistry and storytelling found in animated works.

Manga Awards: Stories in Pictures

The Manga category honors outstanding Japanese comics and graphic novels. Manga is a huge part of Japanese culture, and these awards recognize the best new and ongoing series.

Some notable Grand Prize winners include:

• 2000: Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue (a historical samurai manga)
• 2005: Disappearance Diary by Hideo Azuma
• 2009: Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura (an epic Viking story)
• 2010: Historie by Hitoshi Iwaaki
• 2013: JoJolion by Hirohiko Araki (part of the famous JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series)
• 22nd (2019): Origin by Boichi
• 23rd (2020): A Brief History of Robo sapiens by Toranosuke Shimada
• 24th (2021): March Comes In Like a Lion by Chica Umino
• 25th (2022): Golden Raspberry by Aki Mochida

These awards show the wide range of stories and art styles found in the world of manga.

See also

In Spanish: Festival de arte de Japón para niños

• List of animation awards
• List of manga awards
• Lists of animated feature films
• BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film
• Annie Award for Best Animated Feature
• Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film
• Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature
• Annie Award for Best Animated Feature — Independent
• Saturn Award for Best Animated Film
• Animation Kobe
• Tokyo Anime Award