To bring World Heritage Mt. Fuji closer to children, a prize exhibition of the Mt. Fuji-themed New Year calligraphy contest "Mt. Fuji Kakizome 2019" (hosted by The Mainichi Newspapers and certified NPO Mt. Fuji World Heritage National Conference) is on in the free space beside the Palaceside Building first-floor east entrance =photo above.
Fuji was inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage in June 2013; to protect this cultural heritage Japan can be proud of into the future, more people need to take an interest and join the work of passing it on — that wish began the contest in 2018; this is the second year.
Lower-elementary, upper-elementary and junior-high divisions were joined this time by a high-school division. Themes: each division "Fuji" / "Japan's finest"; "Mt. Fuji" / "sea of clouds"; "Red Fuji" / "World Heritage"; "Sacred peak Fuji" / "Keep Fuji a World Heritage forever."
Entries totaled 13,264. Judges (chair Kyoji Nakagawa, Mainichi Calligraphy Society director and Independent Calligraphers Association chair) chose grand prizes and others in each division.
On show are works by grand-prize winners Rimi Ochiai, grade 2, Hota Elementary, Arida, Wakayama; Shino Kuwahara, grade 4, Shizu Elementary, Sakura, Chiba; Miho Koike, grade 3, Kinjo Gakuin Junior High; Ayaka Fujikawa, grade 3, Hyogo Prefectural Ashiya High =photos below= and others — six per division, 24 in all. Quite a strong field.
An awards ceremony is also held Sunday the 20th in first-basement Mainichi Hall.
The show runs through Wednesday the 23rd. Free admission.
