Outstanding entries in the 37th National Reading Impression Drawing Contest (organized by the Japan School Library Association, The Mainichi Newspapers, and others)—in which children express the emotion of reading through pictures—are on view through April 18 in the show window in front of Mainichi Hall on the first basement level. Powerful works by elementary through high-school students line the display, their rich color standing out.
Schools in 38 prefectures, excluding Kyushu and Yamaguchi—4,856 elementary, junior-high, and high schools—took part, submitting 575,435 works. Twelve pieces are on view: four grand-prize Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Awards and eight excellence awards.
The contest began in the Kinki region in 1983 with the aim of “fostering reading and expressive ability by painting the emotion of reading.” The first edition drew 145,106 works from 3,717 schools; as the area of participation expanded, both schools and entries have grown.