An impressive grand prize of 10 million yen! TSUTAYA announces the holding of the "1st National Manga Grand Prix," a public manga competition

2014.03.20 Press Releases
Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. / Earth Star Entertainment Co., Ltd.

-The Grand Prix winner will be serialized, published in book form, or adapted into a TV anime. Applications open April 1st to September 30th, 2014. The winner will be announced at the end of October.-

Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as CCC), which operates TSUTAYA, Japan's largest bookstore chain*1 and one of the largest in terms of comic book sales in the country*1, will be taking applications for the "1st National Manga Grand Prix," a public manga award that will discover Japan's most representative "national manga" from unpublished serialized manga works, from April 1st to September 30th, 2014, and is open to both newcomers and already active professionals.

The Grand Prix winner will receive a prize of 10 million yen, the largest amount ever awarded for a manga award in Japan, and will be serialized in Monthly Comic Earth Star, published by Earth Star Entertainment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Earth Star), a member of the CCC Group, and will be released as a book in Earth Star Comics, and will be promoted as a "power push" at TSUTAYA Comics stores nationwide (approximately 740 stores). After that, it was made into a TV anime series by Earth Star*2.

Entrants are welcome to submit works in two categories: "Manga Division" and "Original Work Division (Storyboard, Plot, Scenario, Novel)" regardless of genre or professional or amateur. For details, please visit the official website (http://kokuminmanga.com)to.

Overview of the 1st National Manga Grand Prix

Application period: April 1, 2014 to September 30, 2014
Prize money: Grand Prize 10 million yen, Runner-up 3 million yen, Special Prize 300,000 yen, Encouragement Prize 100,000 yen

*The Grand Prix winning work will be serialized in "Comic Earth Star," published in book form, and made into an anime.

Chairman of the Judging Committee: Kazuhiro Makuuchi (CEO of Earth Star Entertainment Co., Ltd.)
Judges: SHIBUYA TSUTAYA staff, Comic Earth Star editorial department, Narumi Kyoko (voice actor), and others
How to apply: By mail to the address listed on the official website

Results will be announced on the official website at the end of October 2014.
Organized by: National Manga Grand Prix Executive Committee (TSUTAYA, Earth Star Entertainment)

*1 Annual sales of books and magazines: 113 billion yen (2013 results), comic sales are expected to reach 27.4 billion yen in 2013
　　　(The comics market is estimated at 223.1 billion yen. *Source: Publishing Monthly Report, February 2014, Publishing Science Research Institute)
*1 Number of stores selling TSUTAYA books and comics: Approximately 740 stores nationwide
*2 CCC handles everything from planning and publishing comic magazines for the release of the original comics, to turning them into comics, anime for television broadcast, DVD sales, and rental distribution in stores.

Materials related to this matter

TSUTAYA announces the holding of the "1st National Manga Grand Prix," a public manga award

Inquiries regarding this matter
Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. Entertainment Business Headquarters　
Public Relations Officer: Yuta Takahashi TEL: 03-6800-4764