The Adachi UKIYOE Award 2026

The Adachi UKIYOE Award is an international competition from the Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing in Tokyo, which keeps the traditional ukiyo-e workshop system alive. Artists apply as the eshi, the designer, and the winners' designs are cut and printed by Adachi's professional carvers (horishi) and printers (surishi). The Grand Prize is ¥300,000 plus the finished woodcut. Now in its 18th edition, the award is open to anyone aged 15 or over, from any country. The deadline is 25 December 2026.

You do not need to know anything about woodblock printing to apply. The jury looks at 3 to 5 of your existing works, in any two-dimensional medium, to judge your style and potential; the winners then develop a new design together with the artisans, with meetings that can take place online.

There is no fixed theme, and the foundation welcomes designs that reflect the world today rather than traditional ukiyo-e subjects.

Who Can Enter the Adachi UKIYOE Award?

Individuals aged 15 or over, of any nationality, career stage or genre. Applicants under 18 need consent from a parent or guardian. Winners must be able to take part in meetings with the artisans and in the production process.

It is particularly relevant to:

• Illustrators with a strong graphic line
• Painters and drawers interested in Japanese printmaking
• Comic and character artists
• Designers who want to collaborate with master craftspeople

What Can You Enter?

Images of 3 to 5 works you have already made, on a flat surface such as paper or canvas, by hand or digitally; works 1 to 3 are required. Published and exhibited works are accepted. Photographs, prints and three-dimensional works are not. If you used AI in any work, you must say so clearly.

Entry Fees

¥2,000 per application, paid by a link sent after you submit the form. The fee is generally non-refundable.

What Do Selected Entrants Receive?

• Grand Prize: ¥300,000, a woodcut of your new design produced by Adachi's carvers and printers, and a copy of the print
• Excellence Award: ¥150,000 and the same production of a woodcut and a copy
• Honourable Mention: ¥50,000

Submission Requirements

Apply through the online form on the foundation's website and pay the fee by the deadline. Applications by post are not accepted.

Why Enter?

Very few competitions let an artist work directly with master artisans in a centuries-old craft. Seeing your drawing translated into carved blocks and hand-printed layers is an education in line, colour and simplification, and the finished print is a distinctive piece for any portfolio.

How Ukiyo-e Prints Are Made

Traditional Japanese woodblock prints are a team effort. The designer draws the image; the carver cuts a separate block for the outline and for each colour; the printer then lays paper on each block in turn, building the picture layer by layer by hand. The Adachi Foundation has preserved this system for decades and still works with full-time artisans. For a winning artist, the collaboration means learning how a drawing must be simplified into clean lines and flat colour areas that can be carved, and seeing the results of each proof as the print takes shape.

Things to Consider

• Show clear line and flat colour. Woodcut translation favours confident outlines and well-defined colour areas.
• Choose coherent work. Three to five pieces in one style show the jury what your design would look like as a print.
• Think about today. The award looks for contemporary subjects, not imitations of Edo-period prints.
• Disclose any AI use. Undisclosed AI use can disqualify an entry.
• Plan for collaboration. Winners take part in production meetings, online or in person.

Enter the Competition

Interested in applying?

Enter the Adachi UKIYOE Award

For the full guidelines and application form, visit the official Adachi Foundation website.

Looking for more open calls? Browse all competitions and opportunities on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: October 16, 2026