Organizer Information
The Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints was founded in Tokyo in 1928 to preserve traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques at a time when newer printing technologies were beginning to displace the craft. The institute is one of the few studios in Japan still practicing the full Edo-period process for ukiyo-e, and has reproduced more than 1,200 historical masterworks by artists such as Hokusai and Utamaro using carved cherry-wood blocks, natural pigments, and handmade washi paper. In 1994, Adachi established the Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing to formalize its preservation work and train the next generation of carvers and printers. Alongside reproduction work, the Institute collaborates with contemporary Japanese and international artists to create new ukiyo-e, and in 2009 launched the Adachi Contemporary Ukiyo-e Award (now the Adachi UKIYOE Award) to discover artists capable of taking on the traditional role of the eshi, or designer, for present-day ukiyo-e.
Title & Description
The Adachi UKIYOE Award 2026 (18th Edition)
The Adachi UKIYOE Award invites artists to take on the role of eshi — the designer whose work forms the basis of a traditional ukiyo-e print — by creating contemporary ukiyo-e for today's world. Ukiyo-e prints are traditionally produced through the collaboration of three specialists: the eshi, who creates the original design; the carver, who carves the woodblocks; and the printer, who transfers the image onto washi paper. Applicants submit examples of previous work for review, and the Grand Prize and Excellence Award winners go on to create an original new design that will be produced as a woodblock print through hands-on collaboration with the Adachi Institute's carvers and printers. The award does not require applicants to follow traditional ukiyo-e styles, and welcomes distinctive contemporary sensibilities and approaches to the medium.
Categories
- Printmaking
- Drawing
- Painting
- Digital Art
- Traditional Craft
Eligibility
- Applicants must be 15 years of age or older at the time of application
- Applicants under 18 at the time of application must obtain the consent of a parent or legal guardian
- Must apply as an individual; applications under the name of a group, organization, or studio will not be accepted
- Must be able to participate continuously in meetings with the artisans and in the woodblock print production process after receiving an award (meetings may be attended online)
- No restrictions regarding artistic genre, career background, or nationality
- Submitted works must be created by hand or digitally on a flat surface (paper or canvas); previously published or exhibited works may be submitted
- Photographs, prints, and three-dimensional works will not be accepted
- If AI was used in creating a submitted work, this must be clearly stated
Program Benefits & Awards
- Grand Prize: JPY 300,000, production of a woodblock print in collaboration with the Adachi Institute's carvers and printers, and a copy of the completed woodblock print
- Excellence Award: JPY 150,000, production of a woodblock print in collaboration with the Adachi Institute's carvers and printers, and a copy of the completed woodblock print
- Honorable Mention: JPY 50,000
- Completed woodblock prints are scheduled to be exhibited to the public at the Adachi Foundation's permanent exhibition space and other venues
Application Fee
JPY 2,000, paid via the Square payment page after submitting the application form (or through a payment link in the confirmation email). The fee is generally non-refundable once paid. An application is considered complete only once both the form submission and fee payment are received; applications without confirmed payment by the deadline will not be considered.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 25 December 2026
- Results Announced: Late February 2027 (on the Foundation's website)
- Winner Meetings for Woodblock Print Production Begin: From April 2027
Location
Tokyo, Japan
Additional Details
- Submit 3–5 previously created works (works 1–3 required, works 4–5 optional) through the designated online application form; postal applications are not accepted
- For each work, provide the title, year of creation, medium, dimensions, and a comment on the work
- Image files must be named using the applicant's family name followed by the work number (e.g., adachi01, adachi02, adachi03)
- The submitted works themselves will not necessarily become the woodblock print; Grand Prize and Excellence Award winners will be asked to create a new work specifically for woodblock print production
- Judges for this edition include Tomio Koyama (gallerist), Seiichiro Miida (Professor, Department of Painting, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts), Yuji Yamashita (Professor, Department of Art Studies, Faculty of Letters, Meiji Gakuin University), and Koko Nakayama (Chairperson, The Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing)
- Inquiries should be sent to adachi@adachi-hanga.com with "Adachi UKIYOE Award 2026 Inquiry" in the subject line