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Event History
The Adachi UKIYOE Award was established by the Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing to discover talented artists and create new ukiyo-e for the present day. Ukiyo-e was traditionally created through a collaborative process involving an eshi (artist), horishi (carver), and surishi (printer). The Award carries this tradition into the present by inviting contemporary artists to take on the role of the eshi and develop new designs in collaboration with highly skilled woodblock artisans. Now in its 18th edition, the Award has welcomed submissions from artists in Japan and around the world. Selected artists have gone on to create original works that are carved and printed by professional artisans using traditional Japanese woodcut printing techniques. Through the Award, the Foundation aims both to support emerging artistic talent and to pass traditional woodblock printing techniques on to future generations while exploring new possibilities for contemporary ukiyo-e.
What Makes this event different?
Unlike a conventional art competition, the Adachi UKIYOE Award does not simply select an existing work for display or publication. It invites artists to take on the role of the eshi—the artist who creates the original design in the traditional ukiyo-e production process. Applicants do not need any previous experience in woodcut printing. Their submitted works are reviewed to understand their artistic style, individuality, and potential for ukiyo-e. After the selection, the winner creates a new design specifically for the project and works closely with professional carvers and printers to transform it into a traditional Japanese woodcut print. This unique collaborative process brings together contemporary artistic expression and highly skilled craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations. The Award gives artists the rare opportunity to see their own imagery reinterpreted through the techniques and collaborative spirit of traditional ukiyo-e production.
Copyright Policy
Copyright in all submitted works remains with the applicant. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their submissions do not infringe any third-party copyrights or other rights. For judging and publicity related to the Award, the Foundation may use and publish images and information about winning works, together with the winners’ names or artist names, nationalities, countries of residence, and biographical information, on its website, in printed materials, and in other media. The Grand Prize and Excellence Award winners will create new designs for woodcut production after the selection; the works submitted for judging will not themselves be reproduced as woodcuts. Copyright, use of the newly created work, ownership of the woodblocks and completed prints, sales, and other related matters will be discussed and agreed upon separately with the winning artists before production begins.
Image Usage Rights
By submitting an application, applicants grant the Foundation permission to use images of their submitted works for the administration and judging of the Award. Images of winning works may also be used for the announcement, promotion, documentation, and archival purposes of the Adachi UKIYOE Award, including on the Foundation’s website, social media, printed materials, press materials, and other related media. Copyright in the submitted works remains with the applicants. Use of the images for purposes unrelated to the Award will not be made without the artist’s permission.
About the Award
The Adachi UKIYOE Award is an international art competition organized by the Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing. It seeks artists who can bring fresh ideas and contemporary expression to the tradition of ukiyo-e.
In traditional ukiyo-e production, the eshi (artist) creates the original design, which is then interpreted by professional horishi (carvers) and surishi (printers). The Award invites contemporary artists to take on the role of the eshi and explore new possibilities for ukiyo-e through collaboration with highly skilled artisans.
Applicants do not need any previous experience in woodcut printing.
What We Are Looking For
We are looking for artists with a distinctive visual language, originality, and the potential to create compelling imagery for contemporary ukiyo-e.
Applicants submit images of 3–5 works they have created previously. These works are reviewed to understand each applicant’s artistic style and individuality. The submitted works themselves will not be reproduced as woodcuts.
After the selection, the first- and second-prize winners will each create a new original design specifically for woodcut production and collaborate with professional carvers and printers at the Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints.
Who Can Apply
Artists from Japan and overseas are welcome to apply. Applicants must be 15 years of age or older. Applicants under the age of 18 must have the consent of a parent or legal guardian.
Submitted works must be two-dimensional works created by hand or digitally. Applicants are not required to have specialist knowledge of traditional Japanese woodcut printing. Any use of AI in the creation of submitted works must be disclosed.
Why Apply?
This Award offers artists a rare opportunity to experience the collaborative process that has defined ukiyo-e for centuries.
The selected artists will see their original designs transformed into woodcut prints through the skills of professional carvers and printers using traditional Japanese woodcut printing techniques. Through this process, contemporary artistic expression becomes part of a living tradition.
Application
Application deadline: December 25, 2026 (JST)
Application fee: JPY 2,000
An application is considered complete only after both the application form and application fee have been received.
