Kadokawa Corporation has announced that it will launch a new global manga competition, the Kadokawa World Manga Contest, open to anyone, anywhere in the world. Entries will be accepted from Friday, November 28, 2025 to Tuesday, March 31, 2026, with award winners scheduled to be announced around May 2026.
Kadokawa embraces the guiding principle of “Global Media Mix with Technology,” focusing on discovering talent worldwide and delivering the intellectual properties it creates to a global audience through various technological means, such as digital platforms and online content distribution. As part of this approach, in 2024 the company held its first-ever “Wordless World Manga Contest,” where creators were challenged to convey stories purely through visuals, enabling their works to communicate across languages. The contest drew 1,126 submissions from 104 countries and regions, far exceeding expectations.
Based on this response, Kadokawa is scaling up the contest as the Kadokawa World Manga Contest, now open to works that include dialogue. The contest website will be available in five languages – Japanese, English, Spanish, French, and Traditional Chinese – enabling even broader participation from creators around the world.
Through this contest, Kadokawa aims to serve as a bridge between global talent and the Japanese manga industry, providing a new starting point for international creative collaboration.
Two Submission Categories with Prizes and Publication Support
The Kadokawa World Manga Contest is accepting submissions in two categories: the “Manga With Dialogue” Category, which allows dialogue, and the “Wordless Manga” Category, in which stories are told without dialogue. The newly established “Manga With Dialogue” Category accepts works in five languages – Japanese, English, Spanish, French, and Traditional Chinese. In the “Wordless Manga” Category, creators can submit works without dialogue so that anyone can participate regardless of language. The contest is open to individuals, teams, or organizations worldwide and welcomes submissions from creators of any age or experience level.
Submissions will be evaluated by editors selected from Kadokawa’s editorial departments and the Kadokawa World Manga Contest secretariat, ensuring a comprehensive “all-KADOKAWA” judging process.
Prizes for winners include:
- Gold Prize: 10,000 USD
- Silver Prize: 5,000 USD
- Bronze Prize: 3,000 USD
In addition to cash awards, Kadokawa’s comic editorial team will provide hands-on support to help winners prepare their works for commercial publication in Japanese magazines and online platforms. Support includes remote meetings and email consultations with editors to help creators develop their works toward potential serialization. Other benefits for winners include invitations to the contest awards ceremony, editorial department tours, and publication on Kadokawa’s manga portal site Kadocomi. This contest aims to provide aspiring manga creators worldwide with guidance and support toward developing their works for potential publication with a Japanese publisher.
This year, the contest also introduces Honorable Mentions (300 USD), recognizing outstanding entries that did not receive a main prize. Honorable Mentions winners will receive cash only.
New World Manga Editorial Section Established to Enhance Support for Winners
In the previous Wordless World Manga Contest, a total of eight works were selected as winners: one Gold Prize, two Silver Prizes, and four Bronze Prizes in the Original Manga Award, and one Bronze Prize in the Themed Manga Award. All winners are continuing to develop their works with Kadokawa’s editorial team, aiming for one-shots, serialization in Japan, and international publication.
To further support overseas creators, Kadokawa has established a new Overseas Manga Editorial Section this year. This department is dedicated to nurturing contest winners and providing specialized assistance for global development and distribution of their works, ensuring ongoing support for their creative activities.
Noboru Segawa : Head of the World Manga Editorial Section
In the previous Wordless World Manga Contest, they received more than three times the number of submissions they had anticipated. Kadokawa was amazed by the sheer number of talented manga creators from around the world.
With the new Kadokawa World Manga Contest we aim to meet even more unique creators and discover outstanding works, hosting the contest on a larger scale. At the same time, we have strengthened our operational structure by establishing the World Manga Editorial Section to provide ongoing editorial support to winners through their potential debut in Japan.
Looking ahead, we hope not only to help creators debut in Japan but also to expand opportunities for their works to be read around the world, by strengthening collaboration with our overseas group offices.
We truly look forward to meeting manga lovers and creators from across the globe and sharing in the joy of creative storytelling.
KADOKAWA WORLD MANGA CONTEST – Submission Overview
Submission Period: November 28, 2025 (Friday) – March 31, 2026 (Tuesday)
Categories: “Manga With Dialogue” Category: Works using dialogue and speech bubbles. Submissions may be in Japanese, English, Spanish, French, or Traditional Chinese.
“Wordless Manga” Category: Works that tell a story without dialogue or text. Submissions are accepted regardless of language.
Eligibility: Open to professional and amateur creators of any nationality or age, including individuals, teams, and organizations (some conditions may apply).
⁎Note: Minors must obtain consent from a parent or guardian.
– Prizes:
- Gold Prize: 10,000 USD
- Silver Prize: 5,000 USD
- Bronze Prize: 3,000 USD
*Honorable Mentions: 300 USD (for submissions not selected for a main prize but deemed noteworthy)
How to Apply: Submit via the contest’s official website submission form.
Results Announcement: Scheduled for May 2026
