Space Cup Jury Prize [Otoya Prize]

Thank you for coming, whether this is our first time meeting or you already know me. My name is Otoya.

I have the honor of presenting a prize as a judge! I look forward to this (I'm a bit nervous).
First, a brief self-introduction.
If you're not interested, please skip ahead to the announcement Go🍀✨↓

I usually create and write articles about what I've dubbed "ink paintings." These are works where I photograph the reaction between ink and water. Since they are abstract expressions, I imagine opinions on whether people like them or have no interest will be quite divided, but I would be happy if you would bear with me.

I have participated in the Minna no Haiku Taikai since the White Cup.
I took the liberty of establishing a private prize, the "Otoya Prize," and created and sent ink paintings as awards.
For the next Sasa Cup, I was surprisingly appointed to be in charge of the key visual. I established the "Otoya Prize" again on my own initiative.

And now, I have presumptuously been asked to serve as a judge for everyone's haiku at the Minna no Haiku Taikai Space Cup. I am a complete amateur when it comes to haiku. While I wondered, "Is it really okay for someone like me to do this???", the Minna no Haiku Taikai is a place for everyone to enjoy. I decided to take on the role, thinking that because an amateur is choosing, even beginners might be able to enjoy it.
This time as well, as the least I can do, I will provide my thoughts on each selected haiku and include an ink painting as a supplementary prize.
...This time it's official!

Otoya Prize Announcement & Award Presentation

Now, without further ado, here is the announcement!
I will present 6 haiku in order from 1st place.
Here you go!!!

[Otoya Prize 1st Place]
Pandagorogoro-sama

I have chosen this as the 1st place winner of the Otoya Prize.
There is a sense of security in the feeling that even as various things happen every day, Amaterasu Omikami is simply watching over us without doing anything. The fact that we can notice this "when we look up," whether consciously or suddenly. Even if you don't feel as clear-headed as a sunny day, there is something watching over you "amidst the clouds" in any situation. I was drawn to that state of mind. I believe this perspective comes from being conscious of it every day.
When expressing this in an ink painting, I didn't expect Amaterasu Omikami to appear so prominently. Where did the "amidst" go...💦 However, I chose this image because I felt there was nothing that looked more like Amaterasu Omikami. I believe she is surely shining down on us at all times with an overwhelming presence.

[Otoya Prize 2nd Place]
Apricot-sama

Spring is a time when the harsh, cold period ends and things begin to sprout. Yet, for some reason, I think it is a season where a certain instability and eeriness become visible. Perhaps it is because our hearts and bodies are not prepared for the sudden changes from a state of rigidity. I was drawn to the heart that seeks to be filled by the "spring rain," seeking the warmth that spring holds while carrying loneliness, lack of confidence, and a sense of emptiness.
For the ink painting, I wanted the feeling of emptiness and the spring-like pink to be filled like rain. And, because I felt that if the filling rain were too warm, it wouldn't suit the state of mind of the self receiving it, I included a coldness that nestles close to the heart. After the water fills you, may the warmth of spring slowly warm you up so that everyone can have confidence.

[Otoya Prize 3rd Place]
Temari-sama

I felt an atmosphere and sense of the seasons that only comes from living in Japan.
Spring water that passes through winter and moistens the dry field all at once. Spring water will eventually nurture much greenery. I imagine that as this is repeated year after year, the earth and the people involved rejoice each time.
At the same time, by expressing it as "the throat," I felt that it applied not only to nature but also to people.
I chose this haiku because I felt that momentum and emotion.
For the ink painting, I wondered if I could bring out the dry feeling of the earth and the moistening water, but before I knew it, I was expressing the water in green rather than blue, and I convinced myself that there is lush greenery beyond the water.

[Otoya Prize 4th Place]
Hitowake Ibuki-sama

I believe that the thoughts of the person who offered the incense are contained within the drifting smoke. The incense smoke always rises upward. It looks like a dragon, and through this haiku, I felt a happy sense of conviction that "this is how things are," which is why I chose it.
It was also lovely how the phrase "before one knows it" felt like it was realized without my awareness. I think "before one knows it" is just right. That is precisely why it is a wish.
Hitowake Ibuki-san, who I am sending this to, is an artist herself, so I am nervous, but I selfishly feel that the strength and brightness I sense from her have manifested in the color orange.

[Otoya Award 5th Place]
Chiyo Ohashi-sama

In the quiet space, the nothingness of being alone and zoning out, with the hazy moon shining faintly through. That scene came to mind instantly.
As I wrote for Apricot-sama, spring is a season where one feels a certain restlessness. I was drawn to this haiku because I felt both that sadness and, at the same time, the peace of mind that comes with being alone.
For the ink painting, it was a challenge to see how that space would emerge and whether the hazy moon could be expressed, but I created it while seeking to encounter the hazy moon, and I think it came out well. I hope it conveys an image of an otherworldly space, yet one where, in the darkness, you can see a shadow with sharp focus right in front of you.

[Otoya Award 6th Place]
Shichi-sama

Up until now, I have been calling spring mysterious, but spring is, after all, bright, lively, and soft! Seeing your haiku, things suddenly felt light, so I chose it.
I hope I was able to express a sense of dynamism from the phrase "jumping over a carpet of dandelions." You must be skipping along, looking forward as you go. The excitement was pleasant.
The bright yellow of the dandelions and the deep green. The way home in the evening when the spring days have grown longer. Jumping lightly as the scenery flows by. It makes me smile.
Shichi-san is also someone who draws illustrations. Please forgive me for having already expressed it myself 💦

That concludes the Otoya Award (Official) 🏆✨✨✨

.........Actually, the official Otoya Awards end here, but there are 6 more haiku that I chose.
So, I will selfishly present 6 more haiku.

Selfishly, [Otoya Award Unranked (in order of submission)]

Marutakegun-sama

There was something pressing and poignant about this.
Expecting things from others, and the joy and pain received from having those expectations. All of that is as vague as a dream. By including "this heart," it feels as if I am seeing myself through others.
I created this to express that instability and love.
The "heart" is like a vessel, and I intentionally trimmed it with an outline. It has a boundary between the outside and the inside, and everything is within myself. That was the image.
Everything is just my own selfish imagination. I hope I haven't been rude... 💦

Tamagomaru-sama

Soap bubbles are supposed to be light and fun. However, by confronting something that you know will definitely pop with a "pop!" with the contradictory words "place to die" and "is that really the place for you?", I felt a sense of resolve and was drawn to it.
Don't just live aimlessly. It seems to be challenging the subject, saying: even if your fate is to be born by chance, be swept away by the environment, and have "death" visit you easily depending on durability, impact, or circumstances, you are definitely existing there, aren't you?
I also selected Tamagomaru-san's work in the previous Sasa Cup. I was surprised to find out it was Tamagomaru-san again after choosing the haiku this time, but I am presenting this to you once more 🤭

KOMA-sama

Asking an ant if the universe exists at the ends of the earth

I was impressed by the fusion of the micro and macro perspectives. Even though I am larger and have the potential to look out over everything, I ask a magnificent existence of an ant at my feet with whom I cannot communicate thoughts. It actually makes me seriously think that it understands more than I do.
I would be happy if the ink painting could express that sense of micro and macro simultaneously, but what do you think? It is an image of the universe and the feeling of stones and asphalt as seen from an ant's perspective.
I truly feel that the micro is the greatest macro.

Akira Wakabayashi-sama

There were various haiku about space in the Space Cup, but I was intrigued by this way of viewing the seasonal word Saho-hime. In a place unknown to us who live on Earth without knowing anything, Saho-hime, who watches over us, might be protecting us from a crisis. In a world with so much anxiety, it might be difficult to realize that we are being protected, but I believe that everyone is definitely being protected.
I hope the ink painting expresses that feeling of the unseen and unknown, the sense of space, the feeling of blocking, and the impact... What do you think?

Uminochie-sama

Lighthearted! As a spring haiku, I was happy to select it. "Converse" sneakers racing upward toward the spring sky with an energetic "skip a step." From both the "skip a step" and the "Converse," I infer that it must be a young person, and that strength also makes me feel spring. Youth.
I realized after creating the ink painting and looking at the image that it would surely shake off anxiety and dark things with that momentum, reflecting such youth and strength.
Just looking ahead and pushing forward. It was a haiku that gave me courage.

Neguse-sama

I found it very interesting that the phrase from hide-and-seek, "I'm done," is layered with the words that come out when someone is sulking during a fight.
Hide-and-seek doesn't end unless you find the person. The one hiding ultimately wants to be found. The seeker must find them.
It was wonderfully expressive how permission and the rejection of "leave me alone" coexist within "I'm done."
Feelings usually only see one reason, but I think they actually hold both polar opposite feelings. I wanted to express that imbalance, and I entrusted the feeling of sulking and hiding to the air bubbles.

That concludes my presentation, accompanied by my own thoughts and expressions based on my own judgment and prejudice 🕊✨
Thank you very much!

Summary

I believe that what one sees in a single haiku depends on both the person who wrote it and the person who received it. As an amateur, I truly enjoyed the fascination of being able to draw infinite meaning from just a few words. Thank you for this valuable experience.
I am sure there were interpretations and expressions completely different from mine, but I have shared how I perceived them from my perspective. I hope you will accept this with a warm heart.

Regarding image downloads

To all the winners, if you would like, please feel free to download your image directly and use it as you wish. (Please refrain from downloading if you are not a winner.) You are welcome to use the downloaded image freely as long as it does not involve money.
I hope the winners like them, even just a little...
(If there is anything rude or inappropriate, please do not hesitate to let me know!)

Everyone's articles

Here are the articles of the winners who received the Otoya Award this time.
Please, do visit them again! Thank you for the wonderful haiku!

There were so many other haiku that I was drawn to even if they didn't make it here. I feel like I couldn't convey it all...
I am sure that each of you has haiku that resonated with you as well. This tournament highly encourages private awards, so I hope in a small corner of my heart that this becomes a place where everyone can share their feelings with each other. ☺️✨

My gratitude to everyone involved in the Space Cup!!!!!!
Thank you!!!!!!!
Sorry for the long post!!

Selection articles by other judges

Information

Thank you for reading this far! Great work everyone!
If you are curious about the previous Otoya Award, it is here.
Please feel free to take a look if you'd like. 🤭