Announcing the results of the "#MyCleanRules" submission contest held by Panasonic nanoe X and note!
Held for about a month starting January 10, 2023, the #MyCleanRules submission contest explored changes in values regarding "cleanliness." During the period (1/10-2/9), we received 1,237 entries! Thank you for submitting such wonderful works that allow us to think about new ways of approaching "cleanliness."
Please see here for the list of entries on note.
The winners were decided as follows after a selection process by the five judges: Naoko Tanijiri, Yuka Atsuta, Tomomi Isa, Mikito Tanaka, and Da Vinci Editor-in-Chief Takahiro Kawato, along with the Panasonic "#MyCleanRules" contest team.
Grand Prix
52 Bottles of Water That Save Lives
Haine, whose second daughter has an intractable disease, found it difficult to obtain the "purified water" essential for her daughter's survival during the spread of COVID-19. This work, which details her experiences with "purified water" and the kind actions of those around her, was chosen as the Grand Prix winner. The judges commented: "Rather than just empathy, this work moved my heart and brought me to tears. I cannot learn about other people's lives unless they are written or filmed. I hope you continue to share your story (Naoko Tanijiri)," "I realized that buying purified water can make life difficult for people like them. While this is not a common experience for everyone, I learned about opinions from diverse perspectives (Yuka Atsuta)," "It provides insights from an overwhelming personal experience. It helps update the world's perspective by realizing that such people exist. It was truly a work that allowed us to learn (Tomomi Isa)," "My understanding of purified water has deepened. I think I will be able to look at things from a different perspective when I go to the drugstore from now on. The entire article clearly showed the relationships between people (Mikito Tanaka)," "It includes the number '52' and is written in an easy-to-understand way overall. Because of the strength of the personal experience and the high quality of the writing, I thought this person has a talent for authorship (Takahiro Kawato)," and "I was able to read it with suspense until the end. The dialogue between the characters made it easy to imagine the situation at the time (Panasonic '#MyCleanRules' contest team)." The key points were the realistic content based on personal experience, excellent writing style, and the fact that it brings new values to the world.
Thank you very much for this honorable award. I am surprised and very happy. About three years ago, during the pandemic, I deeply felt that daily safety and security are not guaranteed, the importance of preparation, and the warmth of people. I will try to prepare for 'cleanliness' so that I can protect my daughter's life no matter what happens in the future. Above all, I want to live without forgetting to be grateful to the people around me and to be able to help someone else.
Judge's Special Award (Naoko Tanijiri Award)
At the Dawn of 2023
Tako-san, who works at a nursing home, decides to wear slightly brighter clothes than usual when working from New Year's Eve to New Year's Day. Most of the residents don't notice Tako-san's clothes, but only Yoshiko-san notices... This is a moving work about Tako-san, who interprets cleanliness as being 'pure' and works hard with such a pure heart.
While many articles write about the two aspects of cleanliness: 'organizing' and 'maintaining a hygienic state,' I felt respect for the fact that you wrote about a third truth: that there is also 'cleanliness of the heart.' I felt that there is a lot of love in Tako-san's perspective on daily life, that is, in her worldview itself, and that it is projected as text. It felt like my heart was being cleaned through the words. If everyone lived while looking at the world like Tako-san, wouldn't everyone be able to be kinder to people, things, and animals? I felt that that might be what a clean life, both physically and mentally, is all about.
Judge's Special Award (Yuka Atsuta Award)
My Rules for Cleanliness When I Was a Germaphobe
Seyama Nanten, who took every measure such as vaccinations and sterilization every year out of a desire not to catch the flu, was shocked when people around her called her a 'germaphobe.' Years later, after starting to raise children, Seyama Nanten's way of thinking about cleanliness and her personal rules changed. It is a thought-provoking work depicted from the unique perspective of someone called a germaphobe.
It was a wonderful work that made me realize things like the fear of being a target of ridicule and the fear of making others uncomfortable, from the perspective of someone who had no choice but to become a germaphobe. The way her personal rules for cleanliness change while struggling with child-rearing is also carefully depicted, and I was drawn in. I think many people will be saved by the words 'there is no right or wrong,' which are spun precisely because she has faced 'cleanliness' head-on.
Judge's Special Award (Tomomi Isa Award)
I Cleaned Because I Wanted to Love My Kitchen
As COVID-19 spread in society, Sayaka Kanzaki felt anxious, wondering, 'What if my family gets infected?' Thinking about how to eliminate that anxiety, Kanzaki began to tidy up the 'kitchen,' the place that supports her family's health. Kanzaki focuses on what she can do at home and devises ways to lift her spirits. It is a work that many people can empathize with.
A high-quality piece on an easy-to-understand and relatable theme: how awareness and actions regarding the kitchen and cleanliness have changed following the COVID-19 pandemic. The author's brightness—thinking, "First, let's make the kitchen a place I can love," and "Enjoying what I can do to keep my family healthy"—has the merit of transforming the worries surrounding cleanliness, which can easily be perceived negatively, into a "daily pleasure." I believe it will serve as a reference for many people's lifestyles.
Jury Special Award (Mikito Tanaka Award)
"Don't force your version of 'clean' onto me"
Choko, a representative of a housekeeping NPO, says there is something she finds difficult on a daily basis. It is when individual differences in what is considered "clean" clash within a household. Choko states that it is precisely at such times that the presence of a third party, like a housekeeping service, is useful. It is a piece that touches the heart, as she talks about wanting to not only perform housekeeping tasks but also to work while staying close to the families she meets.
The sentence, "Sometimes things are communicated more smoothly when conveyed through a third party," resonated deeply with me, as I work at a ryokan and also act as a third party to guests, creating their stay experience within that role. The value of "cleanliness" differs from person to person, even within a family. The perspective of not letting those values conflict, but rather "becoming a partner to explore the shape of the family together" through the work of housekeeping, was wonderful.
Jury Special Award (Da Vinci Award)
Creating from work
HOKUTO 9x9 is a civil engineer by profession. Because the job involves constant exposure to dust, water, mud, and mold, they say they have often thought about "cleanliness." After the COVID-19 pandemic, the piece is impressive for its content, which reflects on providing "cleanliness" quietly to many people through the infrastructure, such as irrigation channels, that they work on due to their profession.
I feel a conviction toward "thinking for oneself." The high level of referentiality, with arguments developed after citing sources, supports this. The piece reveals a leap in breadth of perspective throughout, such as viewing the essential work of a civil engineer as something that "will eventually lead to peace." A creator I hope will continue to think and bring innovation to society.
Corporate Award
Whispering my cleanliness rule in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic
Maisana says that since childhood, they have always kept their room tidy and were "neat freaks." After the COVID-19 pandemic, they realized that tidiness—being "neat"—and "cleanliness" are different things. Keeping things "clean" to protect the health of their family and themselves. In that quiet but strong determination, one can feel the love for their family.
Based on a small episode from daily life, the author defines what "cleanliness" is, and the contrast between the Before/After of their values—that their previous interest was in "visible neatness," while after the COVID-19 pandemic, it is "invisible cleanliness"—is easy to understand. Above all, the writing was very skillful and easy to read. I think it is a piece that many people can empathize with and that makes one think about "what cleanliness means to me."
The times in my life when my standards for "cleanliness" were most destroyed were during my newborn era and the COVID-19 pandemic
What Hanataro remembered during the COVID-19 pandemic was themselves when they were raising a newborn. To protect the child's life, they were always on edge, thinking they had to maintain cleanliness. They were saved by the words of a midwife at that time: "Relax your shoulders." If you pursue "cleanliness," there is no end to it. So, perhaps it is necessary to forgive yourself sometimes. It is a story that will be a reference for many people living through the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Raising a newborn" was cited as an "event where standards of cleanliness were destroyed," and the realizations gained during those days of struggling to protect that life were persuasive. The sentence in the final paragraph, "Cleanliness during the COVID-19 pandemic and child-rearing was about continuing to ask myself how much I can forgive myself, and then 'deciding' for myself," was highly relatable and felt like it offered a suggestion for "cleanliness in the future."
Winners
General comments from each judge
There are two ways to read a text: speed-reading and savoring. Is it providing information, or is it providing inspiration? In any case, the act of creating text is already a cultural act, so I was impressed by note and Panasonic, who produced this contest, for valuing this project itself as a proactive PR effort. Also, listening to the judges' evaluations and criteria for the works, I realized that people are divided into those who judge based on "emotion" and those who judge based on "function." It was interesting to imagine their daily lives, thinking, "Oh, this person is function-oriented."
All the works were wonderful, and I truly enjoyed reading them. I never imagined that the theme of "cleanliness" could generate such a diverse range of perspectives! Every piece had its own unique sensibility and new insights, and as I read through them, I realized once again that there is no single right answer to "cleanliness," and it is a theme we must continue to think about. I felt it was very difficult to choose as a judge, but as a reader, every piece was captivating. I am grateful to everyone who submitted their work.
This contest focused on the theme of "cleanliness," a value common to everyone yet different for each person. Even within a family, values regarding cleanliness vary. It is a meaningful theme for a contest, as it allows us to start by realizing and reflecting on the fact that we may have neglected to be aware of, verbalize, and share with others matters that are important and closely related to our daily lives. It was a valuable opportunity for me to learn as well. The entries include works that will likely be loved for a long time, serving as a catalyst for many people to think about cleanliness in their lives (which is why judging was difficult...! Thank you).
I was impressed by the heated discussion among the judges about which work should win the Grand Prix. All the final candidates were excellent, and we even discussed what kind of impression and impact choosing a particular one would have on society. The result was "52 Bottles of Water That Connect Lives." I was able to reaffirm that the value of "cleanliness" is rooted in consideration not only for oneself but also for the people involved. I am honored to have been involved in such a wonderful contest!
■ "Da Vinci" Editor-in-Chief, Takahiro Kawato
Many submissions were received under the highly public theme of "cleanliness." In addition, this time there was a narrowing down to "my rules," which brings others to mind. Submissions that clearly kept the reader in mind stood out, and I felt encouraged by the characteristics of the note platform and how its communication functions. It is the creators who enliven the media, and the same is true for contests. In the selection process, much time was spent on how to evaluate "outstanding content experiences."
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Although the submission period has ended, I hope this will be an opportunity for you to rethink your own "rules of cleanliness."
Please take a look at other submitted works via the URL below.
Looking back on the contest
The following is a comment from the Panasonic "#MyCleanRules" contest team.
Thank you very much for your many submissions. We set the theme "#MyCleanRules" because we wanted to create an opportunity to talk about "cleanliness," which is familiar but difficult to discuss. We know it was a difficult theme, but you submitted many works full of personality. What we felt again through this contest is that values are individual and diverse. We would be happy if this contest served as a trigger for those who came into contact with it in any way to think about "what comes next." We will also continue to strive to ensure that our nanoe X technology contributes to your cleanliness as much as possible.