Thank You for the Polar Bear Cup: Towards an Even Greater Everyone's Haiku Tournament
A message from Nise-Minmin-chan after a long time.
The one-month submission period for the Polar Bear Cup ended yesterday.
The final tally (number of participants and submissions) is as follows:
Haiku: 148 people, 388 poems (continued growth for two tournaments) Tanka: 149 people, 382 poems (all-time high) Senryu: 86 people, 237 poems (all-time high)
All three categories were incredibly lively⛄. We received many wonderful and varied works from new participants.
This tournament saw new developments, such as the launch of the Children's Division, the official Twitter account, and a feature on Koubo Guide Online. Additionally, all spin-off projects—such as 'Haiku from a Song,' 'Oops! Senryu,' 'Animal Senryu,' and 'Secret Reply Poems'—were huge successes.
I have nothing but gratitude for all the participants and crew members.
For this seventh tournament, it was a difficult time for me personally, Nise-Minmin-chan, as it coincided with sorting through personal belongings and preparing for a job transfer. If I had been planning this alone, I think I would have found it difficult to continue and would have given up. I was helped by the crew more than ever, and I also received support in various forms from those outside the crew, including participation, promotion, and the facilitation of interaction.
As a result, I truly felt that it had become, in the truest sense, everyone's Haiku Tournament (though it no longer fits within the framework of just a Haiku tournament).
I believe that 'continuing' is more valuable than anything else. And it is not easy to continue anything alone. You need companions. In a long-term battle, a solid team that supports each other wins more often than a team led by a single superstar.
It may be bold of me to ask, but I would like to continue to receive your support and cooperation to keep 'Everyone's Haiku Tournament' going. Please help it grow with your own hands into an 'Even Greater Everyone's Haiku Tournament,' a place for creation and interaction that continues to develop sustainably. I believe that everyone involved in 'Everyone's Haiku Tournament' (participants and crew) is a member of Team 'Everyone's Haiku Tournament'.
This was a message of heartfelt gratitude and a request.
With love⛄️