Introducing comments from the media participating in the selection for the Creative Awards 2026 '#Essay Category'!

Japan's largest creative contest, the 'Creative Awards 2026,' has been underway since April 8th! 34 media outlets, including publishers and television stations, are participating in this year's selection.

In this article, we focus on the '#Essay Category,' introducing the unique characteristics of each participating media outlet and the key points they are looking for in submissions. (*In Japanese alphabetical order)

Please use this as a hint when thinking about your entry!

Works sought by each media outlet (List)

We have summarized the key points each media outlet is looking for in submissions. If there is a media outlet that interests you, please be sure to check their detailed comments.

Asahi Shimbun Publications

We would love for you to submit essays that cast a new gaze on 'daily life'.

[Supplementary Prize]
We aim to publish the winning work as a book.

[Comments from the Editorial Department]
The selection for the 'Essay,' 'Romance Novel,' and 'Work-Life Novel' categories will be handled mainly by the Literary Editorial Department, the 'Manga' and 'Comic Essay' categories by the Comic Editorial Department, and the 'Business' category, which is participating in the selection for the first time this year, will be handled by the Business Editorial Department.
This is our fourth year participating in the Creative Awards selection.

We have published books for previous Asahi Shimbun Publications Award winners, such as 'The House with the Cream-Yellow Sea and Spring Cabbage' by Nanten Seyama (Work-Life Novel Category), 'Because I Don't Know Your April' by Eri Aoyama (Romance Novel Category, title at time of submission 'Osaka Castle is 5cm'), and recommended entries such as 'Grandmother's Poetry Collection' by Tsuki Tsukioka (Book title 'Swimming While Hurt': 2024 Essay Category), and 'Chestnuts and Peonies' by Shibako Akita (Book title 'Chestnuts are Moon-Colored, Gold-Colored: Wagashi Shop Nagatsukido': 2025 Work-Life Novel Category). Last year's Asahi Shimbun Publications Award winner, 'The OL Who Spent 3 Million Yen to Conquer All Hoshino Resorts Through 4 Years of Super-Frugal Living' by OL Mika., is scheduled to be released as a book on June 19th.

We publish a diverse range of books, including literary books, comics, and business books. More than 10 editorial staff members with various perspectives, both male and female, will be involved in the selection process. Through the Creative Awards, we truly hope to meet people with new talents.

More detailed information on the types of works we are looking for in each category is summarized here.

Impress

We want to read stories about wonderful habits and hobbies that make every day positive, fulfilling, and make life shine.

[Supplementary Prize]
We aim to publish the winning work as a book.

[Comments from the Editorial Department]
We publish practical books in a wide range of genres, focusing on IT and computer-related topics, as well as qualification acquisition, design, illustration, and lifestyle. Recent representative works include 'Illustrated Guide to Japanese Wisdom,' 'Can Do Google NotebookLM: Infinite Possibilities! How to Use Your Own AI Notebook,' and 'Clearly Understand Java Introduction.' Our series include the 'Can Do' series of computer introductory books, the 'Easy Pass' series for IT qualification exams, the 'impress top gear' series for IT professionals, as well as New Year's card material collections, calendars, and planners.

We are looking forward to encountering wonderful works in a wide range of genres at the Creative Awards. We especially want to help share works that write about interesting ideas, unique methods, and wonderful ways of thinking that are useful to people in the world.

KADOKAWA Well-being Editorial Department

We are waiting for works where the writer's perspective and vocabulary shine, making you want to quote them on social media.

[Supplementary Prize]
Our editor will be assigned to you, and we will aim to publish the winning work as a book.

[Comments from the Editorial Department]
The KADOKAWA Well-being Editorial Department publishes a wide variety of books, focusing on business books in a broad range of genres from management books to self-help books, as well as lifestyle practical books and essays. In all genres, we strive every day to create content that provides learning and hints for living tomorrow.

The essay lineup includes:
Tasuku. 'Hello, Beautiful! May today be a wonderful day too.'
Mio Kanda 'Let's meet and say goodbye at the end'
and others.

Books authored by people active mainly on social media tend to have a higher proportion of younger readers, but books that deal with more universal themes are patronized by a wide range of people regardless of age or gender. Since the target audience changes significantly depending on the theme, we would appreciate it if you could think about it from a theme-first perspective, considering which theme will be read by which audience.

For the essay category, we look forward to works that are closely tied to daily life, shining with a unique perspective and word sense. We would love to read essays that capture the joys and sorrows of everyday life from the writer's own angle, rather than rare experiences. We would be even happier if the work has hooks for the reader, such as empathy, emotion, or humor, without becoming self-indulgent. Regarding word sense, we look forward to enjoying a relaxed choice of words that have been matured in the writer's heart, rather than difficult language!

KADOKAWA Education Editorial Department

Experiences of learning, teaching, and struggling can become someone's strength. We are waiting for life-sized episodes that will make you laugh and cry.

[Supplementary Prize]
We aim to turn the winning work into a book.

[Comments from the Editorial Department]

●Media characteristics and representative works
The 'KADOKAWA Education Editorial Department,' which is participating for the first time, is a group of specialists that delivers a wide range of 'learning' from toddlers to adults, focusing on study reference books, language books, books for working adults, certification books, and practical books. Representative series include the 'Common Test Interesting Series (commonly known as the Yellow Book)' and the 'Polaris' series for high school students, but our field is not limited to subject learning.
In recent years, works attractively packaged with the author's unique methods, such as the 'World's Most Fun Way to Read Financial Statements' series, 'Study Methods to Make Your Dreams Come True' by Hikaru Suzuki, 'True English Grammar Encyclopedia' by Masao Seki, and 'I Summarized 100 Must-Read Liberal Arts Books That World Elites Learn into One Book' by Takanao Nagai, have become major topics.
We have unwavering pride in our editorial ability to maximize the author's strengths and finish the work in a form that makes readers say, 'This is the book I was waiting for!'

●Reader demographic
They are diverse, including students aiming to pass their desired schools and their parents, teachers on the front lines of education, and business people who never stop self-improvement.

●Works we are looking forward to in this Creative Award
We are looking for 'learning stories' and 'practical wisdom' that are raw yet warm, not just pretty words.
For example, we are paying attention to 'power-filled works' based on earnest real-life experiences, such as the bond between parent and child behind junior high school entrance exams, experiences where life changed dramatically through taking on certification exams or relearning, or unique methods that greatly improved work efficiency.
Also, since we value not only the interest as a single article but also the composition and passion of 'can it be written as a single book?', we will also look at articles other than the entry work. We are waiting for a 'learning story' that only you can write.

●Specific works already in the world that are close to what we expect
'The Story of a Grade-School Gal Who Raised Her Deviation Score by 40 in One Year and Passed Keio University on Her First Try'
'Study Methods to Make Your Dreams Come True'
'Simple Study Methods I Use That Allowed Me to Pass the Bar Exam While Enrolled in the University of Tokyo Medical School'
'Junior High School Dropout Daddy Gets a 900 on the TOEIC L&R TEST.' (Scheduled for release on April 20, 2026)
'I Tried Junior High School Entrance Exams, and It Was More Intense Than I Imagined'
'Revised 2nd Edition: The First Reference Book for High School Students to Understand How to Study to Go to the University You Want'
'The English Method of the Takuto Family Who Raised a Child Who Could Be an English Guide at Age 8 Starting from Age 0'
'Art Thinking from Age 13'
(Note: Includes our own and other companies' works)

Da Vinci Web

Da Vinci Web is a media where 'people who like books/reading' gather. There are many readers who will read even long essays and manga to the end. I want to encounter works that are filled with the passion of 'I want you to read this!' while temporarily discarding the idea of 'this will be popular if I write it this way.'

[Supplementary Prize]
The winning work will be published on Da Vinci Web. Also, an editor will be assigned to aim for a new series.

[Comments from the Editorial Department]
●Media characteristics and representative works
Da Vinci Web is a web media that publishes many book reviews, interviews with authors and manga artists, essays, columns, and manga series.
Essays are currently being serialized by people from various genres, such as Ryuta Shibuya, vocalist of SUPER BEAVER, talent Sakura Inoue, voice actor Yuka Iguchi, comedy duo Tom Brown's Hiroki Fukugawa, and YouTuber Zetsubo Line-ko.

●Reader demographic
The age group is mainly in their 20s to 40s, with a wide range of readers from teens to 60s. The gender ratio is almost half and half.
Also, many users are 'reading habit' people who read two or more books a month. It is characterized by having many 'reading lovers' with a long average stay time per article.

●Image of works expected in the Creative Award
In the essay genre, 'who wrote it' is sometimes emphasized. In fact, it is true that works by celebrities tend to be read more.
However, I believe one of the roles of Da Vinci Web is to create a place where readers can encounter excellent authors/works they have not yet seen.
I do not ask for current fame, achievements, or techniques. I look forward to encountering works written straight and sincerely, utilizing your own sensibilities and perspectives without being eccentric.

●Works close to the image of expected works
None in particular. Genres and targets are also not asked.

MediaWorks Bunko

We are looking for works that capture the world from a unique perspective, as if you could re-experience someone's life.

[Supplementary Prize]
We aim to publish the winning work as a book.

[Comments from the Editorial Department]
Media Works Bunko is a character-driven literary label that has published works in a wide range of genres, including mystery, workplace, youth, love stories, and fantasy, such as 'Biblia Koshodou no Jiken Techou' (Biblia Antiquarian Bookshop Case Files) and 'Kamisama no Goyounin' (God's Errand Boy). We also focus on media mix developments such as live-action film adaptations for titles like 'Chotto Ima Kara Shigoto Yamete Kuru' (I'm Quitting Side Hustling), 'Kimi wa Tsukiyo ni Hikarikagayaku' (You Shine in the Moonlit Night), and 'Konya, Sekai kara Kono Koi ga Kiete mo' (Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight).

Furthermore, translated versions of 'Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight' and 'Nishi-Yuigahama Eki no Kamisama' (The God of Nishi-Yuigahama Station) have been hits in South Korea, and we have created stories that can be enjoyed by people all over the world.

While we have the impression that many of our readers enjoy genres like romance, mystery, and heartwarming stories, our books are loved by everyone who enjoys character-driven literature, regardless of age or gender.

We are waiting for 'heart-fluttering' works that break free from existing frameworks and showcase your unique personality!

OZmagazine / OZcomics / OZbooks

We are looking for works filled with your precious experiences, emotions, and messages that evoke 'little happiness,' 'warmth,' 'healing,' and 'hope'!

[Supplementary Prize]
We aim to serialize and publish the winning work as a book.

[Comments from the Editorial Department]
● 'OZmagazine'
A magazine launched in 1987. Currently published bimonthly. The concept is 'If you look up and walk through the town, there is little happiness everywhere.' We deliver information on 'detours' for a good day, including 'towns' and 'culture'.

● 'OZbooks/OZcomics'
A book & comic label born in 2025 from the magazine 'OZmagazine' and its sister site 'OZmall,' which has about 4.5 million members. The concept is 'Snuggling up, warming up.' The comic 'Shinya 3-ji no Kuroneko Kissa' (3 AM Black Cat Cafe) by Nekomaki (Musework) is a representative work. The comic 'Yoru ga Akeru Toki Neko ga Soba ni Ireba' (If a Cat Is by Your Side When Dawn Breaks) from note has also been published as a book.

● Ideal works
We are looking for works that evoke the media's keywords of 'little happiness' and 'warmth.' Furthermore, whether the reader can feel positive after reading, such as through 'healing' or 'hope,' is also a criterion. It is even more attractive if there are practical elements such as recipes, life hacks, or real-life spots. If possible, a volume sufficient for a single paper publication is desirable, but if the submitted work is a short story, we would appreciate it if you could envision a development that looks toward future serialization.

● Expected works
Works featuring food, cats (cat as the protagonist, life with a cat), animals (animal as the protagonist, life with an animal), or unique lifestyles that make people want to imitate or admire them.

Diamond, Inc.

Please tell us about 'how to capture daily life' that changes familiar scenery, in your own words without lies.

[Supplementary Prize]
We aim to publish the winning work as a book.

[Comments from the Editorial Department]
Diamond, Inc. is a publisher with a 113-year history, established in 1913 at the same time as the launch of the 'Economic Magazine Diamond.' The Book Editorial Bureau has four editorial departments, from the first to the fourth, and about 40 editors are enrolled.
The main genres are management, economics, and business practical books.

We value content overflowing with originality that can be written from the writer's unique perspective and experience, not just skills and know-how, and many of our readers are looking for such 'new value'.

In recent years, bestsellers have been born in a wide range of fields, such as the business book 'What Smart People Think About Before They Speak,' which has exceeded 920,000 copies, the beauty book 'Beauty Is Made Like This,' which has exceeded 600,000 copies, and the translated book 'The Cafe at the Edge of the World,' which exceeded 130,000 copies in 4 months after release.

There are also many long-sellers that continue to increase in circulation, such as 'The Courage to Be Disliked,' which has exceeded 3 million copies, and 'What If the Female Manager of a High School Baseball Team Read Drucker's Management,' which has exceeded 2.5 million copies, and we place importance on creating books that will be read for a long time.

In this Creative Award as well, we look forward to encountering new works that will be read and passed down by many readers for a long time.

Film Art Inc.

We look forward to encountering works that re-examine the world through humanistic perspectives, such as feminism, men's studies, and sociology.

[Supplementary Prize]
We aim to publish the winning work as a book.

[Comment from the Editorial Department]
Film Art Inc. was founded in 1968, following the launch of the magazine 'Quarterly Film.'
Since then, we have continued to publish books with a critical perspective on culture, focusing on film and art. In recent years, we have expanded into interdisciplinary fields, publishing titles such as 'Liminal Spaces,' 'Re-encountering "National Language",' 'An Introduction to Western Philosophy for Girls,' 'The Philosophy of Horror,' and 'The End of Manhood.'

We consider publishing not just as a framework for 'books,' but as a device that drives culture and a creative movement.
We are looking for works that re-read existing genres and values, re-examine the world from a humanistic perspective, or open up new circuits of thought and sensibility. We also welcome attempts that incorporate critical awareness and a sense of the issues.

We look forward to meeting writers who will join us in this movement.

ESSE

We are waiting for works with a unique narrative style that can improve the lives of our readers or provide them with motivation.

[Supplementary Prize]
We aim to serialize the winning work on ESSEonline and publish it as a book.

[Comment from the Editorial Department]
Since its launch in 1981 as a magazine for practical living, such as housework and cooking, the ESSE editorial department has been close to the lives of women. Currently, we continue to disseminate information as a 'media ally for women,' centered on two media: the monthly magazine 'ESSE' and the website 'ESSE online' (https://esse-online.jp/). As for books, in addition to recipe books by popular cooking experts like Masahiro Kasahara, we propose many things that give readers hints for thinking about their 'future,' such as 'How to Untangle Your Tangled Days' (Haru Oishi), an essay that faces the worries of middle-aged women, and books on the lifestyles of senior women.

We look forward to works that provide not only practical ideas useful for daily life, but also hints and learning for women who have prioritized family and work until now to live like themselves once again.

SPA!

Failures and blunders can also be weapons. We are waiting for works where hands-on experience comes to life.

[Supplementary Prize]
We aim to serialize the winning work and publish it as a book.

[Comment from the Editorial Department]
'Nikkan SPA!' is a web media that has delivered the real intentions and realities behind the superficial appearances of the world, such as work, money, human relationships, desires, and family. What we expect in the essay category is not so much good writing, but works with experience and knowledge that only that person can write. In an age where AI can write polished sentences, we believe that there is value in the body temperature, on-site feel, discoveries, and how-to information that only those who have lived through it as a party involved can possess.

For example, the highly acclaimed 'A Divorced Middle-Aged Man's Journey to Find a Bride Around the World' was a work that exposed cross-cultural experiences, views on marriage, and even the ridiculousness of himself through personal challenges. 'A Bottom-Tier Cabaret Girl Tries It Out' was a project that depicted the behind-the-scenes of society and services through a hands-on approach from the unique perspective of someone involved. 'An Appliance Store Clerk's Instruction Manual' also gathered support from many readers due to the practical knowledge and realistic perspective that only someone working on the front lines could have.

This time, too, we look forward to encountering works that write about your own reality in your own words, such as stories about special jobs, life hacks, life failures and recoveries, and earnest lessons learned at home or at work.

Futabasha Literary Publishing Department

There is meaning because you take the trouble to write it. From yesterday's events to the ends of the earth, there is value in writing from your own unique 'perspective'!

[Supplementary Prize]
We aim to publish the winning work as a book.

[Comments from the Editorial Department]
● What is the Futabasha Literary Publishing Department?
The Futabasha Literary Publishing Department is an editorial team that has been at the forefront of entertainment fiction since its founding in 1973, with its core being the "WEB Shosetsu Suiri" (Web Mystery Fiction), which has since evolved into a web magazine. We have published major bestsellers such as Kanae Minato's "Confessions" and Yoru Sumino's "I Want to Eat Your Pancreas," which became social phenomena. This year, Minato's "Gyosei" and Kotaro Isaka's "Sayonara Jabberwock" were both nominated for the Japan Booksellers' Award. As a small, elite editorial team, we use our keen eye and high level of passion to search for "one-of-a-kind stories" that provide vitality for tomorrow.

● What kind of works are you looking for in the Creative Awards?
The book "Wazawaza Kaku Hodo no Koto da" (Things Worth Writing About), a collection of essays by Honoka Nagase that won the 2024 Futabasha Literary Publishing Department Award, is currently a big hit. This work is an essay that humorously recounts daily events, centered on episodes with her unique husband, but there are no restrictions on the theme. Like Ayumi Taki, who is currently active as a fashion designer in Kenya and won the Futabasha Literary Publishing Department Award last year (her series "I want to live today so much that I wouldn't mind dying tomorrow" is currently available on the website COLORFUL), worldwide stories give us energy and courage. Whether it's worries about dinner menus or being moved by the aurora in Iceland, everything is a treasure of life. If you have something you can write, please submit it. We are waiting for stories worth writing about!

Bungeishunju

Your words will drive a wedge into someone's heart. We are waiting for writing rooted in unique experiences that makes the everyday waver and catches the reader off guard.

[Supplementary Prize]
We aim to publish the winning work as a book.

[Comments from the Editorial Department]
What we are looking for is the "heat" that appears in the writing itself. In fiction, an immersive feeling that repaints the everyday; in business, new insights that overturn existing common sense; in manga originals, the impulse that makes it impossible to stop turning the pages. Regardless of the category, we are convinced that the author's raw emotions and thoughts will strongly shake the reader's heart.

We live in an era where AI can efficiently generate text. However, that is precisely why we are looking for "stories without answers." An imperfection that contrasts with optimization spreads ripples in the reader's heart. Please carve out the trajectory of your challenge to questions that have no correct answer!

Poplar Publishing General Books Editorial Department

We are looking for works that convert your own story (personal experience) into "reader realization," allowing readers to internalize it as their own.

[Supplementary Prize]
Winning works will be considered for publication on "WEB asta" or as a book.

[Comments from the Editorial Department]
Since our founding, we have mainly published children's books, but we entered the general book genre in 2000. Currently, we operate with two main pillars: the Literary Editorial Department (fiction) and the Planning Editorial Department (non-fiction).

In recent years, the Planning Editorial Department has published essays, business books, and recipe books that combine narrative and practicality, serving as triggers for new reader actions, such as "Please Add Value to This Omelet Rice" (by Naofumi Kakiuchi), "Hold a Pen on Lonely Nights" and "Turn the Pages on Lonely Nights" (by Fumiaki Koga / illustrated by Narano), "Delicious but Bad Photos and Clumsy but Good Photos" (by Hiroshi Hatano), and "23:00 Snack Laboratory" and "7:00 AM Breakfast Laboratory" (by Makiko Oda / illustrated by Sukerakko, manga).

This time, the Planning Editorial Department would like to approach submissions with a focus on the following four points.

① The author has a theme they "absolutely" want to convey to the world
We value works where a strong will, urgency, or awareness of an issue—not just simple personal experiences or summaries of information—runs through the entire work, saying "this is what I want to convey to the reader."

② There is a narrative quality
Even if it is non-fiction, we are looking for works with "readability" that have a beginning, middle, and end, as well as climaxes, growth, setbacks, joy, and resentment as the author's story.

③ There is practicality
We value elements that bring about "concrete changes" in the reader's actions or way of thinking after reading. We welcome perspectives that positively change the reader's daily life, rather than ending with just information.

④ Aiming to be number one in that genre
We are looking for uniqueness, depth, and novelty that makes one feel "this person could be the leading expert on that theme." In other words, a work where one can say, "Only this author could tell this theme." We hope to encounter works with enough heat to make us lose ourselves in reading them.
We hope to encounter works with enough heat to make us lose ourselves in reading them.

Rights Co., Ltd.

We look forward to works with new ways of writing or presenting that make the essay genre itself feel new.

[Supplementary Prize]
We aim to publish the winning work as a book.

[Comments from the Editorial Department]
● Media characteristics and representative works
Rights Sha is a publisher in its 10th year, located in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture. Although we are a small organization with only 7 employees, we publish 5-6 books a year, focusing only on books we truly find interesting.
Our representative works include "After-School Mystery Club" by Mikito Chinen, which became the first children's book to be nominated for the Japan Booksellers' Award in 2024; "Ryuji's Supreme Recipes" by Ryuji, which won the 2022 Japan Cooking Recipe Book Award; "How to Walk Through the World of Dementia" by Yusuke Kakei, which was adapted into an NHK E-Tele program; "50 Masterpieces That Will Ruin Your Life," the debut work of literary critic Kaho Miyake; "365 Days of Advertising Copy to Read Every Day," the best-selling advertising copy book of the Reiwa era; and "Mou Akanwa Nikki" by Nami Kishida, a representative author on note. We value putting our full effort into editing, public relations, and sales regardless of the genre, with the desire to make every book we release a bestseller, and our reprint rate has reached 70%.

● What kind of readership do you have?
Regardless of the genre, we specialize in books that serve as an 'entrance' or 'doorway' to each field, rather than specialized academic texts.

● What kind of works are you looking for in the Creative Awards?
For 'novels,' we would like to read works for adults, but we are also interested in reading works for children. Children's literature is a very rewarding field because it 'increases the number of new book lovers,' which in turn invigorates the industry itself. For other categories, we would like to see works, perspectives, or ideas that could be called 'Japan's first'—things we have never seen before.

● Works that are close to the image of the works you are looking for
None. We like original works, perspectives, and ideas that have no similar books.

To those considering applying to the Essay Category

Submission formats and application requirements differ for each category. Before you start creating, be sure to check the application guidelines on the category page of the special website.

Together with all the participating media, we look forward to your submissions!