Kadokawa World Manga Contest Announces Its Second Edition to Discover Emerging Manga Talent from Around the World Submissions Open September 7

~ One of Japan's Largest International Manga Competitions with
Nearly 2,000 Entries from 118 Countries and Regions in First Edition~

Tokyo, Japan - KADOKAWA CORPORATION will hold the second KADOKAWA WORLD MANGA CONTEST, one of Japan's largest international manga competitions dedicated to discovering and supporting creators from around the world who aspire to become professional manga artists. Submissions will be accepted from September 7 (Mon.), 2026, through February 28 (Sun.), 2027, and winners will be announced around May 2027.

Following the first contest, the second KADOKAWA WORLD MANGA CONTEST will accept entries in two categories: the Manga With Dialogue Category and the Wordless Manga Category. Entries will be judged by KADOKAWA editors and members of the contest's organizing team. In addition to prize money, winners will receive a range of benefits, including invitations to an awards ceremony in Japan and support from KADOKAWA editors in developing their work toward a potential serialized manga debut.

Background of the KADOKAWA WORLD MANGA CONTEST
KADOKAWA's guiding principle is “Global Media Mix with Technology,” with a focus on discovering talent from around the world and bringing the IP it creates to global audiences through technology.

In line with this vision, KADOKAWA launched the Wordless World Manga Contest in 2024, the predecessor to the KADOKAWA WORLD MANGA CONTEST, inviting creators to submit manga that tell stories without the use of dialogue or text. In 2025, the contest was expanded and renamed the KADOKAWA WORLD MANGA CONTEST to discover a broader range of works and talent. In addition to the Wordless Manga Category, a new Manga With Dialogue Category was introduced, allowing creators to submit works featuring dialogue.

The Manga With Dialogue Category accepted entries in five languages - Japanese, English, Spanish, French, and Traditional Chinese. The contest website was also made available in all five languages, creating an environment that enabled creators from around the world to enter. A total of 1,959 entries were submitted from 118 countries and regions.

Supporting Winners Toward Serialized Debuts 
KADOKAWA assigns an editor to each winner to support them in developing their work toward a professional debut in Japan. In the Wordless World Manga Contest, masterlynx, a creator based in India who received the Silver Prize, worked with a KADOKAWA editor to further develop the winning entry into a commercially published work. In May 2026, the resulting manga, KUNG FU KUNG FOOL, began serialization on KadoComi, a manga portal operated by KADOKAWA.

Support is also being provided to the winners of the first KADOKAWA WORLD MANGA CONTEST through its editorial teams, helping them develop their work toward a serialized debut.

Comment from the Organizer (Noboru Segawa : The World Manga Publishing Section)
 We have had the chance to meet creators outside Japan who aspire to become manga artists in a variety of settings. Through these interactions, we have seen firsthand that creators in many countries outside Japan have limited opportunities to bring their work to market as commercially published manga. In fact, many of these creators face difficulties in getting their work commercially published due to the market conditions in their respective countries.

To address this, we aim to “discover talent from around the world and create new works” by offering creators opportunities to make their commercial debut in Japan and ongoing editorial support — enabling them to create manga regardless of where they are based.

The contest is gaining recognition, and we are grateful to have recently heard creators say that it encourages them as they pursue their goal of making their debut in Japan. As a publisher, I believe we have a responsibility to respond to these aspirations and provide meaningful opportunities for creators.To build the world's biggest bridge between manga creators and readers around the world, we look forward to meeting even more talented creators in the second contest.

Details for KADOKAWA WORLD MANGA CONTEST

[Submission Period]: September 7, 2026 (Mon.) - February 28, 2027 (Sun.)
[Categories]:
     Manga With Dialogue Category: Manga that uses dialogue and speech bubbles.
       Entries may be submitted in Japanese, English, Spanish, French, or Traditional Chinese.
     Wordless Manga Category: Manga that tells a story without dialogue or text.
       Entries may be submitted regardless of language.
[Eligibility]: Open to individuals, teams, and companies, regardless of professional experience, nationality, or age.
*Participants under the age of 18 must obtain consent from a parent or legal guardian.
Please see the official contest website for other eligibility requirements.
[Prizes] : Gold Prize: USD 10,000 / Silver Prize: USD 5,000 / Bronze Prize: USD 3,000 / Honorable Mentions: USD 300
[Benefits for Winners]: Invitation to an awards ceremony in Japan and support from a KADOKAWA editor toward a serialized debut.
*Please see the official contest website for eligible awards and other conditions.
[How to Enter]: Submit your work through the application form on the official contest website.
[Winner Announcement]: Around May 2027 (scheduled)
[Official Website]：
     Japanese：https://kadokawaworldmanga.com/jp/
     English：https://kadokawaworldmanga.com
     Spanish：https://kadokawaworldmanga.com/es/
     French：https://kadokawaworldmanga.com/fr/
     Traditional Chinese：https://kadokawaworldmanga.com/tw/
[Official Instagram]: @kd.worldmanga.official (https://www.instagram.com/kd.worldmanga.official/)

About KADOKAWA CORPORATION

KADOKAWA Group, a comprehensive entertainment company, develops a wide range of businesses such as Publication, Animation, Film, Gaming, Web services, and Education/EdTech. We discover talent globally, create diverse IP (Intellectual property), and deliver it through various media. We maximize the value of IP under our strategy "Global Media Mix with Technology" which refers to global rollouts of created IP by utilizing technology.

https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/global/