Are you an aspiring artist or storyteller looking to have your work seen by one of Japan’s largest publishers? Look no further than the “In Search of the New Mangaka” contest, a competition organized by Shueisha and SEFA EVENT.
A mangaka is a person who draws and writes their own manga.
There are two participant categories: the Story Manga Category and the Drawing Category. In the Story Manga Category, entrants must submit a full, original story (never previously submitted or published) between 10 and 45 pages. The Drawing Category allows participants to create their own interpretation of one of three officially prepared storyboards – Battle, School, or Romance – in their own style. Entries in both categories must be submitted in English or French.
SEFA EVENT is the organizer of Japan Expo, the largest Japanese pop‑culture convention of its kind outside Japan. The contest coincides with Japan Expo’s 25th anniversary.
Judging for the first round of the Story Manga Category will be handled by Japan Expo staff, while editors from MANGA Plus, Shonen Jump+, Digital Margaret, and Bessatsu Margaret will select the first and second‑place winners. In the Drawing Category, editors from the same publications will determine the top two winners.
Two prizes per category are available. In the Story Manga Category, first place will receive €5,000 EUR (approximately $8,000 CAD), and second place €2,500 EUR (approximately $4,000 CAD) . In the Drawing Category, first place will receive €1,000 EUR (roughly $1,600 CAD), and second place €500 EUR (roughly $801 CAD).
Participants have until 11:59 pm WEST (2:59 pm PDT) on Friday, May 15th, 2026, to submit entries for the Story Manga Category, and until 11:59 pm WEST (2:59 pm PDT) on Sunday, May 31st, 2026, for the Drawing Category. Winners of “In Search of the New Mangaka” will be announced at Japan Expo 2026, taking place July 9th to 12th, 2026, in Paris, France. For full details and contest rules, visit the official website.
© Eiichiro Oda/SHUEISHA
© Tatsuya Endo/SHUEISHA
Did you find a typographical or factual error in this article? Please let us know!
All comments are subject to our comment policy. Your comment may be held for moderation, censored, or removed if it does not meet our standards.