The 4th Mecha Design Contest will be held

The "Mecha Design Contest," which started in FY2023, is part of the "Mechanical City Inagi" tourism initiative by Inagi City called the "Mechanical Designer Kunio Okawara Project." It is a project where anyone can submit original mecha designs regardless of age or skill level.
All works will be reviewed by a distinguished panel of judges, including mechanical designer Kunio Okawara, who is from Inagi City, and outstanding works will be awarded.

The 2nd contest held in FY2024 and the 3rd contest held in FY2025 featured a collaboration project with Yomiuriland Co., Ltd., reflecting themes such as the city’s amusement park "Yomiuriland" and the entertainment-style flower park "HANA・BIYORI," which received a great response.

The 4th edition in FY2026 will feature a collaboration with Korg Inc., a world-renowned electronic musical instrument manufacturer headquartered in our city!
The theme for submissions is "Instruments of the Future." Express your new designs and ideas with your own hands!

We will also hold a workshop this time to provide hints for design creation. As this is a collaboration project, it will be held by opening the Korg showroom!
We will post the link as soon as the details are decided, so please look forward to it!

Qualifications

Anyone!!

If your submitted work wins an award, you must be able to attend the award ceremony held near Inagi City Hall on the morning of Saturday, March 27, 2027
(Any work could be selected, so please keep your schedule open and feel free to apply!)

Back to the top of this page

Recruitment Works

Theme of the Work

"Instruments of the Future"

Is the future bringing entirely new technologies?
Or are old instruments gaining attention once again?
Or do existing instruments have interesting new features?
Are instruments being born now that no one has ever thought of?

We look forward to designs from various perspectives!

Format of the work

Unpublished original mecha design drawings based on the theme "Instruments of the Future"

Note: The size will generally be A3 (297mm × 420mm) or smaller.

Note: There are no restrictions on the production method or submission medium, whether digital or analog. For digital works, please use JPEG, PNG, or PDF files (all within 5MB). Additionally, the use of generative AI (and AI assistance) in production is not allowed.

Back to the top of this page

Application Method

Please submit using one of the following methods.

Submission via application form

Please send your "digital work" or "analog work that has been scanned or photographed" through the application form.

• Application Form(External Link)
  Submit your "digital work" or "analog work that has been scanned or photographed" here

Submission by Mail

Please mail to the Tourism Division at Inagi City Hall (the address below). When mailing, be sure to fill out and enclose the "Application Details Sheet."
Mailing Address: 2111 Higashi-Naganuma, Inagi City, Inagi City Hall, Tourism Division

• 4th Mecha Design Contest Application Details Sheet (Excel Version) (Excel 14.2 KB)
• 4th Mecha Design Contest Application Details Sheet (PDF Version) (PDF 172.3 KB)

Application Period

From Tuesday, September 1, 2024 to Wednesday, January 3, 2025

Note: In the case of mailing, it must arrive by the deadline

Back to the top of this page

Award

From the submitted works, the following awards will be decided, and certificates and supplementary prizes will be presented at the award ceremony.

1.  Kunio Okawara Award
   One work will be selected from all submitted entries.
2. Kunio Okawara Special Award
   One work will be selected from submissions by junior high school students and younger. The supplementary prize will be an original illustration by mechanical designer Kunio Okawara based on the winning work (created from the awarded submission).
3. Inagi Nashinosuke Award
   One work will be selected from all submitted entries.
4. Korg Award
   One work will be selected from all submissions. The supplementary prize will be Korg-related products.

Past Award-Winning Works

Award-winning works from the 2nd and 3rd contests are posted on past pages. Please take a look.

• The 2nd Mecha Design Contest was held!
• [Results Announcement] The 3rd Mecha Design Contest was held!

Examination

Review Criteria

1. Whether it is compatible with the recruitment theme
2. Whether it is an appropriate expression as Mechanical City Inagi
   Note: "Mechanical City Inagi" is a unique initiative by Inagi City that leverages the connection with mechanical designer Kunio Okawara, who has ties to Inagi City, to energize the city through the installation of monuments and the holding of events as part of the "Mechanical Designer Kunio Okawara Project."

Examination Method

After format confirmation by the Tourism Division of Inagi City, the awards will be decided by the judges of this contest.

Judges

Kunio Okawara (Mechanical Designer)
Inoue Jet (Multi-creator, Official Character Promotion Advisor of Inagi City)
Korg Inc.

Back to the top of this page

Schedule (Planned)

Contents	Timing
Call for Entries	From Tuesday, September 1, 2024 to Wednesday, January 3, 2025 Note: In the case of mailing, it must arrive by the deadline
Examination (Judging Meeting)	Around January 2027
Announcement of Results	Around the end of February 2027 (Published on the official website of Inagi City)
Exhibition of Works	March, 2027 Scheduled at Inagi Transmission Base Pair Terrace
Award Ceremony	Saturday, March 27, 2027 Held near Inagi City Hall Creators of selected works are expected to attend the award ceremony and present their works. Details and location will be announced later. The schedule is subject to change. Please check this site for the latest information.

 

Back to the top of this page

Application Rules (Notes)

Notes

• You can apply for as many points as you want.
• Applicants' nationality and place of residence do not matter, but if the submitted work wins an award, you are basically requested to attend the award ceremony held within Inagi City.
• For applications from junior high school students or younger, prior consent from a Parent or Guardian is required.
• The evaluation is conducted only on the proposed ideas, and the background of the proposer, such as past experience, past achievements, gender, and age, is not included in the evaluation criteria.
• Submitted works may be used for publicity purposes, including exhibitions and merchandise production.
• Submitted works will not be returned.
• All costs related to the creation and submission of works must be borne by the applicant. The organizer will not be responsible for any damage that occurs during shipping.
• The organizer will take utmost care in managing the submitted works after acceptance, but will not be responsible for any natural disasters, unforeseen accidents, damage, or loss.
• If a work is deemed to fall under any of the following items, it will be excluded from the screening process. If it is found after the announcement of the awards that the work falls under these items, the award may be revoked without notice, and any prizes presented may be requested to be returned. Please note that no compensation will be provided for any damages arising in such cases. Furthermore, if any problems occur due to the work being recognized as falling under these items, the applicant shall bear full responsibility (including payment of money).

1. Those that violate public order, morals, or other legal provisions
2. Those that include slander or defamation
3. Those that promote the activities of antisocial forces
4. Those that infringe on copyrights or other third-party rights
5. Works intended for the commercial or promotional purposes of specific companies, etc.

About Copyright

• The copyright of the submitted work belongs to the applicant, but it is assumed that the applicant agrees to the following (1) and (2).

1. Works selected for the Kunio Okawara Special Award will be refined by Mr. Kunio Okawara.
2. Inagi City and the contest organizers (including judges) have the right to use the submitted works free of charge and without confirming the creator's consent, for the purpose of promoting the city and this project (including reproduction, printing, screening, exhibition, publication, etc.).

• Please be careful not to infringe on the copyrights or other rights of third parties regarding your work. Any troubles arising from infringement of third-party copyrights will be the sole responsibility of the applicant. However, it is permitted to use existing products of Korg Inc. and the official character of Inagi City as references for creation.
• Items that violate public order and morals or other legal provisions, including defamation, and those that infringe on copyrights or other third-party rights will be excluded from the review process. Furthermore, even after the announcement of awards, if it is found that these conditions have been violated, the award will be revoked.
• During the review process and when realizing various rights applications, there may be inquiries made to the applicants regarding their submitted works.

About Personal Information

• The selected individuals' names (pen names) and other information will be published in printed materials, exhibitions, websites, and various other media issued by the organizer.
• The personal information obtained at the time of application will not be used for purposes other than this project.

About the Application Guidelines

• Applicants are deemed to agree to the items described in these application guidelines.
• The items described in these application guidelines (such as schedules and notes) may be changed or added in the future at the discretion of the organizer. In addition, if it becomes necessary to establish matters not described in these application guidelines, they will be decided at the organizer's discretion. In such cases, applicants who have already applied and do not agree to these changes may withdraw their application; however, the organizer will not bear any costs, losses, damages, or other burdens incurred due to the application.

Contact Information

Tourism Division, Department of Industry, Culture, and Sports, Inagi City

Project Management

Organizer: Inagi City

Cooperation: Kunio Okawara, Jet Inoue, Korg Inc.

File Download

• Download the Application Guidelines here (PDF 919.8 KB)
• Download the Flyer here (PDF 2.0 MB)

Back to the top of this page