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Sansuke Yamada's Areyo Hoshikuzu Manga Wins Japan Cartoonists Association Award

The Japan Cartoonists Association (JCA) announced the winners of the 48th Japan Cartoonists Association Awards on April 19. Sansuke Yamada's Areyo Hoshikuzu manga won the grand prize in the Comic division, and Yoshiaki Yokota's self-published work Yokota Yoshiaki no Cartoon won the grand prize in the Cartoon division. Each grand prize includes a gold plaque, medal, and 500,000 yen (about US$4,500) in prize money.

Kadokawa describes Areyo Hoshikuzu's story as a "bromance in the ruins of Tokyo." Tokutarō Kawashima, a drunk in the city's burnt-down rubble, reunites with his old World War II comrade Kadomatsu Kuroda just over one year after Japan's defeat. The manga depicts the daily life in the underworld of post-war Japan, including the black market, the "pan-pan girl" prostitutes and the government's euphemistic "Comfort Facilities," and the war orphans. The manga won the New Creator Prize at the 23rd Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize awards this week.

In addition, Nazuna Saitō's Yūgure e (Toward the Twilight) manga received an excellence award, which includes a silver plaque, medal, and 200,000 yen (about US$1,800) in prize money. Saitō also served as a member of this year's selection committee. The series won an Excellence Award at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs' 22nd Japan Media Arts Festival Awards in March.

Momoko Sakura's collective works including Chibi Maruko-chan manga won the special award, which includes the same prizes as the excellence award. Baron Yoshimoto's collective works received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Award.

The JCA has presented the Japan Cartoonists Association Awards every year since 1972. Machiko Satonaka served as head of this year's selection committee. The judges included Yoshimi Kurata, Minoru Tanaka, Saitō, Keiichi Makino, Keiko Takemiya, and Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. An awards ceremony will be held at Imperial Hotel Tokyo on June 7.

Source: Comic Natalie