Congratulations and thank you to all the students and teachers who participated in the 2026 AATJ Nengajo Contest. We were thrilled to see the creativity, talent, and passion for the Japanese language and culture that the students demonstrated!
For the Year of Horse Nengajo Contest, we received a total of 620 qualified entries: 28 from Lower Elementary School, 63 from Upper Elementary School, 127 from Middle School, 389 from High School, and 13 from College/University. This does not include the 73 cards that were disqualified due to the following reasons: (1) naming conventions not followed, (2) non-compliance with category-specific rules, and (3) late submissions. The eligible cards were judged by about 25 Japanese professionals from across the country, who were not given any information about the students, schools, or teachers involved.
The selected cards represent the best of the best and showcase a tremendous amount of talent, creativity, and effort. All student participants received participation certificates. Students with winning cards received certificates and online Amazon gift cards as prizes.
2026 AATJ Nengajo Contest Results
