The 19th Japan International Manga Award, organized by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced its winners on Dec. 24, 2025, revealing that three Taiwanese works stood out among 738 submissions from 110 countries. The award ceremony will be held in March.
“The Nature Chef (山間料理人)” by Nananrih (南南日) earned a Silver Award, while “The Echo Before Dawn (黎明前的回聲)” by Lang-Chi (狼七) received a Special Encouragement Award. Meanwhile, “The Lord of Master-Li Bai (8) (大仙術士李白)” by Yeh Ming-hsuan (葉明軒) was honored with a Bronze Award.
Minister of Culture Li Yuan noted that, to date, Taiwan has accumulated two Gold Awards, ten Silver Awards, 22 Bronze Awards, and one Special Encouragement Award at the Japan International Manga Award. He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to continuing its support for Taiwanese comics on the international stage.
Taiwan’s Representative to Japan Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) highlighted that Taiwanese comics have received consistent recognition in Japan in recent years, particularly for their themes and creative approaches.
Director Tseng Chien-lung (曾鈐龍) of the Taiwan Cultural Center in Tokyo remarked that the Center has actively promoted Taiwanese comics in Japan by hosting comic exhibitions for six consecutive years. He added that this year’s exhibition featured the award-winning works “The Nature Chef” and “The Echo Before Dawn.”
