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The 26th Ishibashi Tanzan Memorial Waseda Journalism Award

The School Corporation Waseda University, located in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, is excited to announce the opening of applications for the 26th Ishibashi Tanzan Memorial Waseda Journalism Award. Since its inception in the year 2000, this prestigious award has aimed to recognize exceptional contributions in the field of journalism. The application and recommendation process will commence on April 14, 2026, and we warmly invite submissions from media professionals as well as recommendations from the general public.

Overview of the Award

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for this award, the submitted works must have been published within the media for an unspecified audience between April 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026. There are no restrictions on the format of the work submitted.

Submission Period

Submissions will be accepted from April 14, 2026 (Tuesday) until May 31, 2026 (Sunday). All submissions must adhere to this timeline without exception.

How to Submit

During the submission period, applicants must complete the application and recommendation form available online at Waseda University’s official website.

Selection Process

The selection will be conducted by a panel of 11 esteemed judges who will evaluate the submissions in accordance with the principles of the award. The jury consists of well-respected figures in journalism, including:

• - Hiroshi Ayabe
• - Kumiko Hashimoto
• - Hideo Sumi
• - Yasuto Sawada
• - Shiro Segawa
• - Emi Uchida Sojie
• - Toru Takeda
• - Reiko Tsuchiya
• - Martin Fackler
• - Toshiaki Miura
• - Mikio Wakabayashi

This committee will ensure a neutral and fair assessment of all submissions.

Announcement of Results

The results will be disclosed in mid-November 2026 to the award winners. Following this, a press release will be distributed to various media outlets, and the results will also be published on the university's website. Final nominee candidates will be announced around mid-September 2026 after confirmation with the respective candidates.

Award Categories

The Ishibashi Tanzan Memorial Waseda Journalism Award includes three categories: Public Service, Grassroots Democracy, and Cultural Contribution. The award ceremony is tentatively scheduled for early December 2026.

About the Award

The Ishibashi Tanzan Memorial Waseda Journalism Award was established with a mission to foster a new generation of journalists aware of their social responsibilities and to contribute to the development of a free and open media environment. Since its foundation in 1882, Waseda University has produced numerous outstanding individuals in the fields of literature and journalism. The award serves to discover and honor the activities of journalists who contribute significantly to societal culture and public interest.

Recent Awards

For reference, here are some of the notable awarded works from the previous (25th) event:

• - Grand Prize (Public Service Category): Campaign coverage around the Hyogo Prefecture Governor election — TBS News Specials
• - Public Service Category: "A New World Map for Immigrants and Refugees" — Book publication by Shinchosha
• - Grassroots Democracy Category: Film "Noto Democracy" — Released by Ishikawa TV

Please note that starting with the 26th award, the title of “Encouragement Award” will be changed to “Excellence Award.” However, the awarding criteria and purpose will remain unchanged.

For further details, please visit the official award website here.