#Japan #Tokyo #illustration #Vanfu Design Contest #T-shirt Design

Vanfu Design Contest 2025: Celebrating Creativity

The renowned comprehensive printing company, Vanfu Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo, led by President Takayuki Sudo), has officially announced the winners of the 2025 Vanfu Design Contest. This year's event received an astounding 6,663 submissions, highlighting the vibrant creative spirit across various demographics. A rigorous selection process culminated in the recognition of 83 award-winning entries.

Promoting Creativity Across Generations

The Vanfu Design Contest serves as a platform for aspiring creators, including students and freelance designers, to gain valuable exposure to their unique designs. The contest has now entered its 16th year, establishing itself as a significant event that brings together talents from different age groups, from elementary students to senior citizens, demonstrating that creativity knows no boundaries.

The 16th Vanfu Student T-Shirt Design Contest

The theme for this year's T-shirt design competition was, "What does sound mean to you?" Participants were encouraged to express their imagination freely, resulting in 2,612 unique entries.

Award Winners:

• - Grand Prize: Arisa Hamano (Oberlin University)

Arisa's design illustrates the inseparable relationship between humans and sound. She creatively represented the connection through characters that wear headphones where rabbit ears symbolize the perpetual presence of sounds in our daily lives.

• - Excellence Award: Kenichiro Kiyano (Yamawaki Art College)

Kenichiro captured the essence of the Romanized representation of the word "sound" (oto) by employing it as a pattern. His design, reminiscent of a pinball game, showcases the collision of the letter “o” with others, symbolizing the dynamic interaction of sound.

• - Excellence Award: Kairi Yagi (Shizuoka Institute of Science and Technology)

Kairi's design sparks curiosity, encouraging viewers to reflect on hidden emotions. Using colors to represent five fundamental emotions, she embodies the concept of concealing one's innermost thoughts through design.

For a complete list of the T-shirt design contest winners, visit: T-shirt Contest Results. The winning T-shirt designs will be available for purchase starting in September.

The 7th Student Tote Bag Design Contest

This year's theme for the tote bag contest was centered around the question, "What does your treasure mean to you?" The competition attracted 2,478 submissions.

Award Winners:

• - Grand Prize: Nene Aoyama (HAL Nagoya)

Nene depicted the sentiment of love as a treasure, illustrating the moment one "falls in love" with something.

• - Excellence Award: Ayu Makihara (HAL Nagoya)

Ayu portrayed the concept of daily treasure by depicting the moon's phases to represent the beauty of everyday life.

• - Excellence Award: Sara Ohyama (Oberlin University)

Sara's design reflects her life treasures: friends, family, emotions, and food, utilizing photo elements combined with text and shapes to convey her aesthetic preferences.

Explore the complete list of winners for the tote bag contest: Tote Bag Contest Results. Similar to the T-shirt contest, the winning tote bag designs will be released for sale around September.

The 16th New Year’s Card Design Contest

Participants in this contest were tasked with designing New Year’s cards using illustrations, photos, or typography, with 1,573 submissions received.

Award Winners:

• - Grand Prize: Asuka Onodera

Asuka's design employs a unique color method to depict a whimsical horse, diverging from traditional designs to evoke a storybook vibe.

• - Excellence Award: Takeshi Kaiuchi

Takeshi's design embodies iconic imagery of Mt. Fuji and the rising sun, cleverly showcasing a horse through innovative cropping techniques and textures.

• - Excellence Award: Sato

This design embraces the roundness of a horse to embody a lively and joyous appearance.

For the complete list of New Year’s card winners, please visit: New Year’s Card Contest Results. These designs are expected to be available for purchase in October.

About the Vanfu Design Contest

Since its inception in 2010, Vanfu has committed to providing a platform for aspiring artists and freelance designers during the annual Vanfu Design Contest. Celebrating its 16th year, the contest fosters innovation and artistic expression across diverse fields.

Where to See the Winning Designs

Winning designs from the Vanfu Design Contest will be available for purchase at Vanfu Iidabashi Store and through the Vanfu online shop. For updates on the contest and further details, please refer to the official Vanfu Design Contest portal and follow their social media platforms for regular updates. Follow them on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Vanfu Co., Ltd. excels not only in paper printing but also across various media formats, fulfilling client needs through its three service channels: storefront, sales, and web. Their commitment ensures that they support clientele effectively, providing decorative solutions for everyday life.