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Announcement of Finalists for the 26th Ishibashi Tanzan Memorial Waseda Journalism Awards

Waseda University, located in the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo, announced the selections for the finalist works in the 26th Ishibashi Tanzan Memorial Waseda Journalism Awards. After a rigorous evaluation conducted by the selection committee, twelve notable entries have been chosen from a total of 154 submissions received between April 14 and May 31 of 2026. The final results will be disclosed in mid-November 2026, with the award ceremony scheduled for December 3, 2026.

The Finalists

The following twelve works have been nominated as finalists:

1. Title: NHK BS Special “Searching for my Japanese midwife 80 years after the war”
Candidate: Maman House (Temujin Co., Ltd.)
Media: NHK BS

2. Title: Hokkaido Road Special “Abnormalities in the Okhotsk – What’s Happening?”
Candidate: Hokkaido Road Special Okhotsk Investigation Team led by Yasutoshi Hattori
Media: NHK General TV (Hokkaido Block)

3. Title: NHK Special “Crucial World: The Reality of ‘Russification’ in Occupied Territories”
Candidate: NHK Special Investigation Team led by Kenichi Matsumiya
Media: NHK General TV

4. Title: Heartful World – “Kyoto Kiyamigawa Sabo Dam”
Candidate: Heartful World Investigation Team led by Masashi Shimono
Media: CBC TV

5. Title: ETV Special “Looking at the Scars of Agent Orange – 50 Years Since the End of the Vietnam War”
Candidate: ETV Special Investigation Team led by Masako Sakata
Media: NHK Educational TV (E-Tele)

6. Title: ETV Special “Forgotten Atomic Bomb Victims”
Candidate: ETV Special Investigation Team led by Ryo Ishihama
Media: NHK Educational TV (E-Tele)

7. Title: “The Women of Kurokawa”
Candidate: “The Women of Kurokawa” TV Asahi Investigation Team led by Fumie Matsubara
Media: Nationwide Movie Screening

8. Title: “The Hiroshima Lanterns and the A-Bomb Disability Association 'Kinoko-kai'” and Reporter Toshiaki Akisada
Candidate: Naomasa Hirao
Media: Book published by Chiheisha

9. Title: “The Truth Sealed in Abduction” Volume 1 & 2
Candidate: Jin Takase, NK917 (Representative: Jin Takase)
Media: Book published by Shunposha

10. Title: “Reconstruction Verification – 15 Years After the Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster”
Candidate: Fukushima Minpo Heisei Restoration Investigation Team led by Ikuo Watanabe
Media: Fukushima Minpo

11. Title: “Pressure from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries on Rice Production”
Candidate: Akita Sakigake Shimbun Rice Problem Investigation Team led by Tomoki Sato
Media: Akita Sakigake Shimbun, Akita Sakigake Shimbun Digital

12. Title: “A Series of Reports on the Records of War”
Candidate: Akita Sakigake Shimbun Post-War 80th Anniversary Investigation Team led by Ikumi Okada
Media: Akita Sakigake Shimbun, Akita Sakigake Shimbun Digital

About the Ishibashi Tanzan Memorial Waseda Journalism Award

Since its establishment, Waseda University has produced many outstanding talents in the fields of media and journalism. Upholding the traditions of its predecessors, the university is committed to fostering a free environment for journalism and nurturing individuals who can conduct fair debates based on high ideals.

The “Ishibashi Tanzan Memorial Waseda Journalism Award” was established in 2000 to cultivate journalists with a sense of social responsibility and to contribute to the formation of a free and open environment for discourse. Each year since 2001, the award has recognized the significant contributions of individual journalists to social culture and the public good.

This award features three categories: Public Service, Grassroots Democracy, and Cultural Contribution. Winners in each category will receive a certificate, a commemorative medal, and a monetary reward of 500,000 yen. Additionally, there may be Honorable Mention awards, which include a certificate, a commemorative medal, and a 100,000 yen reward.

Winners will also be invited to speak in commemoration classes for students aspiring to become journalists at the university.

Details: 26th 'Ishibashi Tanzan Memorial Waseda Journalism Award'

• - Categories: Public Service, Grassroots Democracy, Cultural Contribution
• - Eligible Works: Works published in media accessible to the general public from April 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026. The format of the works is not specified.
• - Application Period: April 14, 2026, to May 31, 2026
• - Total Submissions: 154 works (compared to 144 works from the last cycle)

The selection process will be conducted by a committee of 11 members who will provide a fair and impartial assessment based on the purpose of the award, free from commercial interests.

Selection Committee Members

• - Hironori Ayabe (Professor, Waseda University)
• - Kumiko Hashimoto (Nonfiction Writer)
• - Hideo Sumi (Former Executive Director, NHK)
• - Yasuo Sawada (Professor, Waseda University)
• - Shiro Segawa (Visiting Professor, University of Tokyo)
• - Emi Uchida Sojiei (Professor, Waseda University)
• - Toru Takeda (Journalist)
• - Reiko Tsuchiya (Professor, Waseda University)
• - Martin Fackler (Editor, The New York Times)
• - Toshiaki Miura (Journalist)
• - Mikio Wakabayashi (Professor, Waseda University)