Takehiko Inoue, Yumi Tamura Receive Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for Fine Arts

Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs announced the year's winners of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for Fine Arts on February 28. The two prize winners of its media arts category were manga artist Takehiko Inoue ( Slam Dunk ) and Yumi Tamura ( Don't Call It Mystery ). Also, animation artist Jun Wada ( Ikimono-san ) received the Rookie Award in the same category. Since 1950, the Agency for Cultural Affairs has annually awarded the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for Fine Arts and its Rookie Award to individuals who have made outstanding achievements or have opened new frontiers in 12 fields of the arts: theater play, film, music, dance, literature, fine arts A, fine arts B, broadcasting, popular entertainment, arts promotion, critic and media arts. Inoue's reasons for receiving the award were stated as follows: "'THE FIRST SLAM DUNK' is a film adaptation of the climax of the original manga, which had never been visualized, directed by the original author, Takehiko Inoue himself. The majority of the film was made using 3DCG, but Inoue himself drew a great deal of the pictures and gave instructions so that his vision was beautifully captured in the film. This is a true work by an 'animation film director.' The domestic and international success of the film can be attributed to this contribution. The family drama newly depicted in this film also shows the depth of his artistic development from the time of the manga's original serialization to the present day." Tamura's reasons for receiving the award were stated as follows: Yumi Tamura has been at the forefront of the shoujo manga world for a long time. As a leading figure in the Japanese manga world, she has captivated fans with several masterpieces in all genres, including the adventure tale 'BASARA' about Japan after the collapse of civilization, the science fiction survival story '7SEEDS,' and 'Don't Call It Mystery,' which was adapted into a TV drama and movie from 2022 to 2023, becoming a huge hit. She has created a series of profound and epic stories with fascinating characters, and in 2023 she celebrated the 40th anniversary of her debut. With the Award for Fine Arts, we would like to pay tribute to her skills and achievements, which have kept her at the forefront for 40 years and constantly breaking new ground." Wada's reasons for receiving the award were stated as follows: "Jun Wada's animations stimulate our five senses. The touch of body hair, the smell of breath and exhalation in your ear, the gliding softness of a limb: this work awakens sensations we have almost forgotten and reminds us of the pleasure of tasting them. The reason why his works, despite their eccentric settings and unique visuals, are widely supported by people all over the world is that, together with his high drawing skills, they strike at the heart of these sensations common to all of humankind." RELATED: Makoto Shinkai Receives Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for Fine Arts Winners will receive a certificate and a cash prize of 1,200,000 yen (8,000 USD) for the Minister's Award and 800,000 yen (5,330 USD) for the Rookie Award. The presentation ceremony is scheduled to be held in Tokyo on March 12. Source : Agency for Cultural Affairs official website (C)I.T.PLANNING,INC. (C)2022 SLAM DUNK Film Partners

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