Nihon Chokuhan to Hold "Short Drama Planning Contest" with 10 Million Yen Production Fund as Part of AYET Project
Key facts
- Nihon Chokuhan to Hold "Short Drama Planning Contest" with 10 Million Yen Production Fund as Part of AYET Project
- Nihon Chokuhan Co., Ltd. has announced the application guidelines for a "Short Drama Planning Contest" as part of its initiative to evolve into a "comprehensive service (WEB3.0)" company centered on "Entertainment, Global, and DX." The contest aims to discover, support production, and develop IP for excellent projects by widely soliciting planning and original story ideas, in collaboration with Mr. Yasushi Akimoto and professional editors. Applications are scheduled to open on July 10, 2026, with a production fund of 10 million yen to be provided for selected projects, along with creator credits and royalties based on commercial profits.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: June 12, 2026
Direct answer
Nihon Chokuhan Co., Ltd. has announced the application guidelines for a "Short Drama Planning Contest" as part of its initiative to evolve into a "comprehensive service (WEB3.0)" company centered on "Entertainment, Global, and DX." The contest aims to discover, support production, and develop IP for excellent projects by widely soliciting planning and original story ideas, in collaboration with Mr. Yasushi Akimoto and professional editors. Applications are scheduled to open on July 10, 2026, with a production fund of 10 million yen to be provided for selected projects, along with creator credits and royalties based on commercial profits.
- Citation
- Nihon Chokuhan to Hold "Short Drama Planning Contest" with 10 Million Yen Production Fund as Part of AYET Project (June 12, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- June 12, 2026
Nihon Chokuhan Co., Ltd. has announced the application guidelines for a "Short Drama Planning Contest" as part of its initiative to evolve into a "comprehensive service (WEB3.0)" company centered on "Entertainment, Global, and DX." The contest aims to discover, support production, and develop IP for excellent projects by widely soliciting planning and original story ideas, in collaboration with Mr. Yasushi Akimoto and professional editors. Applications are scheduled to open on July 10, 2026, with a production fund of 10 million yen to be provided for selected projects, along with creator credits and royalties based on commercial profits.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: June 12, 2026 at 00:00
- 🔍 Collected: June 11, 2026 at 15:21
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 12, 2026 at 16:51 (25h 30m after Collected)
Nihon Chokuhan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Akiteru Mizutani; hereinafter referred to as Nihon Chokuhan), as part of its initiative to evolve from a comprehensive mail-order company to a "comprehensive service (WEB3.0)" company focused on "Entertainment, Global, and DX," announces the application guidelines for the "Short Drama Planning Contest." This contest will be held in collaboration with the international short film festival "Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia" (hereinafter referred to as SSFF & ASIA) and "LIFE LOG BOX," a creator platform for the WEB3.0 era linked to the festival.
This contest aims to discover, support production, and develop IP for excellent projects by widely soliciting planning and original story ideas for video works, in collaboration with Mr. Yasushi Akimoto and professional editors. Applications are scheduled to open on Friday, July 10, 2026, with a production fund of 10 million yen to be provided for selected projects. Furthermore, credit as the original planner and royalties based on commercial profits are also planned.
General Producer Yasushi Akimoto commented in a video message:
In the AYET (project) initiative with the UCLA blockchain development team and Nihon Chokuhan, we expect to create opportunities for young talent to participate in video production, and through collaboration with SSFF & ASIA, these opportunities will be provided. We look forward to many applications.
Akiteru Mizutani, President and Representative Director of Nihon Chokuhan, who spoke at the event, also mentioned the following:
The AYET project aims to promote Japanese content overseas and foster global creators. By creating IP through the formation of new units and the creation of derivative 2D characters, and by releasing video works while involving domestic and international communities, we want to create a space where creators can thrive internationally.
Finally, Tetsuya Bessho, Representative of SSFF&ASIA, expressed his enthusiasm:
This project, which began with a wonderful connection. We will cooperate with all our might," he responded, adding, "We will leverage our expertise as an international film festival and also utilize the WEB3.0 creator platform LIFE LOG BOX to strongly support this endeavor.
■ Contest Overview
This contest is an initiative where Nihon Chokuhan widely solicits video work plans and supports the discovery of excellent projects by leveraging the expertise of SSFF & ASIA as an international film festival.
Applications are scheduled to open on Friday, July 10, 2026, with a production fund of 10 million yen to be provided for selected projects. Furthermore, credit as the original planner and royalties based on commercial profits are also planned.
Name: Short Drama Planning Contest
Organizer: Nihon Chokuhan Co., Ltd.
Support: SSFF & ASIA (WEB3.0 Creator Platform "LIFE LOG BOX")
Application Start: Scheduled for Friday, July 10, 2026
Production Support: 10 million yen production fund
Application Target: Planning and original story ideas for short dramas
Benefits: Credit as original planner, royalties based on commercial profits planned
*Application conditions, selection methods, rights conditions, royalty details, etc., will be announced sequentially in the future.
Actor Tetsuya Bessho, also a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), founded the American Short Shorts Film Festival in 1999 with the desire to introduce "short films," which he encountered in the United States, to Japan as a new visual genre. In 2001, the name was changed to "Short Shorts Film Festival (SSFF)," and in 2004, it was certified as an Academy Award-qualifying film festival. In the same year, with the aim of disseminating new visual culture from Asia and nurturing emerging young filmmakers, the "Short Shorts Film Festival Asia (SSFF ASIA, co-hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government)" was born, and the festival is now held under the general name "SSFF & ASIA."
Furthermore, to commemorate the festival's 20th anniversary in 2018, the Grand Prix winner was awarded the "George Lucas Award" named after director George Lucas. In January 2019, "Short Shorts Film Festival in Hollywood" was held as a 20th-anniversary event. From the 2019 festival onwards, four outstanding works from the International Competition, Asia International Competition, Japan Competition, and Non-Fiction Competition, and from 2022, five works including the Animation Competition's outstanding work, became eligible for nomination for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film the following year. SSFF & ASIA will continue to support young creators through its film festival.
https://www.shortshorts.org
LIFE LOG BOX is a video operation platform for the web3 era, linked with SSFF & ASIA, which has a network of over 100,000 creators worldwide. It enables anyone to create and distribute content as a creator, supported by the proliferation of smartphones, SNS, and video distribution services. Centered around a storage service for deposited data, it offers services that allow creators to thrive. Creators, fans, and companies worldwide can list portfolios for distributing creator and work information, viewing rights, etc., which connect to an NFT marketplace that returns profits to creators.
https://lifelogbox.com/ja/
■ Nihon Chokuhan Co., Ltd.
Location: Ito Yu Building Toranomon 3F, 3-20-5 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Akiteru Mizutani, President and Representative Director
Established: October 1977 (Nihon Chokuhan brand launch)
Business Activities: Comprehensive services (mail order / content planning / advertising and sales promotion support, etc.)
URL: https://corporate.666-666.jp
FAQ
What is the purpose of Nihon Chokuhan's Short Drama Planning Contest?
As part of its evolution into a WEB3.0 company focused on entertainment, global reach, and DX, the aim is to create new video content and foster creators both domestically and internationally.
What are the eligibility requirements and content for the contest?
The contest broadly solicits planning and original story ideas for short dramas. Detailed eligibility and selection methods will be announced sequentially.
What kind of support is provided for selected projects?
Support includes a 10 million yen production fund, credit as the original planner, and royalties based on commercial profits.
How does the collaboration with SSFF & ASIA and LIFE LOG BOX change things?
It enhances project discovery, support, and IP development by leveraging SSFF & ASIA's expertise as an international film festival and LIFE LOG BOX's WEB3.0 creator platform.
What impact is this contest expected to have in the future?
It is expected to promote Japanese content overseas and provide a platform for creators to thrive internationally, contributing to the creation of new visual culture.