The 19th Contest: Writing Letters to Deceased Loved Ones

Kurashinotomo Co., Ltd. (President: Hisayuki Ban, Location: 8-2-12 Nishikamata, Ota-ku, Tokyo), a mutual aid society for ceremonial occasions, will be accepting entries for the 'Letters of the Heart I Want to Convey' contest from Friday, May 1 to Saturday, October 31, 2026. This contest calls for people to write and submit a 'letter of the heart' under the theme 'A letter to a precious person who has passed away and whom you can no longer meet,' expressing feelings they want to convey now or words they couldn't say while the person was alive.

'Letters of the Heart I Want to Convey' is an initiative that has been held annually since 2008, and this marks its 19th year. It started from the thought, 'If writing feelings down as a letter to a precious deceased person could be a catalyst to overcome grief...', after witnessing many bereaved families placing letters to the deceased in coffins during funerals at our company.
In recent years, about 1,000 works have been submitted annually from a wide range of people regardless of age or gender, and the cumulative total of entries has exceeded 18,000, gaining broad public interest. The letters received express various messages, such as words of gratitude and apologies to the deceased, and resolutions to live on as those left behind. Applicants have shared that writing the letter helped them 'organize their feelings' and 'feel a sense of peace.'
One Gold Award, five Silver Awards, five Honorable Mentions, and several Prize/Jury Special Award winners will be selected from the submissions. The Gold Award winner will receive a prize of 100,000 yen. Additionally, the winning entries will be compiled into a booklet, planned to be published around the spring of 2027 as the 'Letters of the Heart I Want to Convey' winning works collection, and distributed by lottery to those who request it.

[Winners of the Previous Year (18th Contest) (Up to Honorable Mention)]
Gold Award: 'To You' Mamiko Takamukai (Aichi Prefecture, 43)
Silver Award: 'Cherry Blossom Path' Yoshinori Honda (Osaka Prefecture, 62)
Silver Award: 'I'm Sorry for That Time' Tamiko Moriya (Saitama Prefecture, 67)
Silver Award: 'Mother's True Feelings' Mayumi Higashi (Fukuoka Prefecture, 60)
Silver Award: 'Father's Breasts and Tears' Akiko Hoshikawa (Hokkaido, 77)
Silver Award: 'My North Star' Shuzo Shibata (Mie Prefecture, 75)
Honorable Mention: 'A Promise to You Who Isn't Here' Kaya Kim (Fukuoka Prefecture, 44)
Honorable Mention: 'Dad, I Did KKP' Misao Izumo (Ishikawa Prefecture, 63)
Honorable Mention: 'I Don't Mind If You Become a Ghost' Tatsuaki Chida (Aomori Prefecture, 16)
Honorable Mention: 'The Rubbernecking Incident' Yuichi Tsuzuki (Hokkaido, 67)
Honorable Mention: 'One Croquette' Yuji Shibano (Niigata Prefecture, 51)

■ Application Guidelines
[Application Period] Friday, May 1 to Saturday, October 31, 2026 (must arrive by deadline) *Postmarks on the deadline day for submitted works are valid.

[Awards]
- Gold Award: 1 person, 100,000 yen prize
- Silver Award: 5 people, 50,000 yen prize
- Honorable Mention: 5 people, 30,000 yen prize
- Prize: Several people, 10,000 yen prize
- Jury Special Award: Several people, 10,000 yen prize

[How to Apply] Via our company website (hereafter HP), postal mail, or FAX (see below for destinations)

- Applying via HP:
Enter the text and necessary information in the application form and submit.

- Applying via Postal Mail or FAX:
Fill out the application form (printable from HP) or writing paper with the necessary information (1) below, and send it along with the text.

(1) Necessary Information:
1. Name (with phonetic reading *Pen names not allowed)
2. Age
3. Gender
4. Postal code
5. Address
6. Phone number
7. Where did you see the contest information?
8. Title of the work
9. Who the letter is addressed to (e.g., Father, Friend, Wife, etc.)

(2) Notes:
1. Word count of the work: Around 800 characters
2. Submitted works must be unpublished originals, strictly limited to letters addressed to someone who has actually passed away.
(For Postal Mail/FAX)
3. If the manuscript spans multiple pages, put a serial number in the top left corner. Also, do not staple, glue, or clip the manuscript pages together.
4. Write the necessary information on a separate sheet from the work's text. Also, ensure the sheet with the necessary information matches the paper size of the manuscript.

(3) Destination:
Kurashinotomo Co., Ltd. Public Relations Planning Section, 'Letters of the Heart I Want to Convey' (Media Name) Desk
1. HP: https://www.kurashinotomo.jp/tegami/ (Submit via application form. Search for 'Kurashinotomo Letter')
2. Postal Mail: 144-0051, 8-2-12 Nishikamata, Ota-ku, Tokyo
3. FAX: 03-3735-3595

[Eligibility] Limited to amateurs.

[Results Announcement] Scheduled for early February 2027 *In addition to direct notification to winners, names will be published on our HP.