World Autism Awareness Day 2026 Blue Art Contest Results Announcement
The Tokyo Autism Association has announced the winners of its third annual Blue Art Contest, which celebrates World Autism Awareness Day. This year saw a record 149 submissions across various media, all incorporating the theme color 'blue'.
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- 📰 Published: March 31, 2026 at 17:30
- 🔍 Collected: March 31, 2026 at 09:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 2, 2026 at 13:02 (1516h 0m after Collected)
The Tokyo Autism Association (Chairman: Masaharu Sugiyama) held an art contest using "blue," the theme color of Autism Awareness Day. This is the third year of the contest, which began in 2024. From February 2026 to March 25, the association called for submissions on X (formerly Twitter) using the hashtag #2026blueart.
This year, 149 works were submitted, double the number from the 2025 fiscal year. The entries spanned a wide range of media, including not only illustrations and paintings but also photography, performance art, knitting, and crafts. The judges were Masanori Ido (designer), Petro and Jozef (artists), Yuki Koishikawa (illustrator and designer), Koichi Nishimura (heart artist), and the AOA Art Association.
The winning works are as follows:
● Petro and Jozef Award: "Blue Square" by Yukimi Moriyama
Each square is filled in with great care. Beyond the cool impression it gives at first glance, the warmth felt when looking at it closely is the charm of this piece. It is a sensation where the hearts of the viewer and the artist overlap. It is a work that makes one feel a connection of hearts.
● Koichi Nishimura Award: "Blue Heart" by Sota Nishimura
There is a story in every single detail, and it is drawn with great care (perhaps with masking tape?). Yet, it maintains its balance of color and segmentation, creating an expression that can also be perceived as three-dimensional, like a swell. It’s a good heart.
● Yuki Koishikawa Award: "Lemon and Train" by Hiro
A lemon-yellow color floats in the center of a blue world. The unique color combination, which makes one feel like "something is about to happen," is eye-catching. Many trains are drawn in the picture. Are these trains that Hiro has actually ridden? Various faces are lined up, from trains that run on short sections to Shinkansen bullet trains. Each has a different expression. Hiro, you must like trains. I like them too. Trains take us to new worlds. Please continue to draw your unique world through your own perspective. Thank you for this powerful piece.
● Masanori Ido Award: "blue" by Ichigo Ichie
A video that begins with a photograph of a rice field landscape. When I saw it on my X feed, I thought it was a time-lapse, but it was a story being layered. Light, water, wind, bubbles, life—above these many layers, you can see the swaying blue sky. The blue sky seen from under the water is different from the usual blue sky. I was drawn to that image. And by starting with a rice field, it connects the food familiar to us with the blue sky. I felt that this kind of indirect interpretation was only possible because it was a setup of video and painting.
● AOA Art Award: "Untitled" by kazu
It reminded me of the scenery I saw at Asahiyama Zoo when I visited with my parents as a child. I can imagine that it must have been a wonderful memory for the artist as well. I thought the way the polar bear cub and the penguins in various poses were drawn was lovely. And I hope that this painting, where animals live in peace, can also serve as a message about global warming! Comment: Yuu Masaki (Miss Japan Runner-up)
Thank you to everyone who submitted! The submitted works will be used to help raise awareness for autism.
■ [Inquiries]
Tokyo Autism Association (NPO)
TEL: 03-6907-3531 (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM)
Mail: toiawase@autism.jp
This year, 149 works were submitted, double the number from the 2025 fiscal year. The entries spanned a wide range of media, including not only illustrations and paintings but also photography, performance art, knitting, and crafts. The judges were Masanori Ido (designer), Petro and Jozef (artists), Yuki Koishikawa (illustrator and designer), Koichi Nishimura (heart artist), and the AOA Art Association.
The winning works are as follows:
● Petro and Jozef Award: "Blue Square" by Yukimi Moriyama
Each square is filled in with great care. Beyond the cool impression it gives at first glance, the warmth felt when looking at it closely is the charm of this piece. It is a sensation where the hearts of the viewer and the artist overlap. It is a work that makes one feel a connection of hearts.
● Koichi Nishimura Award: "Blue Heart" by Sota Nishimura
There is a story in every single detail, and it is drawn with great care (perhaps with masking tape?). Yet, it maintains its balance of color and segmentation, creating an expression that can also be perceived as three-dimensional, like a swell. It’s a good heart.
● Yuki Koishikawa Award: "Lemon and Train" by Hiro
A lemon-yellow color floats in the center of a blue world. The unique color combination, which makes one feel like "something is about to happen," is eye-catching. Many trains are drawn in the picture. Are these trains that Hiro has actually ridden? Various faces are lined up, from trains that run on short sections to Shinkansen bullet trains. Each has a different expression. Hiro, you must like trains. I like them too. Trains take us to new worlds. Please continue to draw your unique world through your own perspective. Thank you for this powerful piece.
● Masanori Ido Award: "blue" by Ichigo Ichie
A video that begins with a photograph of a rice field landscape. When I saw it on my X feed, I thought it was a time-lapse, but it was a story being layered. Light, water, wind, bubbles, life—above these many layers, you can see the swaying blue sky. The blue sky seen from under the water is different from the usual blue sky. I was drawn to that image. And by starting with a rice field, it connects the food familiar to us with the blue sky. I felt that this kind of indirect interpretation was only possible because it was a setup of video and painting.
● AOA Art Award: "Untitled" by kazu
It reminded me of the scenery I saw at Asahiyama Zoo when I visited with my parents as a child. I can imagine that it must have been a wonderful memory for the artist as well. I thought the way the polar bear cub and the penguins in various poses were drawn was lovely. And I hope that this painting, where animals live in peace, can also serve as a message about global warming! Comment: Yuu Masaki (Miss Japan Runner-up)
Thank you to everyone who submitted! The submitted works will be used to help raise awareness for autism.
■ [Inquiries]
Tokyo Autism Association (NPO)
TEL: 03-6907-3531 (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM)
Mail: toiawase@autism.jp