Tokyo Polytechnic University Student Hajime Hirano Wins Grand Prix in CM Category at 2nd Nakano Short Film Festival 'Nakanne'
Hajime Hirano, a sophomore at Tokyo Polytechnic University, won the Grand Prix in the CM category at the 2nd Nakano Short Film Festival. His work, inspired by traditional Rakugo, was highly praised for its creative editing and unique perspective on Nakano Ward.
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Hajime Hirano, a second-year student in the Department of Design, Faculty of Arts at Tokyo Polytechnic University (President: Hiroaki Yoshino; Location: Nakano-ku, Tokyo), has won the Grand Prix in the CM (Commercial) category at the 2nd Nakano Short Film Festival 'Nakanne' (hereafter referred to as the contest), which was held at the Nakano Ward Office on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
The contest is an event organized by Nakano Ward featuring video works set in the area. On the same day, a screening and award ceremony for the nominated works that passed the first selection were held at 'Nakanoba' on the first floor of the Nakano Ward Office. The event was open to the public, attracting many visitors.
Hirano's winning entry, titled 'Nakano ga Kowai' (Nakano is Scary), is a reconstructed work based on the classic Rakugo story 'Manju Kowai' (Manju is Scary). The film changes perspectives to comically express the deep charm of Nakano in synchronization with rhythmic visuals. It also impressively depicts a mysterious and slightly horror-themed side of 'Nakano-san,' the official Nakano Ward city promotion character. The work is available for viewing on the Nakano Short Film Festival's official YouTube channel.
This award was granted in recognition of the high quality of the video, based on Hirano's classic yet catchy viewpoint and fast-paced editing skills.
Launched in 2024, the contest is planned and operated by the 'Nakano Mirai Project,' founded by employees from 12 companies in Nakano Ward and ward officials. Now in its second year, it aims to serve as a participatory city promotion to discover and spread the charms of Nakano. The competition is open to two categories—'CM Category' and 'Story Category'—and allows entries from professionals and amateurs of all ages and group sizes. This year saw a total of 112 submissions.
The judges for this year consisted of four individuals: filmmaker Takumi Koyama, Kounosuke Uda from MAPPA Co., Ltd., comedian Udai Iwasaki from Kamomental, and Naoto Sakai, the Mayor of Nakano Ward.
The contest is an event organized by Nakano Ward featuring video works set in the area. On the same day, a screening and award ceremony for the nominated works that passed the first selection were held at 'Nakanoba' on the first floor of the Nakano Ward Office. The event was open to the public, attracting many visitors.
Hirano's winning entry, titled 'Nakano ga Kowai' (Nakano is Scary), is a reconstructed work based on the classic Rakugo story 'Manju Kowai' (Manju is Scary). The film changes perspectives to comically express the deep charm of Nakano in synchronization with rhythmic visuals. It also impressively depicts a mysterious and slightly horror-themed side of 'Nakano-san,' the official Nakano Ward city promotion character. The work is available for viewing on the Nakano Short Film Festival's official YouTube channel.
This award was granted in recognition of the high quality of the video, based on Hirano's classic yet catchy viewpoint and fast-paced editing skills.
Launched in 2024, the contest is planned and operated by the 'Nakano Mirai Project,' founded by employees from 12 companies in Nakano Ward and ward officials. Now in its second year, it aims to serve as a participatory city promotion to discover and spread the charms of Nakano. The competition is open to two categories—'CM Category' and 'Story Category'—and allows entries from professionals and amateurs of all ages and group sizes. This year saw a total of 112 submissions.
The judges for this year consisted of four individuals: filmmaker Takumi Koyama, Kounosuke Uda from MAPPA Co., Ltd., comedian Udai Iwasaki from Kamomental, and Naoto Sakai, the Mayor of Nakano Ward.