On Oct. 6, Fukuoka City announced the winners of the Culture Prize and the Civic Activities Prize, in recognition of their many years of hard work and contributions to the region. The winner of the Culture Prize was 61-year-old manga artist, Tochi Ueyama, from Fukutsu City. His serial comic Cooking Papa, which often depicts restaurants and street scenes from Fukuoka, celebrated 30 years since it was first published in 1985. The other winner of the Culture Prize was Akihiro Hino, the president of the video game developer Level Five and co-founder of Game Factory’s Friendship (GFF), an industry group for local video game developers and producers. The winner of the Civic Activities Prize was Kurenai Kanda, a Tokyo-based traditional storyteller originally from Fukuoka City. She was recognized for her monthly workshop, the Fukuoka Kurenai Juku, aimed at training the next generation of traditional storytellers. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun 10/7
