This contest for amateur authors and illustrators of children's literature has been held annually since 1984 with the aim of providing children with good storybooks and picture books that inspire their dreams and imagination. Another aim is to discover and publicize outstanding works and writers of children's literature. Conducted in cooperation with the International Institute for Children's Literature, Osaka, the contest attracts around 4,000 entries every year from all over Japan. The winning entries of the Storybook Grand Prize and Picture Book Grand Prize are published and copies are donated by Nissan dealers to about 3,500 libraries throughout Japan. Since 1990, Nissan offices have also been donating copies to local kindergartens and nursery schools, numbering about 700 combined. Over 100,000 books have been donated to date.
Due to the nature of commercial publishing, new writers encounter various hurdles in the field of children's literature. Giving the Grand Prize winners a chance to have their works published provides a valuable opportunity for launching a professional writing career.
In 1999, Nissan began holding a creative seminar in which the contest judges personally advise the winners of the different prizes. The company has also launched follow-up seminars for nurturing new authors.
The prize-winning entries are always highly acclaimed for their exceptionally excellent quality. This contest is now widely regarded as a gateway to a professional career for aspiring writers and illustrators.

To NISSAN Children's Storybook and Picture Book Grand Prix

Illustration:Yutaka Sugita

Folktales are a precious legacy of oral literature depicting the growth of humankind. Listening to a recitation of folktales stirs the imagination, bringing to each listener's mind manifold images.

Since 1992, Nissan and its dealers have co-organized the Nissan Storytelling Circle to promote a better understanding of the significance of folktales.

This event was initiated at the National Children's Castle in Tokyo in 1992 to introduce to the public the prize-winning entries of the Nissan Children's Storybook and Picture Book Grand Prix and other outstanding children's books. The work of planning, organizing and conducting the exhibition, specifically designed to be stimulating and enjoyable for children, is done in cooperation with the staff specialists at the National Children's Castle.
In addition to displaying many outstanding storybooks and picture books, creative workshops for children are also held. This exhibition is now a popular spring vacation event, attracting some 30,000 children and parents every year. Nissan employee volunteers and children together enjoy the experience of being creative in the workshops, which make the most of the company's position as a vehicle manufacturer. Scrap materials at Nissan are recycled to make exhibits for display and for use as workshop materials. Nissan employees knowledgeable in design and craftsmanship also take part in conducting the workshops.

Under this program, NISSAN recruits and selects students who wish to work at NPOs and provides those chosen with scholarships commensurate with the results of their internship activities. This program was launched in 1998 in partnership with NPOs as a fresh initiative for promoting human resources development. The aim of the program is to give young people, who will carry the future of society, an opportunity to expand their intellectual capacities in the process of their work at NPOs.
Host organizations that provide internships to scholarship students are NPOs in diverse fields engaged in resolving varied social issues with a pioneering spirit. They operate in specialized disciplines and provide excellent leadership. The students can develop their "creativity," "ability to think for themselves" and "capacity for self-initiated action" by accumulating career experience at NPOs.
The experience of working at NPOs, while still a student, is expected to help get young people ready to work with confidence and flexibility in the society of the future, which is expected to have ever-higher labor mobility. Meanwhile, host NPOs can capitalize on opportunities to convey the social significance of their initiatives to students and eventually secure human resources for their future activities.
The program draws applications from over 100 students every year, and some 20 students are selected as scholarship interns, enabling them to gain career experience in such fields as the environment, international exchange, culture, the arts, and social welfare at various NPOs.

To NISSAN-NPO Learning Scholarship Program

Photo courtesy of The Japan Times

The Saito Kinen Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa, puts on a free concert for the children of Nagano prefecture where this annual festival is held. Nissan has supported this series of concerts since 1992.

Copyrighted photo courtesy of Hironobu Hosogaya

Since 1992, Nissan has been the main sponsor of the Hans Christian Andersen Awards, dubbed the "Little Noble Prizes," as the paramount international awards for children's books.
The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) presents the Hans Christian Andersen Awards biennially to an author and an illustrator who have made distinguished contributions in the area of children's literature through their creative work.

Photo courtesy of Asahi Shimbun Co., Ltd.