Studies in Shinto
The Annual Shinto Essay Competition 2011
7 contributors (from USA, Czech Republic, Canada, Holland, Slovakia, and 2 from India) participated the Shinto Essay Competition 2011. Their essays were carefully read and evaluated by 8 jurors of different nationalities from Congo, Germany, England, Japan, New Zealand and Norway who are distinguished scholars in Japanese cultural studies. We are pleased to announce the result of their judgments as follows. In accordance with the judgment points we have decided to honor the essays by 1st prize, 2nd prize, 3rd prize, and encouraging award. All the essays belong to and the awarded ones will be published by the Shinto Kokusai Gakkai, Inc. in due time.
2011 year's Topics:
1, Anime and their Kami
2, Shrines and Trees
3, Shinto Sanctuaries
Prize Winners
First Prize (US$1,000) : Aike P. Rots (Holland):“The Discourse on Chinju no Mori – Redefining Shinto and Shinto Sanctuaries in Contemporary Japan ”
Second Prize (US$500) : Michael Zdan (Canada) : “Shrines and their Trees – Pillar at the Heart of the Divine”
Third Prize (US$300) : Matouš Vencálek (Czech Republic) : “Shrines and Trees in the Occident, Adaptation of Jinja Shintō to the Western culture ”
Encouraging Award (US$100) : Joseph Baisch (USA) : “Ise Grand Shrine: Architectural Purity and Ritual Renewal”
Congratulations to the prize winners! We wish all the entrants will strive to more deepen their study in Shinto as an essence of the Japanese cultural values.
The new topics for the Shinto Essay Competition 2012 will be announced with the entry regulations here on the ISF website in early 2012. We hope that many more entrants will join it.
Inquiries
Please address all e-mail inquiries regarding the Shinto essay competition to hdqrs@shinto.org
PDF flyer (Shinto Essay Comp. 2011)
