The 17th collaboration has been announced between "The Choice," an illustration competition hosted by "illustration" magazine known for producing numerous popular illustrators and serving as a gateway to professionalism, and ROOTOTE.
The winning illustrations from the 2025 "The Choice" competition will be printed on the basic vertical canvas tote "TALL" and the divided tote bag "TUBE." The individuality of all 36 artworks will stand out on these simply designed totes. Pre-orders will begin on June 1st for a limited time at ROOTOTE GALLERY Futako-Tamagawa and ROOTOTE GALLERY_EDITION. Don't miss this opportunity!
ROOTOTE GALLERY_EDITION
Sales Period: June 1, 2026 (Monday) 12:00 PM to July 22, 2026 (Wednesday) 12:00 PM
*Products will be shipped approximately two weeks after order placement.
Click here for the product list → →
ROOTOTE GALLERY Futako-Tamagawa Store
Scheduled Sales Period: June 1, 2026 (Monday) to June 21, 2026 (Sunday)
Futako-Tamagawa rise Dogwood Plaza 1F, 2-23-1 Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
TEL: 03-6805-7073
*Please note that the sales period for ROOTOTE GALLERY Futako-Tamagawa Store may change. We appreciate your understanding.
*Products will be shipped approximately two weeks after order placement.
*Titles omitted, in Japanese alphabetical order
*Product images are sample images. Actual products may differ in specifications and colors.
2025 Judges
Akane Sakagawa (Book Designer)
Keiko Saotome (Illustrator, Essayist, Manga Artist)
Gemi (Illustrator)
Hideyuki Saito (Graphic Designer)
Participating Artists
Ai Shinomiya, Natsuki Tawatari, Haruna Makisumi, Sae Sato, SAITO KANAE, Keisuke Hara, Miako, Akihiro Misaki, Asaki Yamakawa, Megumi Ueno, Gentaro Eimoto, FROME Osawa, Yu Kato, Kameyu, Kimurato, Mami Kurata, Junko Kodama, swtiih green, Masataka Sumita, Sawa Takahashi, Chinami Takarai, Yoichi Tamura, Mami Tomita, DORY, Ayami Nonaka, hagi, Fuming, Takumi Fujimoto, Fuyo, Plastulo, Pomi, mako, Makoi, Sayaka Mori, Yuji Yamaguchi, Rito Yoshida
【Grand Prize】Ai Shinomiya "Take a Breath"
●Artist's Comment: I enjoy creating experimental illustrations by incorporating various techniques and materials. Recently, I've been interested in the slow-shutter effect as something I want to bring into analog art.
●Hideyuki Saito's Review: A common landscape somewhere. The texture of overlapping thin Japanese paper and symbolically placed colors emerged from the pitch black, captivating my heart. When I learned that the Japanese paper was masking tape, I was impressed by the ingenuity, and at the same time, the beauty of the depth created by its transparency, combined with familiar objects, had a greater impact on my memory. In the silence, I began to feel the slight breeze and the sound of them swaying.
【Excellence Award】Natsuki Tawatari "Inside the Cave"
●Artist's Comment: I want to depict a mysterious world that feels like a dream, yet is undeniably there. I would love to work on a wide range of illustration projects, such as book covers and packaging! I will continue to draw, fueled by this award.
●Akane Sakagawa's Review: This artwork made me want to create a picture book. I hope you cherish and nurture this complete world. While I'd be curious to see how you would depict everyday or Japanese-style objects while maintaining this retro and mysterious atmosphere, two parts of me are arguing, one wanting to see that and the other saying, "Don't bother with such extra things, just go your own way."
【Excellence Award】Sae Sato "Summer Villa"
●Artist's Comment: I aim to depict beautiful harmony between people and landscapes. I'm interested in working on book-related projects, so please contact me.
●Gemi's Review: I felt a straightforward liking for this work. Perhaps "I became a fan instantly" is the most accurate description. I thought this was a work that would make you want to gaze at it leisurely, feeling the expressions conveyed from the backs of the women depicted. I would love to see it as a book cover or in travel advertisements.
【Excellence Award】Haruna Makisumi "A Place Like the Moon"
●Artist's Comment: I gently modify familiar everyday scenes, searching for fleeting forms that float between dreams and reality.
●Hideyuki Saito's Review: Born in a public housing complex in the 60s, I was strongly drawn to the exquisite color scheme and the design sense of the playground equipment. Memories of the excitement and a sense of fear, as if I had wandered into an unfamiliar world, came back to me when I encountered playground equipment I had never seen before on an expedition to the park in the neighboring housing complex. Her paintings felt like a light flutter, like reading an SF novel about going beyond the neighboring housing complex to a neighboring star, or an imaginary city.
【Award Winner】 SAITO KANAE "everyday composition"
●Artist's Comment: I want to create something where tension and relaxation coexist.
●Akane Sakagawa's Review: A fleeting moment in the unguarded gaps of everyday life. The perspective is that of a very close other, which conveys a gentle sense of everyday life and eroticism. This was a work I struggled with until the end when deciding which pieces to feature prominently.
【Award Winner】 Keisuke Hara "70's Music Tools"
●Artist's Comment: I create graphical illustrations and animations inspired by 50s design. I would like to work on a wide range of projects such as advertisements and cover art. Please feel free to contact me.
●Keiko Saotome's Review: I often use the technique of making eyes sparkle, and it's still so interesting. While 90% is stylish, adding that 1% sparkle instantly gives it so much meaning, adds humor, and prevents it from being just stylish. I recognize you as a formidable artist who understands this.
【Award Winner】 Miako "Troublesome Travel"
●Artist's Comment: I searched for expressions that AI cannot generate, and created this using three-dimensional and cut-out techniques. I aim for works that are vibrant and make the most of handmade textures. I would be happy if I could utilize this in a wide range of situations, such as advertisements and framing.
●Gemi's Review: I was drawn to the charming style with its unique deformation. Beyond the color usage, the texture of the layered paper-cut style was so endearing, strongly stimulating my desire to own it. Among the many works, this was the most memorable and special.
【Award Winner】 Akihiro Misaki "Capsule"
●Artist's Comment: I walk the path of creation diligently, with a single pencil as my cane. My future goals are to work on book cover designs and illustrations, and to create picture books.
●Hideyuki Saito's Review: Overwhelming drawing ability achieved with careful, long hours. It has a work-like quality reminiscent of a platinum print. One can easily discern a fascination with small objects, viewed with affectionate eyes. While it cannot be introduced here due to layout constraints, the artist has established a literary and tranquil world, including other works. I imagine that the stories this person draws would surely become beautiful books.
【Award Winner】 Asaki Yamakawa "Slightly Distant View"
●Artist's Comment: I create with the feeling that everyday and non-everyday are one. I enjoy drawing, stimulated by others and by places. I'm interested in book design, illustration, and textiles, but I want to try various things.
●Hideyuki Saito's Review: A melancholic world inverted like a negative film. I feel like I'm standing at the boundary between this world and another dimension, coexisting. While shrouded in an ominous atmosphere, the people, plants, and objects that appear are distorted and somehow charming, exuding a certain character. A breathtaking beautiful blue is imprinted behind the eyes amidst the dark colors, becoming an unforgettable landscape tinged with poignancy and nostalgia.
Megumi Ueno "Hot Springs in Hell Town"
●Artist's Comment: I create illustrations and designs at a design company. I also draw in my private life. Drawing has always been one of the things that define me. I will continue to draw.
Gentaro Eimoto "My Way"
●Artist's Comment: I carefully recorded the rough things hidden in daily life. I hope to be able to depict things like sounds, smells, wind, voices, and humidity in my paintings.
FROME Osawa "The Innovator's Dilemma"
●Artist's Comment: Is it not possible to convey something through an extremely stripped-down expression, gently expanding the viewer's imagination? With this in mind, I will continue to actively create.
Yu Kato "Searching for a Cat"
●Artist's Comment: I am drawn to large shadows and roads in familiar scenery. I want to work in book design.
kameyu "Haniwa Transport"
●Artist's Comment: I usually draw on themes such as people sleeping and daily life with dogs. I aim for a comfortable sense of unreality. I am interested in a wide range of work including books, music, and textiles. I look forward to hearing from you.
kimurato "Drifting Station"
●Artist's Comment: I paint what catches my eye in daily life, exploring the balance between conscious and subconscious. I aim to create various forms of my artwork, such as book designs, illustrations, and paper goods, so that they can reach distant places.
Mami Kurata "Big Friends, Small Friends"
●Artist's Comment: I love the moments when colors overlap, fade, and blend together. Although I lack confidence, I feel this work has shown me that someone is watching. I want to continue drawing warm, narrative-like pictures.
Junko Kodama "I can't take it anymore"
●Artist's Comment: When I draw, I feel my tangled thoughts slowly unraveling. I want to challenge myself with various things from now on.
swtiih green "Making it delicious with what you have"
●Artist's Comment: I draw a vibrant, generous, and humorous world. I will continue to aim for illustrations that bring joy to those around me and reach people far away.
Masataka Sumita "Cat Drill Galaxy"
●Artist's Comment: I draw pictures that subtly incorporate humor. The challenge is whether that humor is conveyed, and I'm very happy when it is understood.
Sawa Takahashi "intimidated"
●Artist's Comment: I will continue to draw with the wish that my colors will travel all over the world.
Chinami Takarai "Pretzel Jacket"
●Artist's Comment: I aim for quiet yet somewhat cheerful illustrations with smooth lines and healthy colors.
Yoichi Tamura "past"
●Artist's Comment: I am attempting to capture trivial events that go unnoticed in my paintings.
Mami Tomita "Green Season"
●Artist's Comment: I value the changing seasons and depict animals and plants. I aim to create paintings that make people want to imagine stories, and I hope to challenge myself in a wide range of media in the future. I have also started to work on picture books.
DORY "Ghost House"
●Artist's Comment: I want to freely and exuberantly depict the free world that my antennae catch, as if I'm observing the lives of beings from another world.
Ayami Nonaka "Gosha Jinja Shrine"
●Artist's comment: I cut out, paste, and draw things and landscapes I find in my daily life. I want to create drawings that are close to everyday life, making people a little happy when they see them. I want to take on many art-related jobs.
hagi "Memories of Spring"
●Artist's comment: I draw expressive pictures that evoke a sense of air, temperature, and scent. I excel at depicting light and shadow, and dynamic figures and natural objects. I want to work in advertising, book covers, and music! Please feel free to contact me.
Fuming "Azuki Sky"
●Artist's comment: I want to create cheerful, dance-inducing illustrations that seem to have music playing.
Takumi Fujimoto "Breakfast"
●Artist's comment: I drew these based on the themes of "food" and "daily life." I try to make the pictures not only delicious-looking but also cheerful and warm.
Fuyou "Within the Earthwork"
●Artist's comment: I hope that the act of creation, which was a means for me to immerse myself in the depths of my being, will, through this experience, become a signpost for moving towards a more multifaceted horizon of expression.
Plastulo "John"
●Artist's comment: I create illustrations to see things that were once close but are now far away, up close again. I am interested in work related to books and music. Please contact me anytime.
Pomi "Delusion of Grandeur"
●Artist's comment: I create works under the theme of "a picture diary of inner landscapes." It feels like I've seen it somewhere before. I am searching for nostalgic landscapes.
mako "Nostalgia"
●Artist's comment: I will continue to draw with comfortable lines and shapes.
macoi "Sleeping Beauty"
●Artist's comment: One day, in the dark silence of midnight, I felt a thrilling and mysterious sensation, wondering if I was the only one awake in the world, and that's how I created this painting. I hope the night becomes a fun time for both those who can sleep and those who can't!
Sayaka Mori "fairy ring"
●Artist's comment: I depict a quiet and gentle world of fantasy, far from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I am eager to actively take on illustration work.
Yuji Yamaguchi "Unstoppable Vehicle"
●Artist's comment: While working in architectural design, I create drawings and other works as a life's pursuit. I want to continue drawing, fueled by the pleasure of creating imaginary forms on paper.
Raido Yoshida "Lotus_Receptacle"
●Artist's comment: I listened intently to the silence, and when I made a loosened knot into a seedbed, it became a warm cradle.
"Illustration" magazine, first published in 1979, is a specialized publication for professional illustrators, aspiring professionals, and those who use illustrations. It features works by trending illustrators, technique tutorials, and digital information. "The Choice," a public submission contest held in each issue, has produced many popular illustrators such as Katsuhiko Hibino, Hideyasu Moto, Toshiyuki Fukuda, Kuniko Nagasaki, and Mirokomachiko (titles omitted), and is constantly watched by creators. For all 40 winners selected annually, four judges gather to vote and determine the awards based on scores. We invite you to see what kind of works were chosen by the 2025 judges: Hideyuki Saitoh (graphic designer), Akane Sakagawa (book designer), Keiko Saotome (illustrator, essayist, cartoonist), and Gemi (illustrator).
Organizer: Illustration | Genkosha
Homepage:https://illustration-mag.jp/
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