Okayama-based Yamada Bee Farm is inviting entries for its second "Children's Stories and Picture Books about Bees" contest.
Last year, some 724 picture books and 3,500 children's stories were entered in the contest from seven countries.
Entries must be original works featuring honeybees and expressing the connectedness of nature and the kindness of the heart. There are no restrictions on length, but entries should be submitted on paper with page numbers clearly marked. The deadline is June 30.
The grand-prize winner will receive a cash prize of 1 million yen, the first-prize winner 300,000 yen and the runner-up 50,000 yen. All three will also receive Yamada Bee Farm honey products.
To enter, first apply for a designated entry form by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Yamada Bee Farm, The Contest on Fairy Tales and Picture Books about Bees, 194 Ichiba, Kagamino-cho, Tomata-gun, Okayama 708-0393.
The winners will be announced at the end of October.
For more information, call (0868) 54-1906 or refer to the farm's Web site at http://www.3838.co.jp