A Wind of Young Talent at AnimeJapan 2026: Yui Hara Wins Grand Prix with "Police Men"
As the heart of the anime world beats in Tokyo, the stars of the future continue to shine one by one. The Emerging Creator Awards, held at this year's AnimeJapan 2026 event, provided a fantastic platform for young talents to step into the professional industry. The competition's top honor, the Grand Prix, went to the short film "Police Men," signed by Kyoto Seika University student Yui Hara. With this success, Hara not only gained prestige but also became the recipient of a 1 million yen (approximately $6,000) cash prize.
"Police Men" is a 'human dramedy' set on the streets of Kyoto, telling the story of three police officers with completely different personalities. The story of these officers, who sometimes work together and sometimes clash in pursuit of a common goal—catching criminals—received full marks from the jury for both its technical skill and narrative power. Yui Hara was accompanied in this project by a talented team consisting of Hinata Udo, Woohee, China Kin, Rakuki Chen, Hiroto Tsujinaka, and Sumihiro Nomura. The work became the most talked-about production of the night, embracing not only the main award but also the AnimeJapan Special Award.
The collaboration behind this award is also quite remarkable. This initiative, brought to life through the partnership of AnimeJapan and Crunchyroll, aims to bring the works of animation students in Japan to the world stage. Indeed, "Police Men" and the short films that won in other categories will meet audiences in more than 200 countries and regions via Crunchyroll. This is seen as one of the greatest opportunities a young creator can achieve at the beginning of their career. Industry representatives emphasize that such awards are critical for discovering the next generation of directors to meet Japan's growing global demand for anime.
The fact that the winner came from Kyoto Seika University is actually not very surprising. This well-established institution, which founded the first 'Faculty of Manga' in Japan in 2006, is known as one of the industry's most important talent factories. Having previously graduated names such as Blue Lock author Muneyuki Kaneshiro and The Way of the Househusband creator Kousuke Ohno, the university has once again proven its success with Yui Hara. We can't wait to see what Hara and her team will achieve in major studios in the future! If you are curious about the next generation of animation, you should definitely add these award-winning short films to your watchlist on Crunchyroll.
