Sakura Miku in Hirosaki Illustration Contest Open for Entries

by Hoshi · Published April 10, 2020 · Updated June 17, 2020

Snow Miku isn’t the only Miku variant getting some love recently. Last year, Sakura Miku took center stage promoting the Hirosaki Neputa Festival and now she’s part of a “Sakura Miku in Hirosaki” campaign!

The first Hirosaki Sakurakai (renamed to Hirosaki Festival in 1961) was in 1918. However, due to the festival being cancelled three times during the war, 2020 would have marked the actual 100th anniversary. Unfortunately, it’s being cancelled this year as well but there will be something happening on the web to liven up the springtime!

This special web celebration will include Sakura Miku, of course, and Crypton is looking for artists to draw Sakura Miku for the special video commemorating the event.

The Basics

The contest is open until Monday, April 27, 2020 at 17:00 Japan Time. So be sure to get your entries in before then!

Winners will be contacted in May 2020.

The Rules

The theme of the contest is “Sakura Miku and Hirosaki” but any Sakura Miku related work following the other rules is eligible. You can even enter works already posted on piapro!

Submission Format

Work Size: A4 (210mm x 297mm) size or more * Both vertical and horizontal are acceptable
File Format: JPEG, PNG
Color Mode: RGB
Resolution: 350dpi or more

Costume Restrictions

All illustrations MUST use the official Sakura Miku design; no derivatives or custom designs are allowed. You can’t make a new Sakura Miku design or add to the official Sakura Miku design. Below is a reference image for Sakura Miku so that you can make sure your illustration follows it!

(Official Sakura Miku art by KEI)

How to Enter

After making your illustration that follows all the guidelines, you’ll have to submit it to piapro!
Those without accounts can sign up here.

After uploading, tag your entry with the tag 桜ミク弘前コラボ
Then tag lock (タグロック) it

Those steps will also work for qualifying art already uploaded to piapro.

Make sure not to license your entry

Cautionary Points

It might be necessary for the contest organizers to crop your design

It might be necessary for the contest organizers to shorten or omit your entry title

Entrants younger than 18 years of age must supply parental or guardian consent

Entries must be the work of a single individual; entries created by companies or a group of people are not allowed

Make sure to not change your email address after completing your entry

You are solely responsible if claims are filed against your entry for infringing on the rights of any third party. The contest organizers bear no responsibility.

Your entry must be an original work that has never been uploaded online before or used in other contests

The final entry day before the deadline is often flooded with entries, and yours may not be uploaded in time, so please upload your entry well ahead of the deadline

Under no circumstances will any more entries be accepted after the deadline

Entries and their information (titles, descriptions, etc.) cannot be modified after the deadline

Your nickname that will be displayed with your entry will be the one that you set at the licensing step. If a name is not set, then your Piapro nickname piapro ID will be displayed instead.