Starting Wednesday, July 8, 2026, entries open for the "100 Art Crayon Works Exhibition 2026," a show for anyone who creates crayon art with Art Crayon. Astram Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President: Junichi Ishigaki) will select 100 works from the submissions and exhibit them at Hibiya OKUROJI in Tokyo starting November 2026.
The "100 Art Crayon Works Exhibition" gives everyone who creates crayon art with Art Crayon a place to show their work. It introduces the wide range of expression Art Crayon makes possible and offers a space to enjoy drawing and share it with others. Anyone with the desire to draw can enter, regardless of age, nationality, experience, or genre and theme, and each person may submit as many works as they like. In its first year, 2025, the exhibition drew more than 2,300 entries. During the exhibition, a networking and appreciation event was held for the 100 selected entrants, bringing together participants from across Japan and creating new connections through their artwork.
For its second year, entries open on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. In late October, 100 works will be selected from the submissions and exhibited from Sunday, November 22 to Wednesday, December 2, 2026, at Hibiya OKUROJI in Tokyo, a spot that sees around 10,000 visitors a day. Every entry can also be viewed on the website as an online exhibition.
Exhibition Venue
The exhibition will select 100 works from the submissions and display them at Hibiya OKUROJI in November and December 2026.
- Exhibition period: Sunday, November 22 – Wednesday, December 2, 2026
- Venue: Hibiya OKUROJI (1-7-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
Hibiya OKUROJI (1-7-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
Tucked away in Hibiya, this 300-meter stretch beneath a railway viaduct makes use of brick arches dating from the Meiji era to house a collection of distinctive shops. With a hidden, off-the-beaten-path feel and a hundred years of history, it's a spot that draws in curious visitors looking for something a little different.
Hibiya OKUROJI official site: http://www.jrtk.jp/hibiya-okuroji/
"100 Art Crayon Works Exhibition 2026" Entry Guidelines
This exhibition is open to works created using Art Crayon.
"100 Art Crayon Works Exhibition" website: https://pentel-artcrayon.com
Eligibility
- Eligibility: Open to all (any age, gender, occupation, or nationality)
- Group entries: Not accepted
- Entry fee: Free
Entry Conditions
- Each entrant may submit any number of works; if submitting multiple pieces, enter each one separately.
- Works must be made using Pentel's Art Crayon; combining it with other art materials is allowed.
- Entrants whose work is selected for the 100 will exhibit it at Hibiya OKUROJI, so please keep the original artwork on hand until results are announced in late October.
- Entrants under 18 must have a parent or guardian's consent.
Schedule
- Entry period: Wednesday, July 8 – Monday, October 5, 2026, 11:59 PM
- Results announced: Late October 2026
- Exhibition period: Sunday, November 22 – Wednesday, December 2, 2026
Artwork Requirements
- Materials: Pentel's Art Crayon (combining with other materials is allowed)
- Theme: Open
- Must be a previously unentered work (posting on SNS or showing at a solo exhibition is fine, but works already entered in other public competitions or contests are not eligible)
Size & Specifications
- Size: Up to 540 x 380 mm
- Depth/thickness: Up to 300 mm
- Weight: Up to 5 kg
- Surface: Open (drawing paper, board, canvas, etc.)
- Orientation: Open
How to Enter
Submit your work through the "Apply Here" button on the "100 Art Crayon Works Exhibition" website.
"100 Art Crayon Works Exhibition" website: https://pentel-artcrayon.com
Judging
All entries will be reviewed, and 100 works will be selected for exhibit at Hibiya OKUROJI. From those, the judges will choose 10 for special recognition.
All entries will also be published on the website as an online exhibition.
Results will be announced on the website in late October, with selected entrants contacted individually.
Selected for the 100 (excluding the 10 Judges' Prize winners)
- Exhibition of the work at the venue
- Invitation to a networking, appreciation, and preview event (planned for Saturday, November 21, 2026, in Tokyo)
Judges' Prize Winners
- Exhibition of the work at the venue
- Invitation to a networking, appreciation, and preview event (planned for Saturday, November 21, 2026, in Tokyo)
- Prize money of ¥100,000
Judges
The judging panel includes Harumichi Shibasaki, co-developer of Art Crayon; Goro Yamada, known for his deep knowledge of art; and Junichi Ishigaki, president of Astram Inc.
Harumichi Shibasaki
Watercolor artist, painting instructor, and art YouTuber.
Known affectionately as "Grandpa Teacher," he is the co-developer of Art Crayon. He launched the YouTube channel "Watercolor by Shibasaki" in 2017, which has 2.14 million subscribers as of July 2026, around 10% of them overseas viewers.
YouTube channel "Watercolor by Shibasaki": https://www.youtube.com/c/WatercolorbyShibasaki
- Message from Harumichi Shibasaki
With a blender that extends its range of expression and a color lineup that has grown to 25 shades, Art Crayon can now capture an even deeper and freer world. Make the most of these new possibilities and freely express whatever excites you. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's individuality shine through their work again this year.
Goro Yamada
Critic, born December 5, 1958, in Tokyo. After graduating from the Faculty of Letters at Sophia University, he joined Kodansha, served as editor-in-chief of "Hot-Dog PRESS," and became independent in 2004. He continues to write and lecture on art, watches, and city planning, and has appeared on TV programs including "出没！アド街ック天国" (TV Tokyo). His YouTube channel on art, "Goro Yamada's Adult Education Series," has 780,000 subscribers as of July 2026. His books include "Impressionism Made Ridiculously Easy to Understand" (Diamond, Inc.), the 10-volume "A Dark History of Western Painting" (Sogensha), and "The Complete Guide to Mechanical Watches" (Kodansha).
YouTube channel "Goro Yamada's Adult Education Series": https://www.youtube.com/@art-yamadagoro
- Message from Goro Yamada
Art Crayon makes possible a range of expression that goes beyond what people expect from crayons. Last year, I was struck by how many free-spirited works pushed those possibilities even further. I'm looking forward to seeing even more works this year that are full of freedom and the joy of drawing.
Junichi Ishigaki, President of Astram Inc.
President and Representative Director of Astram Inc.
He joined Pentel (now Astram Inc.) in 1986, with postings including Pentel Germany and Pentel Shanghai, became an executive officer in 2014 and a director in 2022, and has held his current position since June 2025.
- Message from Junichi Ishigaki
The 100 Art Crayon Works Exhibition is open to anyone who feels like trying Pentel's Art Crayon, regardless of age, nationality, or how skilled they consider themselves at drawing. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's heartfelt work again this year.
Art Crayon 8-Color Set Giveaway to Mark the "100 Art Crayon Works Exhibition 2026"
To mark the second running of the "100 Art Crayon Works Exhibition," a limited-quantity Art Crayon giveaway campaign is taking place. It's designed to let people try Art Crayon for themselves and give first-timers a reason to enter the "100 Art Crayon Works Exhibition."
Campaign Overview
- Period: Wednesday, July 8 – Friday, July 31, 2026, 11:59 PM (while supplies last, on a first-come, first-served basis)
- Prize: One Art Crayon 8-color set, one sheet of A4 Kent paper, and one sheet of A4 drawing paper
- Winner notification: Winners will be notified by receiving their shipment, with no separate announcement
- How to enter: Enter through the giveaway campaign page
- Art Crayon 8-Color Set giveaway page: https://pentel-artcrayon.com/news/20260708_2
About ART CRAYON
Art Crayon was developed around the concept of "bringing back the freedom for adults to draw," offering the ease of a crayon while creating an oil-painting-like touch. Co-developed with painter and art YouTuber Harumichi Shibasaki, whose channel has 2.14 million subscribers (as of July 2026), its soft texture lets line width be controlled through pen pressure, and it allows mixing and layering colors while keeping their vividness, making it a crayon that opens up varied expression.
- Oil-painting-like expression, with free mixing and layering of colors
- Vivid coloring through proprietary technology
- A pleasant touch whether drawing or filling in color
- Designed to shed little residue and keep hands and surroundings clean
Product page: https://www.pentel.co.jp/products/artmaterials/artcrayon/
