National Feb. 04, 2012 - 06:00AM JST ( 1 )

TOKYO —

A set of serving plates shaped like “uchiwa” (Japanese fans), dubbed the “Four Seasons,” was awarded the Grand Prize in the Charming Japanese Souvenir Contest 2012, hosted by the Japan Tourism Agency. The judges comprised foreign nationals from 15 countries and regions as well as local experts on tourism, commerce and other fields.

The plate set was chosen from among 720 souvenir items submitted for the contest.

In addition, seven items were honored with category awards (gold, silver and bronze prizes for three items each in the TRADITIONAL JAPAN and COOL JAPAN categories, and a LUXURY JAPAN category prize for one item), while 15 items were given the INTERNATIONAL category award.

The award-winning souvenirs will be exhibited for sale at Narita, Kansai, Chubu and Haneda international airports.

The purpose of this competition is to foster and discover good Japanese souvenirs in terms of quality and design from the viewpoint of visitors from overseas by selecting the most attractive souvenirs. It will also contribute to promoting local brands, introducing Japanese appeal to the world through souvenirs and inviting more overseas visitors to Japan.