The World Gogyoshi Prize Returns: Celebrating the 5th Anthology with a Global Voting Event

Taro Arzu Awarding Winners – Honoring the Voices of Global Gogyoshi

Poet and cultural ambassador Taro Aizu has officially launched the World Gogyoshi Prize for the 5th anthology of World Gogyoshi, aiming to spread the beauty of this poetic form across the globe. This unique literary event will honor five outstanding poets from the 2023 edition of the anthology, selected by the votes of the 151 contributors who participated in its creation.

Aizu envisions this initiative as a celebration—a Midsummer Festival of World Gogyoshi. He invites all contributors to revisit the anthology and carefully read through the 151 published poems. Each participant is encouraged to select their top three gogyoshi and send their choices to Aizu via Messenger.

Once votes are collected, Aizu will publish all individual selections publicly on his Facebook profile, allowing contributors to view and reflect on each other's choices. The final results will be tallied, and the five most frequently selected poems will receive official recognition:

• First Prize of World Gogyoshi

• Second Prize

• Third Prize

• Fourth Prize

• Fifth Prize

  
  

The deadline for submissions is August 31, 2025. In the spirit of global connection and poetic appreciation, Aizu encourages everyone to participate with fairness and enthusiasm.

This prize not only honors excellence in gogyoshi writing but also reinforces the sense of global community among poets who cherish this minimalist and expressive form. It’s more than a competition—it’s a collective celebration of poetic voice and vision.

Let the Midsummer Festival of World Gogyoshi begin.