Article 1 (Purpose)

These Terms set out the conditions for entering and taking part in Chara KURUME 2026 ("the Project"), organised by MONZZfactory Inc. By entering, you agree to these Terms.

Article 2 (Eligibility)

1. Anyone may enter, from any country. Residence in Japan, travel to Japan, and knowledge of Japanese are not required.
2. Individuals, companies and agency-represented creators may all enter. If you are represented by an agency or similar body, please obtain their approval before entering.
3. There is no minimum age. Where entry involves posting on social media, the platform's own rules apply. Division 2 requires entrants to be 13 or older.
4. For Division 1, you must own the rights to the character or IP you enter, or hold permission from the rights holder to merchandise it.
5. Officers and employees of the Organiser and their immediate associates may not enter. This does not apply to guest creators invited by the Organiser, who take part outside the judging.

Article 3 (Entries)

1. You may only enter work to which you hold the rights, or for which you have permission for use in the Project.
2. This is not a contest of drawing ability. If you own the character, you may enter work drawn by someone else, provided that person has agreed to its use in the Project.
3. On request, we will credit both parties: "Character: ◯◯ / Artwork: ◯◯".
4. Entries need not be previously unpublished.
5. One entry per person, per division. The same person may enter both divisions.
6. In the main round of Division 1, VTubers and streamers may submit a single frame from a video as their finished work, provided it functions as a still image and is of sufficient resolution for manufacture.

Article 4 (Generative AI)

1. The Project is for work made by human hands. Work whose principal elements were produced by image-generating AI is not eligible.
2. Assistive tools (sketch aids, colouring aids, background assets) may be used, provided the final expression is made by a person.
3. "By a person" is not limited to the entrant. Where the rights holder commissioned another person, that work is treated as made by human hands. What this Article excludes is AI generation, not human commissioning.
4. Where doubt arises, the Organiser may request evidence of the production process (layered files, work-in-progress images and so on).
5. If a breach comes to light after entry, the Organiser may revoke the selection and halt sales of the product.

Article 5 (Content guidelines)

1. 1. Work selected in the Project is displayed in public places where anyone may pass, including JR Kurume Station, a roadside station and the shopping district.
   2. Submitted work must be suitable for all ages.
   3. Work containing any of the following may not be entered:
      • • Explicit sexual content
        • Graphic violence or cruelty
        • Defamation of an individual or organisation
        • Content whose main purpose is political or religious advocacy
        • Anything contrary to law or public order

1. What an entrant produces on other platforms is not a factor. In Japanese doujin culture it is standard practice for a creator to make both all-ages and adult work. The Project assesses only the work submitted to it, and does not restrict activity elsewhere.

Article 6 (Entrants under 18)

1. Entrants under 18 are welcome. No guardian's consent is required at the entry stage.
2. After finalists are selected, entrants under 18 must submit a guardian's consent form. It covers the guardian's name, relationship and contact details; consent to merchandising and sale; consent to publication of the work and creator name on social media, the web and in press coverage; the account for receiving payment (a guardian's account is acceptable); and the guardian's signature.
3. If the form is not received by the stated deadline, the place passes to the next entrant.
4. For entrants under 18 outside Japan, payment is sent to a guardian's account, as required by the transfer service.

Article 7 (Rights and licence)

1. Copyright in entered work remains entirely with the entrant. Nothing is assigned to the Organiser.
2. The entrant grants the Organiser a licence on the following terms:

Use	Manufacture and sale of badges and similar goods; point-of-sale cards; promotion of the Project (posters, leaflets, web, social media); reporting for the Japan Small Business Sustainability Subsidy; reports to Kurume City and related bodies
Period	1 August 2026 to 31 December 2027
Exclusivity	Non-exclusive.
Alteration	Cropping and colour adjustment only, as required for production. The intent of the work will not be altered
Sub-licensing	May be sub-licensed to manufacturing and printing partners, within the scope above

3. Any use beyond this period or outside these purposes will be discussed with the entrant and agreed separately.
4. The Organiser respects the entrant's moral rights and will not make alterations that damage the integrity of the work.

Article 8 (Third-party rights)

1. The entrant warrants that the work does not infringe any third party's copyright, trademark, likeness or other rights.
2. Where character design, model data or other assets were commissioned from an external party, the entrant confirms they have clarified the rights position and hold permission for merchandising in the Project.
3. If infringement comes to light, the Organiser will revoke the selection and halt sales. The entrant may be liable for losses already incurred.

Article 9 (Judging)

1. Judging follows the method set by the Organiser. The method and formula are published before entries open and do not change during the entry period.
2. The Organiser cannot enter into correspondence about individual results.
3. Only reactions to the official account's posts about the work are counted towards the social media score. Entrants may post freely about their own work, but such reactions are not included.
4. No adjustment is made for follower count.
5. Official posts use an identical format for every work; posting order is decided by lottery and published; counting begins only once all posts are live.
6. Web voting includes anti-fraud measures. Votes identified as fraudulent, or reasonably suspected of being so, may be discounted. Interim results are not published.
7. Judges are announced in advance.
8. A stated number of main-round places are selected by the judges outside the scoring. The number is given in each division's guidelines.
9. If entry numbers fall short of expectations, the Organiser may adjust the number of main-round entrants and finalists.

Article 10 (Prizes and royalties)

1. Prizes and main-round awards are supplementary awards paid for the purpose of promoting the Project. Amounts are stated in each division's guidelines.
2. A sales royalty is paid at a fixed amount per unit sold. The amount is stated in each division's guidelines.
3. A minimum royalty of ¥3,000 is guaranteed to each of the final nine; any shortfall is made up by the Organiser.
4. Royalties are also paid on any stock remaining when the sales period ends, calculated on the full quantity manufactured.
5. Prizes and royalties are paid together in a single transfer in January 2027. Transfer fees are borne by the Organiser.
6. For entrants outside Japan, the Organiser bears the Japanese withholding tax, so that the amount stated in the guidelines is received net.
7. Entrants are responsible for their own tax reporting in their country of residence.

Article 11 (Merchandising)

1. Finalists' work is manufactured as 57mm badges and sold at locations within Kurume.
2. One main design is required; submitting several is strongly recommended.The number of designs directly affects sales and royalties.
3. All designs and their pull rates are displayed at the point of sale.
4. Price, locations and sales period are determined by the Organiser and may change for practical reasons.
5. After sales end, each of the final nine receives a sales report issued as a formal document in the Organiser's name.
6. The Organiser offers an ongoing merchandising contract to the creator with the highest actual sales in each division. The measurement period and what counts towards it are stated in each division's guidelines. Contract terms are agreed individually.
7. Where equipment failure causes a material difference in sales opportunity, rankings are adjusted for operating time.

Article 12 (Links used when introducing entrants)

1. The entrant chooses the link used when the Organiser introduces them on the official account, the project site or physical displays.
2. If you produce adult work, please give a link to a page where such content is not immediately visible. This is solely because of where these displays are placed.

Article 13 (Personal data)

1. Personal data provided is used only for running the Project, paying prizes and royalties, communicating about merchandising, and reporting for the Japan Small Business Sustainability Subsidy.
2. Within those purposes, necessary data may be shared with contractors (design, printing, payment administration).
3. Data is not provided to third parties without consent, except where required by law.
4. Only your creator name, character name, work, and your chosen link are published. Legal name, address and contact details are not.

Article 14 (Prohibited conduct)

Entrants must not:

1. Enter using false information
2. Enter more than once using multiple accounts
3. Manipulate web voting (including through multiple devices or automated tools)
4. Solicit votes in exchange for money or other consideration
5. Defame or obstruct other entrants, judges, the Organiser, Kurume City or other parties involved
6. Otherwise interfere with the running of the Project

Where such conduct is confirmed, the Organiser may revoke the selection, halt sales, and withhold payment.

Article 15 (Limitation of liability)

1. The Organiser is not liable for losses arising from the Project, except where caused by the Organiser's wilful misconduct or gross negligence.
2. The Organiser gives no guarantee as to sales volume. This is the first year of the Project and sales may fall short of expectations. Prizes and the minimum royalty under Article 10(3) are paid regardless.
3. Sales periods, locations and the content of the Project may be changed or cancelled due to natural disaster, disease outbreak, venue circumstances, administrative requirements or other unavoidable causes. Prizes and the minimum royalty are paid in such cases.
4. Where platform changes or outages disrupt counting, the Organiser will apply a reasonable alternative method.

Article 16 (Amendments)

1. The Organiser may amend these Terms where necessary, giving notice on the project site.
2. The judging method and formula will not be changed during the entry period.

Article 17 (Governing law and jurisdiction)

These Terms are governed by Japanese law. The Kurume Branch of the Fukuoka District Court has exclusive jurisdiction as the court of first instance.

Contact

MONZZfactory Inc. 925-821 Fujimitsu-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0054, Japan Email: info@monzzfactory.com