In Collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in Pakistan

The Pakistan Japan Cultural Association (PJCA), Islamabad, is pleased to announce its First International English Haiku Contest 2026.

The contest is open to everyone worldwide and invites participants to submit their original English-language haiku and senryu.

There is no prescribed theme. Participants are free to write about nature, human experience, everyday life, emotions, or anything they wish to express through haiku or senryu.

Contest Categories

Entries will be judged separately in two categories:

• Haiku

• Senryu

Each participant may submit one haiku and one senryu and may enter either one category or both.

Prizes and Recognition

Three winners will be selected in each category, for a total of six winning entries.

In addition, six Honorable Mentions will be selected from the two categories combined.

Digital certificates will be awarded to all winners and Honorable Mentions. The certificates will be signed by the President of PJCA and H.E. the Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan.

Submission Period

September 1–30, 2026

Entries must be submitted through the official online submission form.

The submission form is available below.

Eligibility and Submission Conditions

Each submitted haiku or senryu must:

• Be previously unpublished and must not have been shared on any public or private platform.

• Be submitted exclusively to this competition and not be under consideration elsewhere.

• Follow the standard haiku or senryu format without special or experimental formatting.

• Be the entirely original work of the participant.

• Not be generated or assisted by artificial intelligence (AI).

Judging

All entries will be judged anonymously to promote fairness and impartiality.

An initial screening will be conducted to ensure that submissions comply with the contest guidelines and PJCA policies. The screening may include checks for prohibited or inappropriate content, plagiarism, and other violations of the contest requirements.

A submission will not be disqualified during the initial screening solely because it does not conform to a conventional interpretation of haiku form or structure. The appointed judges will make the final decisions regarding the quality, form, interpretation, and eligibility of entries.

The Haiku and Senryu categories will be judged separately by the appointed main judge, with three winning positions selected in each category.

The six Honorable Mentions will be selected from both categories by an official representative of the Embassy of Japan in Pakistan.

The names of the judges will be announced only when the official contest results are published.

The decisions of the judges and panelists will be final and cannot be appealed.

Results

The official results will be announced on:

November 1, 2026

The results will be published on PJCA Islamabad’s official website and shared through PJCA’s social media platforms.

The judges will also provide brief commentaries on the winning haiku and senryu.

An Invitation to Poets Worldwide

PJCA welcomes poets and writers from around the world to participate in this first international English Haiku Contest and share their original work.

Please follow PJCA Islamabad’s official website and social media platforms for the submission form and further announcements.

Pakistan Japan Cultural Association (PJCA), Islamabad

In collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in Pakistan