We are happy to announce that for the 2025/26 contest, a total of 61 children created haiku centered around the theme of "Sound". With the valuable support of the German Haiku Association, the Japanese Cultural Centre in Cologne, the Japanese-German Centre in Berlin, and many enthusiastic teachers, we were able to spread the joy of writing haiku across the entire country.

Even though this year's theme was quite challenging, the works created by the children each encompassed a unique understanding of the topic. As in previous years, the entries were remarkably diverse, yet every single one displayed a lots of creativity. We were surprised by the wisdom and appreciation shown within some works for nature or human relationships far beyond the creators' years. All of them were an absolute delight to read, which made the final selection of the winners exceedingly difficult.

We hope that many of the participating children will continue to explore their interest in haiku, ultimately becoming a lasting part of the global community of haiku enthusiasts.