A festival promoting mutual understanding of the world's different cultures through art by children around the globe will open in Kanagawa Prefecture next May, organizers said.

The 11th Kanagawa Biennial World Children's Art Exhibition, sponsored by the prefectural government, will accept entries on any subject from kids aged 4 to 15. The period for submissions is from Aug. 1 to Oct. 31, according to organizers.

Winners will have their works displayed at the Kanagawa Plaza for Global Citizenship in Yokohama and other places, they said.

The exhibition's grand prize, dubbed the Governor of Kanagawa Award, will be given to three children — one local and two foreign.

The local recipient will be sent abroad to an as yet undecided destination, while the foreign recipients, together with an adult, will receive an all-expense-paid tour of Kanagawa, in addition to the award.

Forty-four winners of special prizes such as the Minister for Foreign Affairs Award, President of the Japan Foundation Award and President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency Award will be invited to attend the award ceremony.

In the March 1999 show, there were about 47,000 entries — 40,000 foreign and 7,000 local — from 130 countries and five regions.

There were 607 winners.

The exhibition has been held every other year since 1981 with the aim of enhancing the artistic potential of children as key players in the future. It is supported by the Foreign Ministry, the Japan Foundation and the Japan Committee for UNICEF.