The Agency for Cultural Affairs of the Japanese government has announced the 30 winners of this year's Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) Art Encouragement Prizes on Friday. This year's winner of the MEXT Art Encouragement Shinjin Prize in the Media Arts category is Mamoru Hosoda, the 42-year-old director of the Summer Wars and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time anime films.

Ryuichi Sakamoto, the composer of The Wings of Honneamise, Appleseed, and the Oscar-winning score for The Last Buddha live-action film, won this year's main MEXT Art Encouragement Prize in the General Entertainment category for his "Ryuichi Sakamoto Playing the Piano 2009" solo tour. Production designer Yohei Taneda (Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Air Doll) won one of two main prizes in the film category, while director Akimasa Kawashima (Tsurikichi Sampei, Villon's Wife) won the other.

This is only the second year in which prizes were awarded in the Media Arts category. Takehiko Inoue, the manga creator of Slam Dunk, Vagabond, and REAL, received the MEXT Art Encouragement Shinjin Prize in this category last year.

that's great news. as expected from this great movie too.