AnimeNation reports that Kunio Kato's 12-minute short, Tsumiki no Ie (House of Blocks), won the Annecy Cristal grand prize for short films and a Junior Jury award at this year's Annecy International Animated Film Festival. The feature won over 45 other submissions in the category. Kato is the second Japanese animator to win the Annecy Cristal grand prize for short films.

The first Japanese feature to win this particular award was Koji Yamamura, who had submitted Atama Yama (Mt. Head). The Annecy International Animated Film Festival is held annually in Annecy, France.