[Overview of the “AI Image Generation Contest”]
This contest invites participants to freely submit image works created using AI under the theme of “Summer.” There are no restrictions on the tools used for generation, and anyone can participate as long as they have an environment capable of generating images. Participants are also free to add edits or enhancements using image editing software, allowing for a wide range of creative expression.
Winners of this contest will be awarded various prizes such as the “Grand Prize,” “Excellence Award,” and “ConoHa Award,” and the winning works are scheduled to be announced on a dedicated page. In addition, the judging process will consist of multiple stages conducted by GMO Internet and external judges, with entries evaluated from multiple perspectives such as expressiveness, originality, and topicality.
■Details of the “AI Image Generation Contest”
| Summer | |
| August 5, 2025 (Tue) – August 31, 2025 (Sun) | |
| No restrictions on eligibility. The type of AI image generation tool does not matter. Edits and finishing touches using image editing software after creation are also allowed. | |
| Please apply via the submission form on the contest page. https://ai.conoha.jp/canvas/campaign/1stanniversary/contest/ | |
| Grand Prize (1 winner): Amazon Gift Card worth ¥50,000 Excellence Award (3 winners): Amazon Gift Card worth ¥10,000 ConoHa Award (1 winner): “ConoHa AI Canvas” Entry Plan – 1 month free | |
| Late September 2025 | |
| First Round (Judges: GMO Internet): September 1–5 Second Round (Judges: And Idea Inc., Tokyo AI Festival Executive Committee, others): September 8–12 Final Round (Judges: GMO Internet): September 16–19 |
■External Judges Profile
And Idea Inc.
A creative studio that practices “AI × Creativity.” Centered on AI-powered illustration, video, and design production, the company provides end-to-end services from planning and proposals to production and operation for businesses and creators. Since 2023, it has also introduced AI technologies into advertising and social media content production, focusing on expanding expressive techniques. In this contest, it will participate in the judging from a multifaceted perspective.
Tokyo AI Festival Executive Committee
At its AI tech conference, the committee organizes a wide range of programs, including lectures by AI experts, corporate booths, hackathons, and generative AI art contests. It provides a platform where developers, creators, and students—those who actively utilize AI—can deepen their understanding of cutting-edge knowledge and expand their networks.
■Comments
And Idea Inc.
And Idea Inc. has high expectations for the new possibilities of expression brought about by the fusion of AI and creativity. We are confident that, together with AI image generation, we can open up an era where anyone can freely turn their imagination into reality. We hope this contest will serve as a step toward a future where more people can participate in creative activities.
Kazuyuki Tone, General Manager, ConoHa Business Division, GMO Internet, Inc.
“ConoHa AI Canvas” was created with the goal of providing “a place where anyone can intuitively enjoy high-quality image generation,” and we are pleased to celebrate its 1st anniversary. We sincerely appreciate the many users who have supported us and allowed us to share the joy of AI-powered creativity with a wide audience.
This contest is an initiative to expand “new forms of expression” through generative AI. We hope it will serve as an opportunity for anyone to participate and experience the appeal of AI-driven creative work.
Moving forward, “ConoHa AI Canvas” will continue to evolve as a creative tool that fits into everyday life, aiming to become an even more user-friendly and valuable service for more people.
[“¥500 OFF Campaign” for New and Existing Users]
All users, including new users who sign up for “ConoHa AI Canvas” and existing users already using the service, will receive a “¥500 OFF coupon” applicable to all plans. For more details, please check the post published around 15:00 on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, on the official “ConoHa byGMO” X account (https://x.com/ConoHaPR).
[Overview of “ConoHa AI Canvas”
(URL: https://www.conoha.jp/ai/canvas/ )]
The global generative AI market is projected to expand from $20.5 billion in 2023 to $356.1 billion by 2030 (*1), and the use of generative AI is rapidly growing not only among individuals but also across businesses. In particular, image generation AI is attracting attention as a technology that can dramatically improve responsiveness and productivity across a wide range of creative fields such as marketing, education, and prototyping, as it enables the creation of high-quality visuals in a short time and at low cost without requiring specialized knowledge.
On the other hand, generating high-quality images often requires high-performance PC environments, and even when using cloud services, challenges such as costs and feature limitations have existed.
To address these challenges—such as reducing image production time and compensating for a lack of design skills—GMO Internet, Inc. has launched “ConoHa AI Canvas,” a service that allows anyone to easily utilize high-quality image generation.
“ConoHa AI Canvas” is an AI image generation service that enables users to easily use Stability AI’s image generation AI “Stable Diffusion XL” directly from a web browser. While “Stable Diffusion XL” typically requires specialized knowledge and a high-performance PC environment, this service allows anyone to generate high-quality images with simple operations from a browser on their own PC.
(*1) Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Information and Communications White Paper 2025
https://www.soumu.go.jp/johotsusintokei/whitepaper/ja/r07/pdf/n2190000.pdf
■Key Features
Easy to Use via Web Browser
・Anyone can easily generate high-quality images with simple operations from a browser on their PC.
・Supports Japanese language display.
・Generated images can be saved and managed in the cloud-based file storage “File Manager.”
Enables secure storage and management of large volumes of generated images without consuming local PC storage capacity.
【Getting Started with AI Canvas】 https://youtu.be/zgFNamhX_w8?si=MHQIviNnNaHsQxEz
【Official ConoHa Channel】 https://youtube.com/@conohajp?si=s4rQi5lfqJeOCmsy
2. High-Quality Image Generation with “Stable Diffusion XL”
・Utilizes “Stable Diffusion XL,” an advanced image generation AI developed by Stability AI, capable of producing highly detailed images.
・Selected as one of the Good Design Best 100 in 2023 (*2), receiving high acclaim as an image generation AI model.
3. Enjoy Unlimited Image Generation Without Restrictions
・No limitations on the number of images generated or artistic styles, allowing full customization.
・Generate images as many times as you like with no usage limits.
(*2) For details on the Good Design Best 100 2023, please visit the official Stability AI website.
https://ja.stability.ai/blog/gooddesign100
[About “ConoHa byGMO”]
(URL: https://www.conoha.jp/ )
“ConoHa byGMO” is a hosting service provided by GMO Internet Group, Inc., which boasts the No.1 hosting share in Japan (*3). It offers a wide range of services tailored to various user needs, including “ConoHa WING,” Japan’s fastest (*4) rental server ideal for blogs and website creation; “ConoHa VPS,” which allows more flexible server customization and configuration; “ConoHa for Windows Server” for users requiring a Windows OS; “ConoHa for GAME” for game users with free game templates; and “ConoHa AI Canvas,” which enables full-scale AI image generation directly from a browser.
With no initial costs and a strong focus on simplicity and ease of use, the service is designed for a wide range of users—from first-time server users to individual business owners and corporations.
(*3) Industry share is calculated based on data from ipinfo.io. ipinfo.io is a website operated by IDB LLC that provides geographic information linked to IP addresses.
(*4) As of April 2025, based on internal research. Among the top 10 services accounting for over 90% of the domestic market share, server processing speeds of the lowest-tier plans were measured five times using load testing tools “Apache Bench” and “h2load,” and the average values were compared. Domestic market share was calculated based on data from Webhosting.info and DomainTools.
