Japan has one of the largest number of Amateur Radio operators in the world. The YB6_DXC Digital Modes club offers the WDM (Worked Digital Mode) Japan Award for working certain numbers of unique Japanese Amateur Radio stations using only digital modes.
New England may enjoy privileged access to European stations. But here on the West Coast Japan and the Pacific offers us a similar benefit. I can work Japanese stations on FT8 almost any day. Even with a modest station, it’s easy to make the initial 10 contacts needed for the entry level (Basic) Japan Award certificate.
But you are far from done after having achieved this initial goal. You can receive additional certificates for ever increasing numbers of contacted Japanese stations. The current top award at a Platinum level requires 300 unique stations.
The certificates for each of the awarded levels is unique and features a different Japanese watercolor scene. I’m partial to the 250 station certificate.
The WDM Japan Award is just one of many Country QSO Count Awards that are offered by multiple groups.
To apply for the WDM Japan Award, and all other YB6_DXC awards, you must install the UltimateAAC application on a Windows machine. That application scans your WSJT-X ADIF log file and will inform you when you’ve qualified for the award at various levels. YB6_DXC issues the award in digital form only (JPG or PDF) with no printing or shipping costs. In fact, the award is completely free, like all of their other awards.