The5ers Japan-Only "Short-Term Trading Contest" Starts Sept. 14, 22:00, Runs 1 Hour | Free to Enter, Prizes Are New High Stakes $25K/$10K/$5K Accounts [September 2026]
※ This article is based on an announcement email sent by The5ers' Japan team on September 9, 2026, and The5ers hub's contest page. Entry conditions and prizes are governed by the organizer's official announcement.
[Added September 25, 2026] This contest ended on September 14. What follows is the pre-event announcement.
TL;DR
- September 14, 2026 (Monday) 22:00–22:58 JST — a Japan-only contest lasting just 58 minutes. Free to enter
- Open to people who registered with "Japan" as their address. Login details are distributed at the contest start time
- Prizes are 1st: $25K, 2nd: $10K, 3rd: $5K new High Stakes accounts (a 2-step plan with a 10%→5% profit target), and 4th–10th get a $20 hub credit (usable only toward a challenge purchase, through October 14)
- The contest account is $10,000, 1:30 leverage, 3% max drawdown, no automated trading, no trading within 2 minutes of an indicator release
- The same week, Moneta Funded is also running a Japan-only contest (9/14–9/18). Overseas prop firms' "fight for the Japanese market" all kicked off at once in September
Event details
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Date/time | September 14, 2026 (Monday) 22:00–22:58 JST |
| Entry fee | Free |
| Eligibility | Registered with The5ers, with a Japanese address on file |
| Account | $10,000 (a virtual contest account) |
| Leverage | 1:30 |
| Max drawdown | 3% |
| Prohibited | Automated trading software, trading within 2 minutes before/after an indicator release |
| Login details | Check the hub at the contest start time |
| Ranking | By profit amount (the email's wording: "grow your profit to aim for the top") |
Registration is through The5ers hub's "Contests" page. The hub's contest list also shows the standing "weekly contest" (total prize pool $2.5M), so make sure to pick the Japan-only one when registering.
Prizes
| Rank | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | $25K High Stakes (new) |
| 2nd | $10K High Stakes (new) |
| 3rd | $5K High Stakes (new) |
| 4th–10th | $20 hub credit (usable only toward a challenge purchase, expires October 14, 2026) |
The "new High Stakes" is the 10% Step 1 / 5% Step 2 version. This is the "New" side that this site covers in Classic (8%) vs. New (10%) comparison. The prize account is an evaluation account, so you'll need to pass both steps from there.
What can you do in 1 hour with 3% DD and 30x leverage?
Working out the contest's constraints ahead of time saves you from hesitating on the day.
- 3% of $10K = $300 is the failure line. Drop below that within 58 minutes and you're done
- At 1:30 leverage, going max lot on gold or an index can burn through $300 in a few minutes. Cap each trade's loss at $100 or less and you get 3 shots
- 22:00 JST overlaps with London and New York, so gold, US indices, and USD/JPY tend to see decent movement — but reversals come just as fast
- Making the top 10 gets you a $20 credit, and top 3 gets an evaluation account. In terms of prize expected value, "finish with a positive profit without failing" beats "swing for one big win" for improving your odds
Automated trading is banned, so EA traders are on manual for the day too. The 2-minute indicator ban is the same as The5ers' standard rule. If there's a red-flag US indicator between 22:00–23:00 JST that day, avoid trading around it.
September is stacked with "Japan-only" events
The5ers built out a Japanese site, a Japan team, and a Japanese newsletter through 2026. On top of that, the same week of September 14 also has Moneta Funded's Japan-launch contest (9/14–9/18, 1st place $500 + a $20K Phoenix account).
For overseas prop firms, Japan is a market with "high per-account value and a large EA population," and a free contest is the cheapest way to bring in new registrations. Entering itself carries no risk, but expect more frequent discount emails after you register. The relationship between The5ers' discount push and its reviews is broken down in the yellow card article.
FAQ
Q. Can anyone living in Japan enter?
Only accounts registered with Japan selected as the address at sign-up. If you haven't registered yet, create your account with Japan as your address first, then apply through the contest page.
Q. Is the High Stakes prize immediately a funded account?
No, it's an evaluation account. You need to pass the new High Stakes' 2-step plan (10%→5%) to move up to a funded account. See the site owner's payout report for the payout flow once you're funded.
Q. Can I withdraw the hub credit?
No. It can only be used toward a challenge purchase, and this batch expires October 14, 2026.
Q. Can I use an EA?
Not in the contest — it's banned. EAs are allowed in regular challenges (as long as you own the source code), but the contest account is manual-only.
References
prop-memo.com related articles
- The5ers guide: rules and FAQ for every plan
- The5ers High Stakes: 8% target vs. 10% target: explaining the "New" side of the prize account
- The5ers lifted its yellow card (September 2026): why it was lifted, and the interview clause and prohibited items that remain
- The5ers' payout was approved the day after the request: the actual payout flow
Written by
Hosono P | the prop firm strategist
I buy challenges with my own money and record everything through to the payout. Recorded payouts: ¥6.1M in total from Fintokei, Fundora and Funded7, plus $4,776 from The5ers (as of September 2026). Author of the semi-discretionary EA "ELDRA".