Photo contest winners capture essence, vitality of Japan

A dynamic landscape of Mount Fuji and vivid festival scenes were among photographs capturing traditional features of Japan that won prizes last week in the first Japan Times Photo Contest for non-Japanese.

Other photos submitted to the contest, whose theme was "Impressions on my travels" to Kanto and other parts of Japan, also captured images of Japan ranging from trendy Tokyo scenes to everyday rural life, from the lively faces of children at play and elderly people working rice paddies.

"It was difficult to choose pictures for the prizes," said former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, who headed the four-member judging committee. "The photographs were much more impressive than I had expected, and they were different from those we usually see in ordinary photo contests."

The photo contest was organized by the Kanto District Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and The Japan Times as part of the government's Visit Japan campaign.

The campaign was launched last year by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in a bid to deepen understanding between Japanese and non-Japanese, and revitalize the domestic tourism industry with the aim of increasing employment opportunities and promoting economic development.

In the Kanto category, a photo by Timothy Sullivan of the United States that depicts a mother fixing her daughter's kimono behind a pillar at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo won top prize. The judges said it conveys a parent-child affection unchanged since olden times.

In the outside Kanto category, a photograph by Perry Marovitch of Canada won the Gold prize. The judges praised the closeup of a "maiko" apprentice geisha participating in Kyoto's Gion Festival as representing Japanese beauty.

The Japan Times received 4,175 photos from 705 people of 69 nationalities through the mail and online between Jan. 16 and Feb. 29 -- 1,784 for the Kanto region category and 2,216 for outside the region. About 35 percent of the applicants sent their photos from overseas.

Among the entries, 100 pictures were first selected on March 2 by The Japan Times and the Kanto District Transport Bureau. Paul Kosieracki, chief operating officer of Kodak Japan, also participated in the first screening.

Kodak Japan supported the photo contest by printing out pictures for the screening and providing high-resolution color negative film for 50 applicants who passed the initial screening.

After the first screening, 80 pictures -- 40 in each category -- were selected by Japan Times readers via online voting between March 5 and 11.

At the final screening on March 18, Gold, Silver and Bronze prize-winning photos in each category were selected by the four judges -- Hashimoto; Johnny Hymas, a British nature photographer and writer; Kenji Ishii, director general of the transport bureau; and Yutaka Mataebara, The Japan Times editor in chief.

Hashimoto and Hymas also chose two other photos in the final screening -- one picture each -- for Judging Committee Prizes the same day.

"(The photos) are very interesting because each picture is very unique," said Hashimoto, whose hobby is photography. "My initial concern that many photos might look like post cards was unnecessary."

Hymas said he enjoyed selecting the photos and felt nostalgia from looking at them.

"I also learned how the foreign people living in Japan feel about Japan. It's nostalgic for me," he said. "Although I've been living in Japan for 35 years, to see a fresh angle by people who haven't been here so long gives me a nice feeling."

Although just eight photos won prizes, there were many other expressive entries.

For example, a British man took a photo titled "21st Century girl, 16th Century Castle," which shows a Japanese castle appearing between a woman's legs, while a German sent a picture of a foreign boy learning from a local senior citizen how to aim a Japanese bow.

Kosieracki of Kodak Japan said he was impressed with not only the quality of the pictures but also the variety -- people, places and events.

"I really enjoyed pictures of both Japanese children and visiting children. It's quite impressive to see their faces," he said.

Currently, the government is trying to boost the number of foreign visitors to Japan to 10 million by 2010 from 5.22 million last year.

The transport ministry is heading the Visit Japan campaign.

Ishii of the Kanto District Transport Bureau said the pleasure of traveling around Japan can be seen in the photographs sent to the contest.

"We were very glad that so many foreigners applied for this contest," he said. "We hope more foreigners will actually come to see those attractive sites in Japan."

Winners in the category of photos taken in the Kanto region
GOLD PRIZE: Empress' New Clothes	SILVER PRIZE: Fuji in the Clouds
BRONZE PRIZE: The Way of the Horse and Bow	SPECIAL PRIZE: Sports Shoe Princess at Meiji Shrine
Winners in the category of photos taken outside the Kanto region
GOLD PRIZE: A Maiko During the Gion Festival	SILVER PRIZE: Awa Odori in August
BRONZE PRIZE: Forward	SPECIAL PRIZE: Wajima Woman