List of winners of the 2020 Club Tourism Calendar Photo Contest

We are looking for photos of "travel memories" taken during your travels. The winners of the photo contest will receive local specialties from all over Japan.
In addition, the photographs submitted will be published in brochures and on our website, so please apply.
Please download and use the latest Club Tourism calendar.

2020 Club Tourism Calendar Contest
Announcement of the winners

Thank you to everyone who submitted works to the 2020 Club Tourism Calendar Photo Contest. After rigorous judging, eight works were selected from the 6,787 submitted works: one Grand Prize, two Excellence Prizes, and five Honorable Mentions. There were many excellent works that unfortunately did not win, making the judging extremely difficult. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who submitted works.
*"PN" on this page stands for pen name.

[Judge and Commentary] Professor Hiroshi Itami
As a photo editor, he has served as a judge for many photography awards and contests.
Representative director of the Japan Photo Contest Association. Advisor to the Photographic Society of Japan. Director of the NPO Photo Culture Club.

[Judgement and Commentary] Professor Akihiko Hirashima
Photographer and editor. Former head of the Mainichi Newspaper Publishing Photography Department and head of the visual editing department.
He has co-authored "Tokyo Map of 1945" (Chikuma Shobo) and edited "Miyamoto Tsuneichi Collection of Photographs and Diaries."

Club Tourism Calendar 2020

Of the submitted works, eight winning designs have been selected to appear in the 2020 Club Tourism Calendar.
Please feel free to use it.

Download (PDF) here

Grand Prize
Excellence Award
Honorable Mention

Grand Prize

Gokayama Midwinter Fireworks

Taku Saito (Tokyo resident)

This is a shot from Gokayama in winter, which I visited on Club Tourism 's "Solo-Only Travel". Photographing fireworks is difficult, and if you miss the timing, you will never see the same fireworks again. I was careful not to miss the fleeting opportunity.

Comment

The light is well-balanced across the sky and mountains in the background, the illuminated Gassho village, and the snowy surface, making it interesting to watch as if you were looking at a magnificent stage photograph. Rather than narrowly capturing the buildings and fireworks, the wide framing used to depict the entire mountain village proved to be a success. Perhaps because it was the first firework, there was no smoke and a transparent world was expressed.
(Professor Itami)

Illuminated Gassho-style houses and fireworks. Winter in Gokayama known as a World Heritage Site. A work that exudes a mysterious beauty, perhaps dreamy or surreal. Tourists are casually included in the photograph, but Gokayama is the site of the legend of the Heike clan's fugitives. The photograph shows the changes between the past and the present. It is an excellent piece, not only as a tourist photo, but also as a record photo. (Prof. Hirashima)

Excellence Award

Santaki Mountain Cherry Blossoms

Takemasa Yamamoto (resident of Shizuoka Prefecture)

This was my second time going to see the mountain cherry blossoms in Mitake. I wasn't able to see them in full bloom last year, so I tried again this year. I was able to take the photos in calm weather with no wind. I wanted to take a photo that was different from others, so I tried taking photos from an unusual angle. This photo, which makes the most of the cherry blossoms reflected on the water, is one of my favorites.

Comment

From the limited shooting positions, I managed to find a very solid frame. The exposure was not too bright and was kept low so as not to detract from the brilliance of the cherry blossoms, so the cherry blossoms were clearly reflected on the surface of the water in the rice field, and the distant mountain shadows and the stone wall in the foreground were also depicted softly. I was lucky that there was a light breeze, so the reflection of the cherry blossoms on the rice terraces was beautifully captured. (Professor Itami)

Empire State Building and Sunset

Riku Sugizaki (Kyoto Prefecture)

I went up to the rooftop of Times Square and waited for the sunset. I chose a spot where I could take pictures of the New York cityscape with the Empire State Building, the symbol of New York, in the center. The weather was good, so I was able to take pictures of a beautiful sunset.

Comment

The Empire State Building is the epitome of New York's skyscrapers. The city is at its most beautiful at dusk. Not only is it captivating, but it also evokes a sense of reverence. The Empire State Building and the horizon form a cross, and this exquisite composition makes the work even more elegant.
(Professor Hirashima)

*In no particular order

Honorable Mention

Huge rocks and sand

Toshitaka Mino (resident of Osaka Prefecture)

The clear blue of the sea in Okinawa is impressive. Among them, I felt that the sea in Miyakojima was especially beautiful. We were blessed with sunny weather that day, and the vivid blue of the sky and sea was very impressive. I took the photo while being conscious of the contrast between the shadows created by the cave and the sea.

Comment

The contrast between the white sand and the cobalt blue sea is pleasant to see in this work. It accurately captures the people enjoying early summer in their own way. The two people on the right in particular are probably engrossed in searching for shells, and their movement makes for a good background. The tunnel in the center is also impressive, as it sets off the people like a picture frame. (Mr. Itami)

Sunset in Oia

Atsuko Ishizaki (resident of Chiba Prefecture)

Santorini was a place I had always longed to visit. I was especially looking forward to seeing the sunset in Oia. I chose a spot with a panoramic view of the town and waited for about three hours before finally seeing the sunset I had been longing for. I was happy to be able to take photos of the process of the town changing color as the sky changed.

Comment

Santorini is an island in the Aegean Sea. It is a volcanic island that also appears in Greek mythology, and is a popular spot with fairy-tale-like white-walled houses and windmills lined up on the steep slopes of the cliffs. The evening view, with the city lights shining against the crimson-colored sky and sea, is incredibly beautiful. This is a magnificent piece that evokes the happiness of traveling. (Professor Hirashima)

The color of cold dew

Asao Matsuzawa (Tokyo resident)

In the back Nikko Ryuzu no Taki Falls is the place where the colors change early in the area. Since the waterfall is a quiet stream, I aimed for a long shutter shot to capture the silken threads of the waterfall. I also included the two separate streams, but focused mainly on the stream on the far side. It was crowded with photographers, but I was able to get a good view in a short time by sharing the shots.

Comment

Ryuzu Falls is one of Nikko 's famous waterfalls. This is a classic shot from a standard location, but the contrast is reduced and the image is soft. The autumn foliage is not at its peak, but the contrast between the autumn colors and the greenery is soft and elegant, giving the image an enduring charm, like a watercolor painting. (Mr. Itami)

Fairy tale town

Tomio Taguchi (Kyoto Prefecture resident)

This is the view of Cesky Krumlov from the city walls. I visited the city on a tour without any prior knowledge, but the snow-covered roofs reminded me of the world of picture books and fairy tales I read as a child, and it left a lasting impression on me. After this, I entered the world of picture books to explore the city.

Comment

Cesky Krumlov is a city that has undergone various changes since the Bohemian era and has retained its beautiful appearance to this day. The winter appearance of the historic district, a World Heritage Site, is captured in this photo by skillfully including its symbolic castle and river. Although the colorful roofs covered in snow have been omitted, the refreshing atmosphere is emphasized instead.
(Professor Itami)

Summer sky flower patchwork

Tsutomu Hata (resident of Hyogo Prefecture)

On the last day of Shiretoko tour, we visited Shikisai-no-Oka in Biei Town. The patchwork-like flower fields were so beautiful that they took my breath away the moment I entered. I searched around for a good spot to take photos in the limited time I had, and found the best position. I was able to capture the wide angle of the shot and express the great outdoors.

Comment

Hokkaido Biei and Furano are home to magnificent flower fields nicknamed the "patchwork of flowers," and the location where this work was shot is one of them. In addition to the depiction of a flower field with many different kinds of flowers blooming in strips, the composition of the vegetable and grain fields in the background, and the green mountains in the background is wonderful. (Dr. Hirashima)

You can see the submitted works here

List of winners of the 2020 Club Tourism Calendar Photo Contest