The Face of Hometown

[mostakimvip04]

We would like to see scenes that convey not just beautiful scenery or scenes of events, but scenes that convey the way of life and warmth of the people who live in their "hometowns," with a message. This is the hope that we have in mind for the theme "The Faces of Hometowns." Last year, in addition to the Excellence Award, three winning works were awarded, whose unadorned smiles in the everyday life of hometowns give a sense of the vibrant future of hometowns. This year too, we are looking forward to receiving works that capture the real and present image of "hometowns" and make a strong impression on the viewer.

This photo was taken in the town of Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, a World Heritage Site. In the evening, while I was taking photos of the townscape, I spotted a cat sitting on the veranda of an old house, as if to remove background image welcome us. Apparently, this cat is popular in the neighborhood, staying indoors during the day because there are so many tourists, and only coming out to the veranda in the morning and evening.

The Excellence Award winner, whose overall photograph conveys a sense of human warmth and nostalgia, including the appearance of the house and the appearance of the noren curtains, received the recommendation of all three judges in the second round of judging. The two Honorable Mention photographs, "Iroribata" and "Village Festival," also convey a strong perspective on Japanese traditions that we want to continue to protect.

This year, three works that depicted communication in hometowns were awarded. There are no people in the "Old Folk House" that won the Excellence Award, but if you listen carefully, you can hear the hustle and bustle of people coming and going through the town. This is also a snapshot of the "face of hometown" of the present.

Iwatani Corporation has been conducting "environmental lessons" at elementary and junior high schools across the country, but to commemorate its 80th anniversary, it has been holding "hydrogen energy classes" at 80 elementary schools nationwide since last fall. In addition, with a view to commercializing hydrogen energy, the company is focusing on realizing a low-carbon society, participating in the national Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Demonstration Project (JHFC) and Kitakyushu Hydrogen Town.