Judges

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  Masashi Kohara

  (Curator)

  As a curator at the Izu Photo Museum, he has organized exhibitions including “Nobuyoshi Araki Photobook Exhibition: Ararchy,” “Manabu Miyazaki: The Pencil of Nature” and “Tazuko Masuyama: Until Everything Becomes a Photograph.” He also curated “It’s a Small World: Imperial Festivals and Human Exhibitions.” He directed the documentary film “The Man Who Became a Camera: Photographer Takuma Nakahira,” and is recipient of the Koen Shigemori Photography Critic Award and The Photographic Society of Japan’s Scholastic Achievement Award, among others. He is an Associate Professor at Tokyo Polytechnic University and a Part-time lecturer at Kanagawa University and others.

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  Sayaka Takahashi

  (Gallery Director of PGI)

  Born in Chiba Prefecture. Studied Literature at Waseda University under Osamu Hiraki. In 1998, she participated as a volunteer at the Higashikawa International Photo Festival, and from 2003 through 2010 served as the festival’s on-site production leader and assistant director. Since the winter of 1998, she has been involved in work relating to photographic preservation and display at Photo Gallery International (PGI), where as Director she is in charge of exhibition planning and operation.

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  Yoshihisa Tanaka

  (Graphic Designer and Artist)

  Born in 1980. His major work to date includes VI planning for Tokyo Photographic Art Museum and other cultural facilities, art direction of the POST bookshop and the TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR, and periodic creation of works as an artist. He is also active as half of the artist duo “Nerhol,” together with sculptor Ryuta Iida.

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  Nao Tsuda

  (Photographer)

  Born in Kobe in 1976. Traveling the globe, through his camera lens he continuously depicts the ongoing relationship between man and nature tracing back to ancient times. Since 2001 the focus of his work has been numerous exhibitions both in Japan and abroad. His photo collections include SMOKE LINE (AKAAKA), Storm Last Night (AKAAKA) and Elnias Forest (handpicked). He currently serves as a Visiting Professor at Osaka University of Arts.

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  Rika Noguchi

  (Photographer)

  Born in 1971 in Saitama City, currently living in Naha, Okinawa. In 1994 she graduated from Nihon University’s College of Art, Department of Photography. She began production of photographic works during he university years, and has been active both in Japan and abroad mainly with exhibitions of her works. She has also participated in numerous international exhibitions of contemporary art, most recently the 21st Biennale of Sydney, “SUPERPOSITION: Equilibrium & Engagement” (2018).