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Greetings
We truly appreciate your continued support of COOL JAPAN VIDEOS.
We would also like to express our sincere appreciation for your participation in the 28th COOL JAPAN VIDEOS Photo Contest: “Timeless Japanese Scenery Passed Down Through the Generations.”
This contest received many heartwarming submissions that captured the essence of Japan’s original landscape, from scenery preserved across generations to intimate snapshots of daily life and culture rooted in local communities.
The winning entries were selected based on their ability to evoke the essence of “Inherited Japan,” portraying traditional landscapes shaped by history and enduring customs that continue to live on in today’s modern society.
COOL JAPAN VIDEOS will continue to serve as a platform to share the unique beauty of Japan with the world.
We sincerely hope that the “Japan” you captured through your lens will resonate with people across the globe.
We look forward to your participation in our next photo contest.
Thank you again for your continued support of COOL JAPAN VIDEOS.
Announcement of Results
If you were selected as a winner, please follow the proper procedures to receive your prize.
At Kawagoe Kumano Shrine in Saitama Prefecture, colorful tanzaku (wish strips) sway gently in the breeze. Their unexpected appearance in October, far from the usual Tanabata season, makes this image all the more memorable. One strip in particular, bearing the words "world peace," feels especially poignant given today's global tensions.
Tanabata is typically seen as a summer tradition, yet here we see it celebrated outside its season, the wishes still tied and fluttering—quietly conveying the enduring nature of Japanese culture and the constancy of human hope.
Captured at a shrine in the historic town of Kawagoe, this moving photo invites us to reflect anew on the value of peace and the quiet power of a heartfelt wish.
Among the many scenic terraced paddies of the Echigo-Matsudai region in Tōkamachi, few are as enchanting as the Gamō Rice Terraces. In this breathtaking shot, morning mist spills through the mountain valley, and soft light dances across the water's surface—creating a scene as delicate and layered as a painted scroll.
Changing with the seasons yet lovingly maintained by the local community, these rice terraces are more than just picturesque: they embody Japan's rural heritage, shaped over generations and deeply intertwined with everyday life and tradition.
We've awarded this work an Honorable Mention in hopes that its quiet beauty will inspire more people to discover the enduring charm of Japan's countryside.
Captured from Shichirigahama in Kanagawa, this sunset scene over Enoshima radiates the open, laid-back spirit of Shōnan and the gentle melancholy of summer's end. As the sun sinks slowly into the sea, people linger on the beach, bathed in the glow of softly shimmering waves, in a moment tinged with nostalgia.
Though Enoshima is a well-known tourist spot, this photo goes beyond the typical picture-perfect image. It quietly portrays locals and visitors alike, relaxed and present, simply enjoying the scene on their own terms. That sense of authenticity brings a calm that reaches the viewer.
This tranquil coastal moment of a fleeting breath of Shōnan summer has been selected for an Honorable Mention.
In Kurayoshi, Tottori Prefecture, the remains of the old Japan National Railway line cut a straight path through a hushed bamboo grove. The scene, quiet and still, pulls you in with its haunting beauty.
Taken just before the start of the rainy season, the photo captures soft sunlight filtering down through the trees, illuminating fallen bamboo leaves that blanket the tracks. The result is an atmosphere both otherworldly and gentle.
This place, where memories of the past linger amid the quiet breath of nature, speaks with quiet strength. It evokes a deep sense of Japanese tranquility and nostalgia. For this haunting yet healing composition, we are pleased to award it an Honorable Mention.
Beneath a clear blue sky, rice planting unfolds across the wide, open fields of Fukui Prefecture. The rear view of the rice transplanter, the neatly aligned rows of young seedlings, and the lush green mountains all come together to quietly convey the strength and quiet pride of Japan's rural traditions.
Though today's planting is aided by machines and driven by efficiency, the core spirit of tending the land and sustaining life remains unchanged. The method has evolved, but the devotion passed down through generations endures in every furrow and field.
This heartwarming photo, where nature and human livelihood are woven together as one, has been selected for an Honorable Mention.
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What made this piece especially striking was the photographer's passion: spontaneously deciding to make a three-hour drive to Nagano after work, then staying up all night at the age of 54. That small act of adventure, of heading out alone in the middle of the night to witness the stars,adds a sense of wonder and emotional depth that radiates through both the photo and the accompanying story.
By capturing koinobori and peach blossoms, iconic symbols of spring in Japan, beneath a star-filled sky, this entry offers a fantastical yet powerful image of timeless Japan. We are pleased to award it the Grand Prize.