Contest Period

April 21, 2025(Mon)
through June 30, 2025(Mon)
23:59 JST

Winner Announcement

The winning entries will be announced on the contest results page (scheduled for late August 2025).

*To prevent plagiarism, shortlisted candidates will be required to submit either RAW data or unedited original data with EXIF information (shooting date and camera model) of their nominated photo. Please submit files exactly as captured by the camera, without using any editing software. Please keep the original data of your submitted works without deleting, converting, or altering them in any way.
*Shortlisted candidates will be contacted via Instagram Direct Message from the contest's campaign Instagram account, so please make sure to follow this account. If you unfollow or do not follow the account, you may miss our notification about your selection.

Judges

EXPO2025KANSAI Tourism Council

Tokyo Camera Club

Tokyo Camera Club is one of the largest photo curating communities in Japan. It operates on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Mastodon, where anyone can post photos to be shared and viewed by our fans. Those who just want to stop by and enjoy some beautiful photos are always welcome as well. Tokyo Camera Club may say "Tokyo" but submissions from people living in other cities are, of course, welcome and encouraged!

*For inquiries regarding the contest, please contact the Tokyo Camera Club Campaign Office. Inquiries not directed to the Tokyo Camera Club Campaign Office will not be addressed.

Eligibility

• Participants must have an Instagram account.
• Participants should be following the "Kansai region Guide | Japan Travel" Instagram Account.
• Participants should be following the Tokyo Camera Club Campaign Instagram account.
• Participants must post their photos with the specified hashtags listed in the Submission Guidelines.
• By submitting (posting) to the contest, participants are considered to have read, understood, and agreed to all terms in the Submission Guidelines (including the Use of Personal Information and Disclaimer).
• Participants may use any camera or device to take their photos.
• Participants may submit works taken in the past.
• Participants may submit edited or retouched photos.
• Participants may submit as many works as they wish.
• We do not accept photo collages or composite images. Carousel posts (multiple photos in a single post) will be considered for judging, but please note that each photo will be evaluated individually as a single image.
• Entries are limited to original works for which all rights (including copyrights) belong solely to the participant. Please note that using images from other websites, social media, or blogs without permission may constitute copyright infringement. For photographs containing people, you must have obtained prior consent for their publicity rights.
• Participants must not create composite images using free/stock images.
• Participants of any photography level (amateur or professional), nationality, and age are welcome. Participants under the age of 18 must have prior permission from a parent or guardian. Submissions from participants under 18 shall be deemed to have been made with the consent of a parent or guardian.

*Hashtags may be written in upper or lower case, but only single-byte (half-width) characters will be recognized.
*Entries will be ineligible if: your account is private, your posts lack the required hashtags, or your photos cannot be properly viewed. Please ensure your posts meet these requirements.
*Please include the hashtags in your post. If hashtags are added only in the comments section, our system may not be able to download your photo.
*Hashtags must be added either at the time of posting or within 24 hours after posting, and during the contest period. Posts older than 24 hours will not be eligible even if hashtags are added later through editing.

How to Participate, If you are Shortlisted, and Winner Announcement

Data Requirements

• Photos developed or edited by digital image processing are eligible.
• Still-images extracted from videos are not eligible.
• Composite images using free/stock images are not eligible.

Number of Entries

There is no limit to the number of entries.

Use of Personal Information

We will not be handling any personal information of individuals residing outside of Japan.

Disclaimer

• Participants must provide accurate information for all required fields during the submission process. The organizer bears no responsibility for disqualification or any other damages resulting from errors in the information provided by participants.
• Entries are not limited to previously unpublished works. However, to prevent any issues, please review the rules of other photo contests if you are currently submitting, planning to submit, or have previously won awards with works where images are publicly viewable. Works published by the participant in non-commercial publications, posted on the participant's own social media or blogs, or exhibited at non-juried photo exhibitions are eligible for submission.
• In principle, the copyright of the submitted works remains with the participant even after submission.
• Entries cannot be withdrawn once submitted.
• Participants are responsible for creating and maintaining backups of their submitted entries.
• We cannot accept entries submitted by mail or delivered in person. Additionally, we will not process the return of any works that are sent to us.
• For the purpose of this contest, if it is discovered that the same person has won multiple awards, we may discuss canceling some winning entries or changing the awards.
• Winners agree that Tokyo Camera Club and EXPO2025KANSAI Tourism Council (including third parties authorized by EXPO2025KANSAI Tourism Council, hereinafter the same) may use, publish, reproduce, and publicly transmit the winning works free of charge and indefinitely for promotional purposes. For all other entries, they may be used in the same manner after obtaining prior consent from the photographer. Participants shall not assert any moral rights of authorship against Tokyo Camera Club and EXPO2025KANSAI Tourism Council.
• Participants agree that when EXPO2025KANSAI Tourism Council uses entries as described in the preceding paragraph, works may be edited or modified, including but not limited to cropping, applying visual effects, and adding music and sound effects, without obtaining consent from the participant.
• Winners agree that Tokyo Camera Club Corporation (including third parties authorized by Tokyo Camera Club Corporation, hereinafter the same) may use, publish, reproduce, and publicly transmit the winner's name, winning work, and shooting location information free of charge and indefinitely in a "system that displays winner names, photographs, and shooting location information" which may be provided to other companies. Additionally, winners shall not assert any rights based on the moral rights of authorship regarding the winning works against Tokyo Camera Club and third parties authorized by Tokyo Camera Club.
• All submitted works must be either entirely owned by the participant (including all copyrights and portrait rights) or have prior permission from the rights holders. When people appear in the photograph, it is the participant's responsibility to obtain prior consent to avoid portrait rights infringements. For photographs including minors, permission must be obtained from their parents or guardians. For photographs including shrines, temples, or commercial facilities, please obtain permission for both photography and contest submission before submitting. Please refrain from submitting works that contain signboards, neon signs, brand logos, address information, or content that may be deemed offensive to public order and morals. After a prize has been awarded, if a third party who has seen the work reports copyright infringement, portrait right violation, or privacy invasion, the award may be rescinded following consultation.
• Photographing third-party copyrighted works and using them as materials for editing or creating composite images may constitute an infringement of copyright or other intellectual property rights. Please obtain permission from the rights holders in advance.
• Only photographs taken by the participant using camera equipment (including digital cameras, film cameras, and smartphones) are eligible for submission. While digital processing is permitted, please note that entries deemed by the organizer to have excessive editing may be disqualified or have awards revoked. In such cases, the organizer will not provide individual explanations of the criteria or reasons for decisions nor accept any responsibility for any damages.
• Works that have been excessively modified using generative AI or incorporating non-existent AI-generated elements are not eligible for submission. Furthermore, if the organizer determines that a work has been excessively modified using generative AI or incorporates non-existent elements generated by AI, the work may be disqualified, or any award may be revoked. In such cases, the organizer will not provide individual explanations regarding the criteria or reasons for these decisions nor accept any responsibility for any damages.
• In the event of any legal issues arising in relation to submitted works, the participant shall resolve all such matters at their own responsibility and expense. Tokyo Camera Club and EXPO2025KANSAI Tourism Council shall bear no responsibility whatsoever.
• The organizer may revoke awards from the contest if a participant violates the Submission Guidelines or public order and morals, defames or disadvantages other participants, belongs to antisocial forces (or equivalent groups), or engages in any other behavior deemed inappropriate by the organizer.
• These Submission Guidelines shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Japan. Any and all disputes relating to these Submission Guidelines shall be resolved by the Tokyo District Court as the court of exclusive jurisdiction for the first instance.
• We do not accept any inquiries regarding the selection criteria or results of this contest.
• Prizes are non-transferable and non-exchangeable for cash.
• All costs other than the prizes themselves shall be borne by the participant.
• The Tokyo Camera Club Campaign Office reserves the right to modify these Submission Guidelines when deemed necessary and to take any measures required to ensure the proper operation of this contest.
• By participating in this contest, participants agree to comply with the Tokyo Camera Club Campaign Office's operational procedures and shall not raise any objections regarding how the contest is conducted.
• This contest is hosted by EXPO2025KANSAI Tourism Council and operated by Tokyo Camera Club. Meta Platforms, Inc. and Instagram do not sponsor, endorse, or administer this contest in any way, and are not associated with it. By participating, participants acknowledge that Meta Platforms, Inc. and Instagram have no involvement with their participation or prizes, and are deemed to have agreed to this condition.
• In no event will Tokyo Camera Club Corporation and EXPO2025KANSAI Tourism Council be liable for any loss or damage arising out of the interruption or termination of Facebook, Instagram, and the contest. The contest details may be subject to change without prior notice.
• Affiliates and employees of the organizer or affiliated companies and organizations are also eligible to submit to the contest.