Accepting Entries: 2025 Once in Japan Photo Contest - "Make it POP!"
2025/8/6
The Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco is now accepting entries for the 2025 Once in Japan Photo Contest for a chance to win the latest Canon cameras and products from Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Did you visit Japan in the past few years?
What surprised you?
What drew your eye?
What was fresh and exciting?
Show us, and “Make it POP!” – the theme for this year’s contest!
Whether a mouth-watering local delicacy, a flash of bright kimono at a festival, or a sudden encounter with a tanuki, Japan can be pleasantly surprising in unimaginable ways.
We want you to share what popped out at you, and the stories that come with them.
You can submit up to three photos taken on a recent trip to Japan – (1/1/2022-present).
.
The deadline for this contest is Sunday, October 5, 2025.
Select photos will be displayed at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco’s exhibition. Please see Official Rules for further details.
Because the purpose of the contest is to highlight Japan through the lens of non-Japanese photographers, only those who do not hold a Japanese passport are eligible to apply.
Did you visit Japan in the past few years?
What surprised you?
What drew your eye?
What was fresh and exciting?
Show us, and “Make it POP!” – the theme for this year’s contest!
Whether a mouth-watering local delicacy, a flash of bright kimono at a festival, or a sudden encounter with a tanuki, Japan can be pleasantly surprising in unimaginable ways.
We want you to share what popped out at you, and the stories that come with them.
You can submit up to three photos taken on a recent trip to Japan – (1/1/2022-present).
.
The deadline for this contest is Sunday, October 5, 2025.
Select photos will be displayed at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco’s exhibition. Please see Official Rules for further details.
Because the purpose of the contest is to highlight Japan through the lens of non-Japanese photographers, only those who do not hold a Japanese passport are eligible to apply.
Contest Prizes
Judges will select three winning photos. Winners will each receive the following:
- Certificate of Award
- One (1) Prize from Canon U.S.A., Inc. as determined by Prize Sponsor and Organizer:
- EOS R5 Mark II + RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM Kit
- PIXMA PRO-200S Professional Inkjet Photo Printer
- EOS R8 RF24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM Lens Kit
- EOS R50 V + RF-S14-30mm F4-6.3 IS STM PZ Lens Kit
- Selected Submission displayed and featured in the Contest Exhibition, website, and social media
Application (Online only)
Rules and Necessary Documents for Submission
Photos must have been taken in Japan on or after January 1, 2022
Entry is limited to individuals aged 12 or older who are not Japanese nationals (citizens).
* By submitting an entry, each applicant agrees to the Official Rules (download link below) and warrants that his or her entry complies with all requirements set out in the Official Rules.
, the California-Japan Sister Cities Network, and KOHO Creative Hub.
For further inquiries about this contest, please contact:
Japan Information and Cultural Center
Email: japaninfo@sr.mofa.go.jp
Phone: (415) 780-6085
Exhibition Period
November 2025 in KOHO Creative Hub in San Francisco Japantown (details to be finalized)
Entry is limited to individuals aged 12 or older who are not Japanese nationals (citizens).
* By submitting an entry, each applicant agrees to the Official Rules (download link below) and warrants that his or her entry complies with all requirements set out in the Official Rules.
- Official Rules (Download here
) - Application Form (Submit here: Google Form)
- Parental Consent Form (For photographers under 18; Download here)
- Subject Release Form (For photos with identifiable individuals; Download here)
, the California-Japan Sister Cities Network, and KOHO Creative Hub.For further inquiries about this contest, please contact:
Japan Information and Cultural Center
Email: japaninfo@sr.mofa.go.jp
Phone: (415) 780-6085
Exhibition Period
November 2025 in KOHO Creative Hub in San Francisco Japantown (details to be finalized)