Results of the 17th screening

Hiroshi Nishizawa: Japan Professional Photographers Association

■Theme 1: "Expressway and the Four Seasons Landscape Section"
＜Grand Prize "Beyond the Blossoming Cherry Blossoms" by Mr. Yuma Iwasaki
Shin-Tomei Expressway The construction of the Kawachi River Bridge is underway, with the bridge girders extending out from the piers like a "yajirobe" (a Japanese warrior's arrowhead) on an unopened section of the Kawachi River. Looking up at the blue sky from a low angle, the construction site surrounded by cherry blossoms in full bloom and greenery was vividly depicted. I can hardly wait for the opening of the bridge.

＜Excellence Award (Spring) "Spring Blossoming Road" by Hideyuki Yamashita
OiMatsuda IC The view from the nearest "Aguri Park Sagayamaen" shows the arrival of spring with cherry blossoms and rape blossoms competing with each other. The gently curving Tomei passes through the mountains, blending in with the great nature.

＜Excellence Award (Summer) "Running" by Toshiyuki Toyama
The cables strung across the Tomei Ashigara Bridge assert their presence powerfully and clearly. The upper and lower lanes are dimly illuminated by the roadway lights, and the trucks heading toward Nagoya are beautifully represented with a sense of flowing speed.

＜Excellence Award (Autumn) "Renewal Soon" by Mr. Norio Nakamura
A major renewal project is underway on the Tedorigawa Bridge at Hokuriku Expressway, which runs alongside the Sea of Japan. The evening sky seen through a gap in the bridge girder was impressive. The setting sun on the horizon seems to be quietly awaiting the opening of the bridge.

＜Excellence Award (Winter) "Traces of Light" by Akihito Niwa
This is a well-composed compilation of Expressway of Shin-Meishin Expressway (foreground), Higashi-Meihan Expressway and Isewangan Expressway (rear) with a band of car lights stretching from Gozaisho Yamagami Park in the town of Komono, Mie Prefecture. Blessed with good weather, the night view flowing through the town leaving a trail of lights is spectacular.

＜Honorable Mention: "Swaying on the surface of the water" by Mr. Uesugi Hiroaki
An elegant view is reflected in the water as it bobbing on the surface at Shin-Meishin Expressway in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture. What kind of view can be seen from the driver as the viaduct runs under a clear blue sky? It is exhilarating to be surrounded by nature.

＜Honorable Mention: "JCT too beautiful" Kataoka by Mr. Masamitsu
The Hachioji JCT connecting the curving Chuo Expressway and Ken-O Road looks beautiful like a giant ring. The sun glinting between the roads bathed in morning light is mysterious. At 5:40 a.m., good morning to you for the early morning photo shoot of Diamond JCT.

＜Honorable Mention: "Morning Sunrise High Speed" by Mr. Minoru Hyuga
A gradient-tinged morning glow was captured near the city of Uenohara in Yamanashi Prefecture. The placement of Chuo Expressway in the left corner is impressive. The silhouette of the tree is used as an accent to bring the whole image together and create a well-balanced finish.

＜Honorable Mention: "Kikirigataki Bridge in the moonlight" by Mr. Naoto Fukuda
Shin-Meishin Expressway The stars falling in the night sky are expressed in a comparative light composite (overlapping the bright areas of a series of photos) looking up at the Kikirigataki Bridge in the "Kikirigataki Bridge". Watched over by countless stars, I feel as if Expressway is moving dynamically toward the future.

＜Honorable Mention: "Moving an old bridge at midnight" by Toshiyuki Murakami.
Chuo Expressway The Kamikubo Bridge, a bridge over the road that crosses the sky over the I was amazed at the massive construction work that closed the bridge to traffic at night when I was put on a huge work vehicle with many tires near Dangozaka SA in Yamanashi Prefecture.

＜Honorable Mention: "Winter Travelers in Hamamatsu" by Hiroyuki Akiba.
Hamanako Sakume Station on the Tenryu Hamanako Railway line, where the seagulls fly about in a lively flurry. The seagulls spreading their wings around the train and coming toward the camera are powerful enough to be seen. From the station platform, you can see the Tomei viaduct passing over Lake Hamana in front of you.

＜Honorable Mention: "Under Shin-Tomei Expressway" by Mr. Mitsuo Shinoda
Passing across the blue sky, Shin-Tomei Expressway in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture. Under the elevated bridge, the koinobori look pleasant as they swim in the breeze. The sight of families happily gazing up at the colorful scenery was refreshing and soothing.

＜Honorable Mention Award: "Reaching for the Summer Sky" by Katsuya Suzuki
Shin-Tomei Expressway This is a close-up of the Kawachigawa Bridge under construction at Against the blue sky, the bridges with cranes on them appear to be reaching out to shake hands with each other. The title is also excellent, and the work is rich in sensibility.

＜Honorable Mention Award: "Looking Up at the Regatta Bridge" by Fumio Harada
The red Kanpachi Bridge at Tokai-Kanjo Expressway is reflected in the swaying surface of the Yahagigawa River. Blending into the serene nature, the view looks like a painting. We did not miss the timing of the regatta and the trucks passing over the bridge, which were going in different ways.

＜Honorable Mention Award "Inabe Road in Mugi-Autumn" by Yoshimi Muto
A golden wheat field in Inabe City, Mie Prefecture. It is spread out under a blue sky Tokai-Kanjo Expressway under construction blowing in the wind. The camera position, gingerly approaching the drooping ears of wheat, was an exquisite angle and overwhelmingly powerful.

Theme 2 "Your Favorite Landscape
＜Excellence Award (Spring) "Spring is Akebono" by Mr. Takao MIZUNO
This backlit photograph of the Tateyama mountain range lit by the morning sun was taken from Mt. Kureha, a 15-minute drive from ToyamaNishi IC in Toyama Prefecture. The sunrise was exquisitely accentuated by the use of tree branches and leaves in the dimly lit upper portion of the vertical photo.

＜Excellence Award (Summer) "Dignity and Majesty" by Akira Kuramoto
This low angle photograph of two huge zelkova trees in front of the temple gate at Kanzanji Temple in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture, was taken from a low angle with great power. Hokuriku Expressway It took about 40 minutes by car and on foot from Kinomoto IC in I would like to visit to see them with their green leaves and imposing appearance.

< Excellence Award (Autumn) "Seaweed net" by Shinichiro Mase
Colorful nets of nori seaweed are spread out on the calm sea surface in Minami Ise Town, Mie Prefecture. The sight of countless pillars holding up the nets sticking out of the sea is impressive. The inclusion of a person working on a boat adds warmth to the work.

＜Excellence Award (Winter) "Coloring the Inn" by Mr. Yukio Hayakawa
Chuo Expressway About 40 minutes by car from Ina IC, the fantastic Naraijuku is illuminated by ice candles. The colorful fireworks were set off between the old townscape on both sides of the road, and the composition was beautifully composed with a 3-second slow shutter speed.

＜Honorable Mention: "Gifu Castle" by Akira Nakayama
The telephoto lens was used to compress the distance between Gifu Castle and the full moon to create a dynamic image. The photographer gathered information on the time of day when the moon begins to appear and the direction of the moon, and took this picture from the best angle. The size of the full moon caught my eyes.

＜Honorable Mention: "New Rice, Shall I Send It?
Chuo Expressway About 30 minutes by car from IidaYamamoto IC, "Yokone rice fields" are spread out on the mountain slopes in the harvest season. The rice paddies look as if they are sitting on a log, leaning against the log and watching over the terraced rice paddies while admiring the beautiful scenery.

＜Honorable Mention: "Sea Breeze" by Toru Yamada
The Erika Cup Yacht Race, a heated competition off Mikawa Bay in Gamagori City, Aichi Prefecture, is a dynamic event. I would like to know the position of the yacht, which is pushing through the rough seas at an angle with the sea breeze on its sails, and whether it was photographed from land with a telephoto lens or not.

＜Honorable Mention Award: "Severe Winter Tomorrow" by Hideo Otsuka.
A fantastic scene seen from the Utsukushi-ga-hara Plateau in Nagano Prefecture on January 15. The panorama surrounded by nature and the people in the background expresses the grandeur of the scene. The slowly changing subtle hues of the landscape seem to suck you in.

＜Honorable Mention Award: "Susono in Full Bloom" by Kazuo Kikuchi.
Higashi-Fujigoko Road It takes about 10 minutes by car from Yamanakako IC. Fuji, cherry blossoms and narcissus flowers are in full bloom along the river bank reflecting the blue sky. Fuji. The composition of this well-composed shot captures the four seasons at the foot of the mountain, which reminds us of spring.

＜Honorable Mention Award: "Fireflies Dancing in the Village" by Mr. Takenori Konno
Gotemba This work uses the technique of comparative light compositing to depict fireflies dancing, leaving a trail of light behind them. The fireflies flying over the waterway against the background of the silhouetted majestic Mt.

General Comments "The 17th NEXCO CENTRAL Expressway and Landscape Photo Contest
Although the heat wave continued, we received many entries that fit the two themes of "Expressway and Four Seasons Scenery Category" and "Your Best Scenery Category," which give a sense of the seasons.
Expressway The works of Expressway under construction, which can only be seen now, stood out as information on the renewal construction of the "Yajirobe" and the closure of the work zone to traffic was reported on TV and in newspapers. The most impressive works were those that depicted the construction site with bridge girders extending from the piers like "yajirobe," which will soon be connected to the bridge. The large scale demolition work of the huge bridge over the bridge also made me realize the importance of gathering information for photography.
In this age of photography, anyone can take a picture by pressing the shutter release button, but when it comes to photo contests, it is difficult to develop an image and have it turn out the way you want it to. We also believe that this is the joy of photography. We are looking forward to receiving many submissions of works that capture the four seasons of the ever-vibrant Expressway and the joyful scenery of the seasons.

Kayo Aoyama: Free Announcer

Judging for the 17th NEXCO Expressway and Landscape Photo Contest has been completed

This year began with the Noto Peninsula earthquake, and Expressway, Ltd. has also provided support to the affected areas by sending toilet cars and water trucks. Another year is about to pass, and everyone is moving forward, doing what they can to cheer on the recovery and reconstruction efforts. The coronavirus has calmed down, and people are becoming more active. When we go to various places, we see only inbound customers, but we would also like to avoid the crowds and go out and explore the charms of places closer to home.

The fun and daunting judging season for the photo contest has arrived once again. I feel relieved that we have completed the judging process without any problems. Some of the works were taken at the same location, but the sensibility of the person who photographed them made them completely different. Even the same location can change depending on the season, and construction sites in particular change their scenery from day to day, so I never get bored of judging. Thank you to those who take on the challenge every year. Also, this year there were many first-time applicants, and congratulations to all who won prizes, including the grand prize.

Sometimes you wait for a long time to get the right shot, or you go back and forth many times before finally coming across the right moment, and other times you can capture the exact moment when you come across an unexpected scene. As a judge, I can only imagine, but when I watch the entries, I feel something intuitively. You have to be mentally prepared at all times so as not to miss that moment. To keep your senses sharp, you have to hone your sensibilities and always be observing. However, there is also a theory that says that you should burn a beautiful moment into your eyelids, and that if you look through the viewfinder, you won't see anything else and you'll miss a wonderful moment. Both are true, and I have certainly experienced both.

The work that was selected for the Grand Prize this year had a wonderful balance between the curves of the balanced arch and the softness of the cherry blossoms. After the judging, I visited the Kawachigawa Bridge construction site to study with a group of women I have a connection with. Since it was a notable site, many people came to inspect it. It was a few months after the photo was taken, so the boxes were much closer. In fact, I was worried that the boxes would stick together if we didn't hurry, but no, no, I was told that it would take time to start paving after the boxes are connected at this point.

All of the works combine the scenery of Expressway and the four seasons, and there are many unique works that make me want to go to those places. There were few people in them this year, and personally, I like people from behind. The figure of the two people sitting side by side on the bank of the river is very heartwarming, exuding a long life, and the work is warm and cozy.

I've felt this for the past few years, but a lively facial expression would add a lively touch to a subject, but I have to be careful because of issues with portrait rights. If I have to get permission beforehand, it's difficult to capture a natural expression, which can be a real hassle.

A new year is about to begin, but some people are already preparing for the next year's photography. Inevitably, the number of works produced will vary depending on the season. When it's cold or hot, it's difficult to go out unless you're prepared, and so opportunities to take photos decrease. But find the opportunity to capture a moment that is unique to you. Even in places that are not famous or familiar, if you change your perspective, you will find wonderful treasures right in front of you. Although we have not yet turned the page for the 2025 calendar, we look forward to sharing your seasonal works with you as you enjoy your wonderful journey into 2026.