The "Kimura Ihei Photography Award," also referred to as the Akutagawa Prize of the Japanese photography world, was established in 1975 to commemorate the achievements of Ihei Kimura (1901–1974), a photographer who led Japanese photography before and after the war.
With the 2025 selection, the award reached its 50th edition, a major milestone. From the 1st to the 50th edition, the winners number 62. To mark the occasion, the "Kimura Ihei Photography Award 50th Anniversary Photo Exhibition" runs from October 31 to November 23 at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum in Ebisu.
The exhibition brings together award-winning and representative works by past winners in one place. It is filled with the early challenges and experiments of photographers who broke new ground in their eras, including Kazuo Kitai, Miyako Ishiuchi, Michio Hoshino, Naoya Hatakeyama, Mika Ninagawa, Masashi Asada, Kotori Kawashima and Mari Katayama.
Past Winners of the Kimura Ihei Photography Award
Names are listed in Japanese.
北井一夫、平良孝七、藤原新也、石内都、岩合光昭、倉田精二、江成常夫、渡辺兼人、北島敬三、田原桂一、三好和義、和田久士、中村征夫、宮本隆司、武田花、星野道夫、今道子、柴田敏雄、大西みつぐ、小林のりお、豊原康久、今森光彦、瀬戸正人、畠山直哉、都築響一、ホンマタカシ、鈴木理策、長島有里枝、蜷川実花、HIROMIX、川内倫子、松江泰治、オノデラユキ、佐内正史、澤田知子、中野正貴、鷹野隆大、本城直季、梅佳代、岡田敦、志賀理江子、浅田政志、高木こずえ、下薗詠子、田附勝、菊地智子、百々新、森栄喜、石川竜一、川島小鳥、新井卓、原美樹子、小松浩子、藤岡亜弥、岩根愛、片山真理、横田大輔、吉田志穂、新田樹、金仁淑、長沢慎一郎、濵本奏
Exhibition Overview
Venue: Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, Basement 1F exhibition rooms (inside Ebisu Garden Place, 1-13-3 Mita, Meguro-ku, Tokyo)
Dates: Saturday, October 31 to Monday, November 23 (national holiday)
Closed: Mondays (open on Monday, November 23)
Hours: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (until 8:00 PM on Thursdays and Fridays). Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.
Admission: General ¥1,200 / Students and ages 65 and over ¥1,000 / High school students ¥800
Organized by: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. and The Asahi Shimbun Company
Official website: https://publications.asahi.com/feature/kimura_award/
Please note that works by some of the award-winning photographers are not on display this time. Works other than the award-winning pieces may also be shown. The program may change due to unavoidable circumstances.
About the Kimura Ihei Photography Award
The award was established in 1975 by The Asahi Shimbun Company to commemorate the achievements of Ihei Kimura (1901–1974), a photographer who made a major contribution to the Japanese photography world before and after the war. Asahi Camera served as the administrative office, and in 2008, after the launch of Asahi Shimbun Publications, the award became co-organized by that company and The Asahi Shimbun Company. With the suspension of publication of Asahi Camera in 2020, the Marketing Department of Asahi Shimbun Publications became the administrative office.
Eligible for the award: Newcomers who have achieved outstanding results in producing and presenting photographs between January and December each year. Photographic activity covers work widely presented to the public in magazines, books, exhibitions and more, and includes all fields of photographic expression.
Eligibility: Open to both professionals and amateurs.
Prize: Winners receive a certificate, a medal and a supplementary prize of ¥1 million.
