Higashikawa International Photo Festival

Events 2012

Event Schedule for the Higashikawa International Photo Festival

Events Related to the Higashikawa Photography Awards

28th Photo Town Higashikawa Awards Ceremony

Date:: July 28, (Saturday), 2:00-2:30 P.M.
Place:: Higashikawa Noson Kankyo Kaizen Center

Presentation of the Higashikawa Photography Awards. The work of photographers recommended by nominators from throughout the country are judged by the Higashikawa Awards Jury to determine prizes: Overseas Photographer Award, Domestic Photographer Award, New Photographer Award, Special Photographer Award, and Hidano Kazuemon Award.

28th Higashikawa Photography Awards Exhibition

Period:: July 28 (Saturday) – August 19 (Sunday)
Place:: Higashikawa Bunka Gallery
Tape cutting ceremony for the exhibition: July 28 (Saturday), 3:00 P.M.

Exhibition of photographic works receiving Higashikawa Photography Awards: Overseas Photographer Award, Domestic Photographer Award, New Photographer Award, Special Photographer Award, and Hidano Kazuemon Award.

Reception Celebrating Award Winners

Date:: July 28 (Saturday), 3:30- 5:00 P.M.
Place:: Higashikawa Noson Kankyo Kaizen Center

Party featuring food made with fresh ingredients from Higashikawa Town. The party will provide an opportunity for meeting and communication between photographers, the people of Higashikawa, and the general public.

Higashikawa Award Winners Forum

Date:: July 29 (Sunday), 1:00- 5:00 P.M.
Place:: Higashikawa Bunka Gallery

Discussion with award winning photographers in the exhibition space to explore the secrets of creating good photographs.

Open Forum

Nikon Juna 21 Higashikawa Portfolio Review

Date:: July 28 (Saturday), 11:30A.M.- 1:30 P.M. and 5:00-7:00 P.M.
Place:: Higashikawa Bunka Gallery

Held with the cooperation of Nikon Salon

People bringing their photographs to this review will receive advice from the Nikon Salon Selection Committee. Photographers whose work receives a high rating will be considered for an individual exhibition at Juna 21.

Higashikawa Michikusakan Portfolio Review 2012

Date:: July 28 (Saturday), 9:00A.M.- 2:00 P.M. and July 29 (Sunday), 9:00- 12:00 A.M
Place:: Higashikawa Michikusakan

Wouldn’t you like to submit your photographs to a review which provides opportunities and encounters unique to Photo Town Higashikawa? This review is offered by first-rank photographers, critics, gallerists, and magazine editors who divide up according to specialty and wait to meet participants in different rooms. The review is targeted at college students from Hokkaido who aspire to become professional photographers (and participate in an overnight seminar) and members of photography clubs and associations.

Red Brick Gallery Portfolio Audition 2012

Date:: July 28 (Saturday), 9:30-2:00 P.M. and July 29 (Sunday), 9:30-12:00 A.M.
Place:: Higashikawa Bunka Gallery
Judges:: Kotaro Iizawa (Photo Critic), Rudai Takano (Photographer), Sayaka Takahashi(Gallery director), Takashi Okimoto(editor), Chiu-I-Chien(curator)

Held with the cooperation of Ricoh Photo Gallery RING CUBE and AMS Corporation

Download application form (pdf) here.

This open audition, unique to Photo Town Higashikawa, aims at discovering new photographic talent and improving photographic culture. The artists invited to carry out the audition evaluate photographs and give enthusiastic advice on possible creative directions. The conversation is open to ordinary visitors to the photo festival as well as audition participants and reviewers, encouraging the creation of photographs with richer content and nourishing the culture of photography. Three photographers who receive high marks in the audition will be given a group exhibition at Ricoh Ring Cube in Ginza.

Joint Critique of the Independent Photography Exhibition

Date:: July 29 (Sunday), 10:00-12:00 A.M.
Place:: Higashikawa Bunka Gallery

Held with the cooperation of Noppon Camera

In this joint critique, advice is given directly by photographers and critics prominent in the photography world. Excellent works will be published in a special section in Nippon Camera magazine covering the Higashikawa Independent Photography Exhibition.

Photo Event

Collaborations between photography and music

Date:: July 28 (Saturday), 7:00 P.M.-
Place:: Outdoor Stage at Hagoromo Park

Collaborations between photography and music in which images and music are presented on a large screen.

Hokkaido Photography Month

Period:: July 28 (Saturday) – July 29 (Sunday)

During Hokkaido Photography Month, photographers, photography fans, and college students gather in Higashikawa for the Street Gallery Exhibition, MY Camera Angle Exhibition, Portfolio Exhibition, and the Wall Gallery Exhibition. These events allow people of all ages who are interested in photography to meet in a friendly atmosphere.

Digital Photography Seminar (in the planning stage)

Date:: July 28 (Saturday), 1:00-5:00 P.M. and July 29 (Sunday), 1:00-4:00 P.M
Place:: Higashikawa Bunka Gallery

Held with the cooperation of Lexar Media Micro Japan

This seminar presents easy-to-understand technical lessons on how to successfully preserve beautiful,precions photographs and how to restore images.

Higashikawa Photo Meeting Place

Date:: July 28 (Saturday), 7:00P.M.-
Place:: Higashikawa Bunka Gallery

A place is provided where people concerned with photography from all over the country, especially college students, can meet and talk regardless of age or area of interest.

Take-Home Photo Session

Date:: July 29 (Sunday)
Place:: Around the festival venues, Higashikawa Town

Held with Nikon Imaging Japan Inc.

This is an event in which participants can receive advice from an instructor while shooting photos outdoors around the festival venues and in the surrounding city streets.

Memory Photo Studio NIJI (in the planning stage)

Date:: July 28 (Saturday), 10:00A.M.-5:00 P.M. and July 29 (Sunday), 10:00A.M.-3:00 P.M
Place:: Higashikawa Kyodokan

Held with the cooperation of Canon Marketing Japan and Nihon University College of Art Department of Photography

Graduates of Photography Koshien take photographs to create memories for people who visit the studio - families, lovers, or friends – and give them to the subjects free of charge.

Photo Flea Market in Higashikawa

Date:: July 28 (Saturday) - July 29 (Sunday)
Place:: Higashikawa Noson Kaizen Center Parking

Display and sale of all sorts of things associated with photography, including photo books and camera equipment.
Commercial photography equipment manufacturers are welcome to demonstrate and sell their products.

Applications now being accepted.

Photo Town Public Square

Date:: July 28 (Saturday) - July 29 (Sunday), 10:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.
Place:: Higashikawa Michikusakan

People who bring their favorite photographs here can get free expert advice from magazine editors and local photography experts. Beginners and amateurs are welcome.

Workshop

Photography class for children

Date:: in the planning stage
Place:: Higashikawa Elementary School

Dark Room Class for Black and White Prints

Date:: Every second Sunday in the odd months from May 2012 to March 2013
Place:: Higashikawa Elementary School

Higashikawa Photography School

Date:: May 29 - 31
Place:: Higashikawa Town, Biei town, Kami-Furano Town

Organized by Forum Higashikawa School

Photo Session at Daisetsu Mountain in Summer

Date:: July 7 -8
Place:: Daisetsu Mountain National Park

Organized by Asahidake Christal Snow Planning Committee

Photography Exhibitions

Higashikawa Street Gallery 2011

Date:: July 28 (Saturday) - 29 (Sunday)
Place:: Higashikawa Town

Held under the supervision of Hokkaido Photography Month Implementation Committee

This exhibition is presented on the streets of Higashikawa and the area around Bunka Gallery.

Photography Koshien 2012: Championship Photography Exhibition (in the planning stage)

Date:: September 8 (Saturday) – September 13 (Thursday)
Place:: Higashikawa Bunka Gallery

Exhibition of photographs taken by high school students at the Photography Koshien Championship Games (Koshien is the name of the national high school baseball championship playoffs in Japan).

A record of new discoveries, inspiration, and friendship experienced in an exciting four-day contest.

Independent Photography Exhibition

Date:: July 28 (Saturday) – September 4 (Tuesday)
Place:: Higashikawa Bunka Gallery

Held with the cooperation of Nippon Camera

An exhibition for individual photographers and photography groups in which each person or group is given an equal section of wall space (1.8 meters wide by 2.4 meters high).

Street Gallery Grand Prix Exhibition

Date:: January 8 (Saturday) – 30 (Tuesday), 2013
Place:: Higashikawa Bunka Gallery

A solo exhibition for the winner of the Higashikawa Street Gallery Contest.

Photo Contest

Higashikawa Street Gallery Photo Contest

Date:: July 28 (Saturday) – 29 (Sunday)
Place:: Higashikawa Town

Held with Nikon Imaging Japan Inc. and START Lab.inc

The best entries in the Street Gallery exhibition are awarded prizes, and the winner of the Grand Prix will be given a solo exhibition, the Street Gallery Grand Prix Exhibition, at the Bunka Gallery.

Public Competition: “Shoot!” – The Higashikawa Photo Contest and Grand Photography Exhibition

Deadline:: November 20, 2012

Photography Exhibition: January 8(Tuesday) - 30(Wednesday) , 2013

Members of the public are invited to submit photographs on the theme of Photo Town Higashikawa. Any photographs related to Higashikawa, such as pictures of Mt. Asahi-dake reflected in Lake Chubetsu, are acceptable. The photographs must be at least 2L (13 x 18 cm) in size and will be shown in Bunka Gallery. Valuable prizes are given to first and second place winners.

Related Events

2012 Higashikawa Dontokoi Festival

Date:: July 28 (Saturday) – 29 (Sunday)
Place:: Higashikawa Town and Hagoromo Park

A costume parade and stage show are planned in conjunction with the photo festival along with a light fantasy show in Hagoromo Park and an annual fireworks show. These events are organized to provide opportunities for friendly contact between townspeople, Higashikawa Award winners, and guest photographers.

Higashikawa Teppen Festival

Date:: in the planning stage
Place:: Higashikawa Nokyo

A festival organized by the young people’s and women’s sections of the Higashikawa Nokyo (farm cooperative). Local products are offered for sale along with other attractions and events. Includes an agricultural photo contest.

Daisetsuzan and Lake Chubetsu Triathlon in Higashikawa

Date:: in the planning stage
Place:: Chubetsu Lake, Higashikawa

This is the farthest northern triathlon held in Japan. The competition, involving athletes from all over Japan, ends in Higashikawa and includes a photo contest.

Higashikawa Ice Festival

Date:: in the middle of January, 2012
Place:: Higashikawa Hagoromo Park

People confident of their abilities as ice sculptors gather in Higashikawa to compete in an ice sculpture contest just after the New Year holidays. A snow sculpture contest is held at the same time with participation by companies and families.