FEATURED EVENT

CALL FOR ENTRY

Ahead of the 2025 National Cherry Blossom Festival (March 20 to April 13, 2025), the JICC is excited to announce the long-awaited return of its Cherry Blossom Photography Contest. We invite you to submit your cherry blossom-themed photographs taken in the United States or Japan that capture the essence of cherry blossoms as a symbol of Japan-U.S. friendship. This contest is open to all residents of the United States and the U.S. territories. We encourage participants to look beyond the traditional beauty of cherry blossoms and explore unique perspectives that highlight their role as a bridge between Japan and the United States. Whether through an unexpected angle, a compelling story, or an artistic composition, we welcome creative and innovative interpretations that celebrate this unshakeable connection. Winners' and selected photos will be displayed in the gallery at the JICC, Embassy of Japan, and planned to travel to other esteemed venues.

Exhibition Dates and Location
February 17th to March 18th, 2025, at the JICC, Embassy of Japan

Award Ceremony (Extended Gallery Hours)
February 20th, gallery will remain open from 5PM

RULES

Deadline: Designs must be received electronically to jicc@ws.mofa.go.jp by January 26th, 2025 at 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time.

Eligibility: The contest is open to US residents including the U.S. territories.  (For entrants under the age of 13, written parental or guardian consent is required.) 

Regulations:

Photos must be submitted by entrants who have the legal rights to the content, even if they are not the original creators. Submissions must NOT include entirely or partially AI-generated content. Submissions must NOT be directly sourced from other materials or artworks protected by copyright without proper authorization. Entrants are responsible for ensuring they hold the rights to the submitted photo. Any submissions suspected of plagiarism, copyright infringement, or the use of AI-generated content will be disqualified without prior notice.

• Entries will not be accepted unless submitted via the official contest channel. Entries not submitted through the proper channel will be disqualified.
• Entries will be reviewed by the judges appointed by the Embassy of Japan. All decisions are final. The Embassy of Japan reserves the right to disqualify any entry that is deemed inappropriate or does not conform to stated contest rules.
• Submissions will not be accepted once the deadline lapses.
• The prize must be collected by the winner and is nontransferable.
• By entering the contest, entrants agree to the below Usage Rights.

Usage Rights: The entrant retains ownership of all intellectual and industrial property rights to their photo submission. As a condition of entry, the entrant grants the JICC, Embassy of Japan, a worldwide, transferable, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, publish, distribute, publicly perform, and publicly display the photo for any purpose, including but not limited to display on the JICC website, social media platforms, and gallery exhibitions, with proper attribution to the entrant.

Submissions: Submissions must be received in digital format to jicc@ws.mofa.go.jp (see below for accepted file types). Only one (1) photograph will be allowed per person. 

In the SUBMISSION EMAIL, please include:

• Photographer’s Name
• Residence of the photographer- City, State/Territory/Prefecture, Country
• “Title”  of your photo
• Location of the photo taken- City, State/Territory/Prefecture, Country
• Year of the photo taken
• Brief description of the photo
• If under the age of 13: Written Parental or Guardian Consent

Accepted File Types and Size:

• Submissions must be received in .JPG and .JPEG ONLY.  Any other file types are not accepted.
• File must be under 10MB (or approximately 24 x 18 inches at 300dpi). (Winners may be asked to resubmit the same work in higher resolution.)
• The submitted image file name must include the photographer’s first name, last name initial, and the abbreviation of their state/territory of residence.
• ex) Jane Embassy who is from Kentucky submitting a photo would name the file Jane_E_KY.jpg.
• ex2) Maria Flores who is from Guam submitting a photo would name the file Maria_F_GU.jpg.

Photos not submitted according to these guidelines may result in disqualification without notice.

lease contact us if you have any questions at jicc@ws.mofa.go.jp.

 

Note: You will receive a message confirming that we have received your submission. If you do not receive a message within 72 hours, or by the deadline, please contact us. We are not responsible for entries that are lost, misdirected, or transmitted late or incorrectly.

Prizes: TBA

Entries will be carefully reviewed by our panel, and the top photographs will be recognized with awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, along with four special jury prizes. Winning and selected entries will be featured in the gallery of the Japan Information & Culture Center (JICC), Embassy of Japan, and other prominent venues in Washington, D.C.  Join us in celebrating the beauty and friendship embodied by cherry blossoms. We look forward to receiving your unique and inspiring interpretations.

 

Confirmed Prizes:

• $100 gift card
• Shinkansen bullet train diecast model

For all winners:

• Tea Ceremony experience by Urasenke Tonkokai at Washin’an, Washington DC (Accommodation and travel expenses are not included)
• Eco Bag
• Award ceremony and reception (Accommodation and travel expenses are not included)

Questions & Comments: For questions, comments, and rule clarifications, please email the JICC at jicc@ws.mofa.go.jp.