As the year comes to an end, we’re afforded several opportunities to reflect on the past 12 months. One of those opportunities is the Kansai Photojournalism Awards, which were announced this week. Exceptional photojournalism and videography from 2019 were recognized by the Kansai Photojournalism Association, which is made up of 76 news organizations with offices in the Kansai region.
The Asahi’s coverage of the tragic Kyoto Animation arson attack took the top prize. You can see that photo essay here. Sankei staff photographer Kan Emori won top prize in the news category for his photograph of a fleet of shinkansen trains engulfed in glimmering muddy waters after Typhoon Hagibis devastated parts of the Kanto region in October.
A group of Sankei photographers were recognized for their series Utsukushiki Nippon (above), or “Beautiful Japan,” that captured some unusual yet photogenic spots across the country.
Sankei photographer Yasuaki Watanabe won newcomer-of-the-year for his series of photographs that captured life in temporary housing (above) after thousands were displaced by Typhoon Hagibis.
A group of Sankei photographers were recognized for their coverage (above) of a tragic car accident in Otsu City that resulted in two toddlers being killed after after a car crashed into a group of children.
Gen Amari and Shohei Matsunaga from the Sankei were recognized for their coverage of Japan’s rugby team, who were responsible for the biggest upset in rugby history during the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
