As part of the celebration marking 160 years of Swiss-Japanese diplomatic relations, this special exhibition will highlight the most inspiring interpretations of vitality—whether through healthy living, sustainability, or innovation. Discover the winning entries and immerse yourself in the creative energy that brought these visions to life.
The winning photos as well as a special selections of photographs by photographer and Vitality Ambassador Basil Kräher will be on display at SHIBAURA HOUSE from October 9 to 24, so don’t miss this exciting exhibition!

Thank you for all your entries, the contest is now closed but you can still asee all the images here : https://woobox.com/xvwieo

The competition and exhibition aims to deepen the cultural connections between Switzerland and Japan by promoting a shared understanding of vitality. Just as the Vitality.Swiss program explores the concept of Vitality along three themes: “Healthy Life”, Sustainable Planet”, “Human-centered Innovation”, we hope that participants depict different interpretations of Vitality, fostering a new understanding of how we can work towards a vitalized future.

By holding this photo contest online and open to all, we hope to reach individuals from various background with differing interpretations of vitality, allowing us to hold a multi-faceted exhibition. Winners’ photographs will be exhibited from October 9 to 24 at SHIBAURA HOUSE.

Jury

A distinguished jury, consisting partly of professionals in the field of photography/art, will evaluate the submissions and select the winners: Sawako Fukai, TOKYO PHOTOGRAPHIC RESEARCH, Masaru Ito, SHIBAURA HOUSE, Taisuke Koyama, TOKYO PHOTOGRAPHIC RESEARCH, Basil Kräher, Photographer & Vitality.Swiss Ambassador, and a representative of the Embassy of Switzerland in Japan

Ingrid Dubach - Lemainque | Art critic

After graduating in art history (Paris-Sorbonne), Ingrid Dubach-Lemainque (*1976) worked for several years as a curator for public and private art collections in France and Switzerland - among others at the Swiss Federal Art Collection (Bern). She currently works as a freelance art critic for French- and German-speaking art magazines and lives in Tokyo with her husband Ambassador-Designate of Switzerland to Japan, Roger Dubach.

Sawako Fukai | Director, Producer, Editor

Sawako Fukai is an independent creative producer and art project coordinator based in Tokyo. After working as a director of contemporary photography gallery/an art book publisher for over ten years, she became independent. After 5 years of working in Europe including London and Amsterdam since 2014, now she is based in Tokyo, working in various branding and editorial projects mainly in the field of art and design, together with international clients. She is also engaged in many independent art project such as Tokyo Photographic Research.

Masaru Ito | President of SHIBAURA HOUSE (Minato-ku, Tokyo)

In 2011, he rebuilt the company building of the prepress company he took over from his father and renovated it as SHIBAURA HOUSE. Part of the building, designed by architect Kazuyo Sejima(SANAA), is open to the public and used as a community space for local people. In recent years, the company has been focusing on projects that combine social issues with creativity.

Taisuke Koyama | Photographer

Born in 1978, Lives and works in Tokyo. Based on his experience of studying biology and the natural environment, he has been presenting photographic works and video works with an experimental approach. Especially in recent years, he has been exploring the possibilities of extended photographic expression by focusing on contemporary photographic technology in terms of “sensing.” He stayed in London for two years from 2014 under the “Japanese Government Overseas Study Program for Artists” by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and later based himself in Amsterdam. Since 2018, he has been leading the collective “TOKYO PHOTOGRAPHIC RESEARCH,” with a mission focused on “Multifaceted Urban Research” and “Pragmatic Exploration of Contemporary Photography”.  He committed to the development of a cultural, social, and economic platform for contemporary photography expression in Japan. 

www.tiskkym.com www.tokyophotographicresearch.jp

Basil Kräher | Graphic Designer, Photographer, and Fashion Model currently based in Tokyo

Born on the 3rd of June 2000 in Zurich, Switzerland, Basil Kräher’s journey into the world of design began with an apprenticeship at HAVAS Switzerland, an international advertising agency, followed by a consequential internship at ARTSNEXT, an innovation agency, where he encountered the intricacies of Japanese design, finding himself instantly captivated by its profound aesthetic principles, such as Mono No Aware. Since his arrival in Tokyo in 2020, Basil Kräher has collaborated on a diverse array of projects, assuming pivotal roles in creative and art direction at the intersection of Fashion, Music, and art-related clients. Kräher’s core competency resides in his ability to conceive and grasp interdisciplinary concepts and processes. He firmly believes that the trajectory of the future hinges on fostering a multidisciplinary approach to both work and thought, surpassing the constraints inherent in specialized domains.

Website: basilkraeher.com
Instagram: @basil.kraeher

Prizes

Winner of the competition will have the chance to have their work exhibited at Shibaura House for 2 weeks in October 2024. Winning photographers will also be featured on the Embassy’s social media accounts.

There are seven awards for the competition:

• Competition Winner Award: Cash prize of 300 CHF (JPY50 000) +Freitag (F670 WARREN)
• Ambassador Special Award: Cash prize of 200 CHF (JPY 35 000) +Freitag (F36 WAYNE)
• 4x Jury Selection Awards : Cash prize 150 CHF (JPY 25 000)+ small gift prize
• Public Vote Award: Photobook + Freitag(F411 LAPTOP SLEEVE)

Supported by FREITAG

Contest Guidelines:

The Embassy of Switzerland in Japan is running the contest. Exhibition will be organized in collaboration with SHIBAURA HOUSE.

Open to all photography lovers, including amateurs and photography students. We hope to encourage the next generation of photographers to share their creativity. Photographs that express what “Vitality means to you” and/or “how we can join forces to foster a vitalized future”.

Timeline:

• 22.08.2024 – 22.09.2024 Open Call: Deadline 22.09.2024 at 12:00 (JST)
• 22.09.2024 – 08.10.2024: Jury evaluates the submissions and selects the winners
• 11.10.2024: Award ceremony at SHIBAURA HOUSE, Tokyo
• 09.10.2024 – 24.10.2024 (2 weeks): Exhibiting winning photographs at SHIBAURA HOUSE, Tokyo

Other:

Entries must be submitted via the official contest platform. Winners will be contacted via email after September 25 and must respond within five business days. Contest void where prohibited by law. Please check the below rules & guidelines for more details.

In order to facilitate a fair entry and judging process, it is important that every entrant reads these entry rules and agrees to them when submitting their entry. These entry rules outline who can enter the contest and what can be entered.

1. Participants of all levels (amateur or student), nationality, and age are welcome. Participants under the age of 18 are required to have prior permission of a parent or guardian. Participants under 18 shall be deemed to have the consent of a parent or guardian upon submission.
2. Participants must have a valid shipping address in Japan (required for delivery of prizes).
3. All photos must be original work, taken by the entrants, submitted in their names. Participants may use any camera or device to take their photos and may submit photos taken in the past.
4. No third party may own or control any materials the photo contains, and the photo must not infringe upon the trademark, copyright, moral rights, intellectual rights, or rights of privacy of any entity or person.
5. The photo cannot be altered in any way, including but not limited to removing, adding, reversing, or distorting subjects within the frame.
6. All entries must have accurate captions and descriptions, written in English or Japanese. Each entry must also include relevant additional information, such as motivation, date and place the photo was taken, and how their photo depicts vitality.
7. Entries will not be accepted unless submitted via the official contest channel (Woobox). Entries not submitted through the proper channel will be deleted.
8. Entries will be judged by the jury organized by the Embassy. All decisions are final. The Embassy reserves the right to disqualify any entry that is deemed inappropriate or does not conform to stated contest rules.
9. The deadline for submitting entries to the contest is September 22, 2024, 12:00 JST. Submissions will not be accepted once the deadline lapses.
10. The winner will be contacted via the email address provided during entry. If no response is received after five business days, a new winner will be selected and the previous winner will forfeit all rights to the prize.
11. Violators will be removed from the contest, stripped of any prize(s), and banned from entering future contests.
12. The contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law.

Organized by the Embassy of Switzerland in Japan in collaboration with SHIBAURA HOUSE, with the support of FREITAG

This event is part of the Swiss Vitality Days 2024, celebrating the 160th anniversary of bilateral relations between Switzerland and Japan, and takes place in the framework of Vitality.Swiss, Switzerland’s public diplomacy program on the road to Expo 2025 Osaka – Kansai.

SPONSORSHIP SWISS VITALITY DAYS｜