To celebrate the alignment of World Photography Week (12–26 August 2026), a rare partial solar eclipse (12 August) and our Kyotographie: Kawada Kikuji x Iwane Ai exhibition (open until 18 October), Japan House London is holding a photography competition open to anyone based in the UK aged 18 and over.
The overall winner will be awarded a FUJIFILM INSTAX mini 99™ and a signed poster by Kawada Kikuji alongside a bundle of gifts.
Kawada’s The Last Cosmology series marks the end of Japan’s long Shōwa era (1926–1989) with the last solar eclipse of the 20th century. The series of work captures a multilayered cosmology that ranges from reality to illusion. On 12 August this year, a partial solar eclipse will cross the UK, with around 90% of the sun covered by the moon. It will be the greatest coverage seen from the UK in almost 27 years.
Connecting this momentous celestial event with Kawada’s work, we invite you to submit a photograph on the theme of ‘Eclipse’, interpreted in your own way. It might be the eclipse itself*. It might be shadow, concealment, or the moment something familiar becomes unfamiliar.
*Please note you should never look directly at the sun during an eclipse, as this might cause severe damage to your eyes.
Kawada Kikuji on The Last Cosmology:
“Following the last celestial phenomena of the 20th century – an annular eclipse, a transit of Venus and a total solar eclipse – the Shōwa era also came to an end on Earth. Symbolically, the sun vanished into the clouds, taking its mysteries with it. Sensing these final moments in heaven and on earth, I came to call this work The Last Cosmology.
Cosmology today is inextricably linked to particle physics and its staggeringly complicated equations; however, The Last Cosmology is a collection of analogies, where the Earth’s many materials interact with the distant skies and clouds; analogies revealed through the mechanism of photography; illusions produced by light and shadow.”
Kawada Kikuji, 14 June 2018, Tokyo
(from 100 Illusions, Canon S Gallery, 2018)
Entry criteria
Who can enter
- Anyone based in the UK, aged 18 or over
- One entry per person
What to submit
- Your own photograph* in a high-resolution image file
- minimum 3000px on the longest edge
- in JPEG or PNG format
- up to 25MB
- A short caption (up to 2000 characters) on your interpretation of Eclipse
By entering, you grant Japan House London permission to display your photograph across our online channels and, where relevant, in our London venue, should you be selected as one of the finalists and/or the winners. Please refer to the full terms and conditions.
*Digital retouching is allowed. AI-generated images are not permitted and will be disqualified.
Entry to the competition is now closed.
What you could win
Overall winner
- FUJIFILM INSTAX mini 99™ and a 20 pack of film
- A signed poster of The Last Total Eclipse of Sun in the 20th Century by Kawada Kikuji
- A Kyotographie 2024 catalogue
- A Kyotographie tote bag of The Last Cosmology
- Digital display of your work in the Library and the Shop at Japan House London until the end of the exhibition (18 October 2026)
People’s Choice winner
- A signed poster of The Last Total Eclipse of Sun in the 20th Century by Kawada Kikuji
- A Kyotographie 2024 catalogue
- A Kyotographie tote bag of The Last Cosmology
One lucky voter
- A Kyotographie exhibition goodie bag — two Kawada Kikuji postcards, a Fujifilm Quicksnap Single Use Camera, and a complimentary drink at The Stand
Important dates
- 12 August: Entries open
- 26 August: Entries close
- 9 September: 10 Finalists announced on Japan House London’s website, Instagram, Facebook and Threads
- 9–23 September: Cast your vote for the People’s Choice Award
- 28 September: Overall winner and People’s Choice Award winner announced
How winners will be selected
- Shortlisting
Every entry will be reviewed by the Japan House London team, who will select a shortlist of 10 finalists.
2. Kawada Kikuji’s choice
Photographer Kawada Kikuji will select the overall winner from the finalists and share a short reflection on his choice.
3. People’s Choice
Finalists’ works will be shared on Japan House London’s social media channels, where the public will be encouraged to vote for their favourite. The entry with the most votes will win the People’s Choice Award. One voter, picked at random, will also win a prize themself.