Men Dedicated to Reconstruction

• Prize
  Bronze in People/Event
• Photographer
  Megumi Murakami
• Technical Info
  Canon EOS R6 MarkII + RF24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM F:2.8, SS:1/640, ISO:6400, Focal length:70mm
• Photo Date
  05/JUL/2025

The Abare Festival is a traditional celebration passed down for 350 years in Japan's Noto region. The massive earthquake that struck this area on New Year's Day 2024. Even now, as recovery efforts continue, the people's strong conviction is that the festival “must be held.” I too wanted to convey something through my photographs, so I took these shots. Amidst fiercely burning 7-meter torches being smashed, sending sparks flying everywhere, men dive into the river and rampage wildly. It's an exciting festival where legend says the more wildly they rampage, the more the deity rejoices.

Megumi MURAKAMI is a Japan-based photographer specializing in Landscape, documentary and event photographer. Driven by an interest in Landscapes shaped by the destruction of nature and coexistence with it, she captures "Descriptions that evoke a sense of connection with nature". In addition to winning awards at the Sony World Photography Awards 2026, the Tokyo International Photo Awards 2025, the work has also been featured in various media outlets. Currently, she is working on a project exploring ”A strong sense of unity in the hope of recovery”. Her works are held in several collections.