April 24, 2025
East Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd.
Hokkaido Regional Head Office

The 15th "Hokkaido Expressway Four Seasons Photo Contest" received nearly double the number of submissions compared to the previous year. This year, we received many impressive works depicting nature, daily life, events, and more, and we enjoyed appreciating the perspectives, expressions, and techniques used to capture the "Four Seasons of Hokkaido."

The winner of the Grand Prize in the "Landscapes with Expressway" category was "Towards the Morning Sun" (Eri & Nishiyan), a highly lyrical photograph taken on Doto Expressway. In addition to the subject being a straight road that continues on forever, which is typical of Hokkaido, the morning sun is miraculously placed at the center of the symmetrical composition. Although most of the image is backlit, the morning sky spreading out over the silhouette of the horizon, and the way that light is reflected on the road and trucks (or the parts that are not visible) seem to evoke a sense of story and emotion.

The winner of the Grand Prize in the "Four Seasons of Hokkaido" category, "Rain of Blessings" by Takaki Kanazawa, was overwhelming in both its expressive color and composition. The angle of the sunlight pouring down from between the clouds onto the ridges of the fields and the gentle direction of the ridges of the earth resonate with each other, creating a sense of quiet dynamism.

A new category has been added to this year's contest: "Expressway Scenery on Instagram."
The Grand Prize winner was Tono Kanata, whose work appears to have been created using a long exposure technique.The details and textures of the sky and earth create an exquisite harmony with the various lights and colors, making it a complex and spectacular piece.

Now that the snow has melted, spring has finally arrived in Hokkaido. A beautiful year begins with the blossoming of cherry blossoms. Grab your camera or smartphone and head north, south, east and west on Expressway. We hope you will enjoy collecting memories while discovering the four seasons of Hokkaido that are unique to you.
(The full text can be viewed on the DraPla dedicated page.)

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Ryusuke Ito
Born in Sapporo in 1963. Videographer. In the field of art film and video art, he makes presentations at film festivals and museums in Japan and overseas. Currently, he is involved in the education of video and media art including photography at Hokkaido Kyoiku University. There are also many manga reviews under the name of "Kenji Murasame". Professor, Imaging Laboratory, Department of Arts and Sports Culture, Hokkaido Kyoiku University. Completed the Graduate School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

The NEXCO EAST Group has positioned the period from FY2021 to FY2025 as "a period that contributes to the achievement of the SDGs and transforms into a new future society," and is making various efforts.
We believe that this "Hokkaido Expressway Four Seasons Photo Contest" will contribute to SDGs Nos. 8 and 17 as business activities that will lead to the promotion of sustainable tourism and the revitalization of local communities.