12th Japan Photo Contest: Calgary Consulate Invites Western Canadian Residents, Deadline 3 January 2027
The Consulate-General of Japan in Calgary is accepting entries to its 12th Japan Photo Contest, designed to encourage awareness of Japanese culture and connections between Japan and Canada. The official entry period runs from October 1, 2026, through 11:59 p.m. on January 3, 2027. This is a regional call, not a worldwide competition: applicants must live in the consulate’s Canadian jurisdiction.
Who can enter? The residency restriction matters
Eligible entrants must reside in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut. The official rules also exclude anyone who won a prize in either of the previous two contest cycles. Photographers must submit their own work and are responsible for acquiring any required consent or model releases from people depicted in the images.
Subjects and submission limits
The four categories are City Life, Country Life, Night Life and Wildlife. Photos may have been taken in Japan or in Canada with a Japan-related subject, following the category rules. A person may submit a maximum of four images overall, no more than one per category. The rules state that images should measure at least 1,700 by 2,500 pixels, with higher resolution recommended; heavy editing may result in disqualification. AI-generated photographs or photographs containing AI elements are not permitted.
Prizes and organizer
Six awards are planned: a Grand Prize, Consul-General’s Prize and a prize for each of the four categories. The Calgary consulate lists prizes donated by companies including Nikon Canada; the Grand Prize listing highlights a Nikon Z5IIC mirrorless camera and an official certificate. The consulate also publishes restrictions on image-use permissions and prize claims, so entrants should read the complete terms rather than relying on the short announcement alone.
How to apply
Use the online Google submission form linked from the consulate’s official notice. Before uploading, review the Terms and Conditions, select the relevant category and check the technical format of each photograph. The notice does not specify an entry fee in the material summarized here; confirm any costs and current deadlines on the official application page.
Deadline: January 3, 2027 at 11:59 p.m., as stated by the organizer. This is an official Japanese diplomatic mission's cultural competition for residents of its specified Western and Northern Canadian regions.
Official source
Official information checked October 24, 2026. Recheck the organizer’s current instructions before entering.