/ 2012 / /

Tsunami Survivor Greives Loss

  • Prize
    Gold in Press/Nature/Environmental
  • Photographer
    Hiroto Sekiguchi, Japan
  • Studio
    The Yomiuri Shimbun

Yoshikatsu Hiratsuka, 66, breaks down and grieves by rubble that the body of his mother, Minori, 93, is still buried 6 days after tsunami devastated the area in Onagawa, Miyagi Pref. Yoshikatsu and his mother was together when tsunami clashed their home, swallowed them. He survived but not his mother. Yoshikatsu keeps saying out "Sorry for keeping you left here, Sorry...Sorry" as body of his wife, Hiroko, 61, is also laid on frozen ground beside of the wreckage where Minori is still buried. His son Masaru, 38, still remains undiscovered.

Hiroto grew up in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan and started his career as a photographer in 2007. He joined Staff Photographer of The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan. Hiroto has been honored with several awards, Konica Minolta Plaza FOTOPREMIO 2010 Special Award, Yonhap International Press Photo Awards 2011 Gold Prize, International Photography Awards 2011 Honorable Mention, Pictures of the Year International Impact 2011 Japan Earthquake Second Place, News Picture Story-Newspaper Third Place. His photos have also been exhibited in various galleries and international photo festivals, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Old Seoul Station Museum Koria, UN Headquaters New York, Fovea Exhibitions New York, Visa Pour l�image, Perpignan France 2011.

Awards Born in 1984, Hiroto Sekiguchi is Japanese Photographer based in Tokyo. He started career as a photographer in 2005 at college. In 2007, he graduated Nihon University College of Art. He has been honored with several awards. In 2011, Gold Prize, Yonhap International Press Photo Award and Honorable Mention, International Photography Awards. In 2012, 2nd Place, Impact 2011 Japan Earthquake Category, and 3rd Place, News Picture Story Newspaper Category, Pictures of the Year International. 2nd Place, Natural Disaster Category and 3rd Place, Natural Disaster Picture Story Category, NPPA The Best of Photojournalism. Gold Prize, Natural Environmental Category and Gold Prize, Feature Story Category, Prix de la Photographie Paris.