/ 2025 / Portraiture / Children

• Prize
  Honorable Mention
• Photographer
  Mitsuaki Fujiwara, Japan
• Date of Photograph
  2014~2017
• Website
  https://mitsuaki-fujiwara.com
• Instagram
  chainstory

From the temples of Thailand to the traditional homes of Bhutan, the maze-like streets of Zanzibar and the plazas of Peru, I encountered a quiet bond between children and cats—unspoken, instinctive, and pure. Despite vast cultural differences, their gentle coexistence felt the same: a rare harmony between two beings. I gathered these moments with intent, drawn by the tenderness only children seem to carry. These scenes reflect a shared innocence that defies borders.

Each time, I felt joy—and a quiet ache. A longing for something lost. So I chose to preserve what I could no longer return to.

Mitsuaki Fujiwara is a Tokyo-based documentary filmmaker and photographer with over 15 years of experience.

His work focuses on visualizing invisible forces—wind, time, and scale—shaped by nature beyond human presence. In his Antarctic series, Winds of the Frozen Continent, he captures landscapes carved by katabatic winds and ancient ice, revealing the quiet fragility and immense weight of accumulated time.

Awards PX3, Paris 2025 — Honorable Mention, Portraiture / Children, Fleeting Bonds

Sony World Photography Awards 2026 — Japan National Award Shortlist, Professional Competition, Winds of the Frozen Continent