/ 2025 / Portraiture / Culture

• Prize
  Honorable Mention
• Photographer
  Soichiro Moriyama, Japan

This work captures the traditional Japanese ceremony of Lantern Floating.

From a small boat, lanterns are carefully released one by one, forming a continuous line of light that shimmers across the water at night.

This beautiful sight is more than just an aesthetic display. Each lantern carries a memorial for departed souls and a wish for peace. This illuminated path acts like a river of souls, softly guiding unseen journeys.

We hope you feel the warmth and profound thoughts woven into the act of hand-launching these lanterns and the luminous trail they create.