Gold in Press/Sports / 2025 / Press / Sports

• Prize
  Gold in Press/Sports
• Photographer
  Shigeki Nakashoji, Japan
• Date of Photograph
  2024.4.22
• Studio
  Free
• Instagram
  https://www.instagram.com/shigeki_nakashoji/

Sumo, Japan's national sport, has around 600 wrestlers, but only a few make it to the top, the rank of Yokozuna.
Aiming for the top, the wrestlers train hard every day, covered in sweat and mud.
This photo captures a moment when they are training.

I am a Japanese documentary and sports photographer whose work explores the relationship between the human body, the mind, and culture through sport.
For more than a decade, he has documented athletes competing and training in extreme environments, with long-term projects focusing on sumo, CrossFit, and lifesaving. His photography goes beyond competition to reveal the emotions, rituals, discipline, and humanity that define each sport.
In 2026, he held his solo exhibition "ULTIMATE" at the Canon Gallery Ginza and Canon Gallery Osaka, presenting a documentary series on CrossFit.

Awards ・Gold Winner, PX3 – Prix de la Photographie Paris
・Finalist, World Sports Photography Awards (Martial Arts Category)
・Honorable Mention, International Photography Awards (IPA)
・Excellence Award, Number Sports Photo Award