[Hokkaido Higashikawa Town] 18 Schools Selected for Photo Koshien 2026 Main Tournament!

The Photo Koshien Executive Committee (Higashikawa Town, Hokkaido, the "Town of Photography") announced the results of the block preliminary round held on June 6 and 7, naming the 18 schools that will advance to the main tournament.
The 18 schools that passed the block preliminary will advance to the main tournament and aim to become Japan's top high school photography club.

Block Preliminary Results (Schools Advancing to Main Tournament) *Numbers in parentheses indicate number of appearances, etc.

Hokkaido Block

Sapporo Kotonoi Technical High School (Hokkaido) (First appearance)

Tohoku Block

Fukushima Prefectural Asaka Reimei High School (First appearance)

North Kanto Block

Ibaraki Prefectural Kasama High School (5th consecutive appearance, 5th overall)

Gunma Prefectural Tomioka Technical High School (5th appearance, first in 2 years)

South Kanto Block

Kanagawa Prefectural Zushi Hayama High School (5th consecutive appearance, 5th overall)

Allesea Shonan High School (First appearance)

Tokyo Block

Tokiwamatsu Gakuen Junior and Senior High School (2nd appearance, first in 3 years)

Tokyo Metropolitan Comprehensive Arts High School (7th consecutive appearance, 7th overall)

Hokuriku Shinetsu Block

Fukui Prefectural Nyu High School (3rd appearance, first in 6 years)

Tokai Block

Gifu Prefectural Gifu Comprehensive High School (First appearance)

Fujinohana Women's High School (First appearance)

Kinki Block

Osaka Prefectural Ikuno High School (8th consecutive appearance, 8th overall)

Wakayama Prefectural Kamishima High School (10th consecutive appearance, 10th overall)

Doshisha Women's High School (First appearance) *Selection slot

Chugoku Block

Izumo Hokuryo High School (4th appearance, first in 3 years)

Shikoku Block

Ehime Prefectural Imabari Minami High School (First appearance)

Kyushu & Okinawa Block

Yatsushiro Shirayuri Gakuen High School (13th appearance, first in 3 years)

Okinawa Prefectural Urasoe Technical High School (11th appearance, first in 3 years) *Selection slot

Block Preliminary Round

A second preliminary round in which 80 schools that passed the first preliminary round (May 21) from 463 applicant schools compete for representation across 11 blocks nationwide. The block preliminary is conducted online, where schools present their first-round entries in front of the Photo Koshien judges.
Footage of the block preliminary will be streamed on the official Photo Koshien YouTube channel from July 10 onward.

Judges (titles omitted)

Chief Judge: Keiko Nomura (Photographer)
Judges: Mayuko Ugawa (Photographer)
Masashi Asada (Photographer)
GOTO AKI (Photographer)
Miho Kotaka (Curator)
Hiroyuki Moriya (Photo and Video Department Manager, Hokkaido Shimbun)

[Judging scene]
[Judging scene]

Main Tournament

The 18 schools that advanced through the block preliminary will gather in the competition field centered on Higashikawa Town, Hokkaido (the "Town of Photography") and the Daisetsuzan National Park area. Using identical equipment under the same conditions, they will shoot, select their best work, and present and be judged in a public judging session on the day.

National High School Photography Championship "Photo Koshien"

Photo Koshien, a tournament to determine Japan's top high school photography club, began in 1994 in Higashikawa Town, Hokkaido. The 2026 edition will mark its 33rd edition. To date, a total of 11,664 schools and 34,992 high school students from across the nation have participated and competed. This tournament invites collaborative works (photo series) from high school photography clubs and circles nationwide. Through a first-round judging of works and block preliminary presentations across 11 blocks, 18 outstanding schools are selected. They gather in Higashikawa Town, the host location, and compete for the national title using identical equipment and shooting in designated areas including Higashikawa, Biei, Kamifurano, Higashikagura, and Asahikawa.

Latest information on Photo Koshien:

Official website: https://syakou.jp/

Official social media:
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/syashin.koushien/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/syakou.higashikawa/?locale=ja_JP
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@写真甲子園実行委員会