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World Press Photo 2021

The World Press Photo Exhibition 2021 will be held from Friday, November 5 until Friday, November 19 at four locations across Japan. Once again, APU will be one of those hosts.

World Press Photo Foundation, an Amsterdam-based, non-profit foundation, runs an annual exhibition each year featuring award-winning photographs from the World Press Photo Contest. Now in its 64th year, the exhibition is a showcase of some of the world’s very best in photojournalism. This year will be the first time the exhibition will be held in two years, as last year’s was canceled due to the spread of the COVID-19.

This year, 45 prize-winning photographs were selected across eight categories. Each category (except for Long-Term Projects) is subdivided into “singles,” meaning only one photo, and “stories” which are comprised of multiple photographs. Awards are given to the top three photographs in each subcategory. The jury selects one photograph from among the winners as the World Press Photo of the Year. The 2021 Photo Contest selected Mads Nissen’s (Politiken/Panos Pictures, Denmark) photograph, The First Embrace, as the World Press Photo of the Year.

In addition to this year’s exhibition, there will also be a special exhibition of last year's grand prize-winning work. The winning photograph of the 2020 grand prize was Straight Voice taken by former Asahi Shimbun photographer, Yasuyoshi Chiba (born in Saiki City, Oita Prefecture), of AFP. This marks the fourth win by a Japanese photographer in the 41-year history of the World Press Photo of the Year.

The World Press Photo Exhibition provides a unique glimpse into the little-known realities faced by the people of our time. It is an excellent opportunity for visitors to learn about contemporary problems and conflicts occurring around the world and to witness exceptional scenes, such as miraculous moments in sports or the ongoing destruction of nature. We encourage everyone to attend.

World Press Photo Exhibition 2021
About COVID-19 infection prevention measures at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

When entering the museum, we ask for your understanding and cooperation regarding the following in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

• Please refrain from visiting or entering the university if you are not feeling well on the day of the event or if you have a fever of 37.5 degrees or higher.
• Please enter the admission record (fill in contact information, etc.), measure your temperature, disinfect your hands, and wear a mask.
• If there are a large number of visitors, admission may be restricted.
• Please maintain social distance, refrain from talking in the hall, and do not touch the exhibits.
• In addition, please follow the instructions of the staff and the notes in the hall.