Japanese Photographer Takeshi Yamamoto Wins Silver in Documentary & People Photography for “Hands and Rice: Sake Brewing”

Japan-based documentary and editorial photographer Takeshi Yamamoto has been awarded the Silver Award in Documentary & People Photography – Cultural Expressions at the Best Photography Awards UK 2025 Autumn Season for his evocative work “Hands and Rice: Sake Brewing.”

The photograph was praised for its quiet emotional weight, cultural depth, and masterful storytelling — capturing a moment that speaks to Japan’s living traditions and its evolving creative spirit. Through Yamamoto’s lens, the art of sake brewing becomes more than a craft; it becomes a meditation on heritage, transformation, and the resilience of human hands.

Born in 1985, Takeshi Yamamoto is a documentary and editorial photographer based in Japan. He has received the Yonosuke Natori Photography Award, an Honorable Mention at the Canon New Cosmos of Photography, and the Silver Award at the Best Photography Awards UK. His solo exhibition “AGAINST FATE” was held at the Sony Imaging Gallery.

Below is the full interview with Takeshi Yamamoto.

Q: Could you share the background and setting of this award-winning photo?

Takeshi: This photograph was taken at Takeno-i Brewery, located in Yatsugatake — a mountain range considered a spiritual counterpoint to Mount Fuji. Here, pure spring water from the mountains becomes the source of life for sake brewing. The brewmaster, Koichiro Shimizu, believed that “the future of sake cannot be secured by tradition alone.” Inspired by his refusal to accept fate and his determination to carve a new path, I documented his worn and devoted hands as a symbol of challenge and transformation. Through this work, I seek to share the Japanese spirit of inheritance, resistance, and bold innovation — the cultural force that continues to flow through Japan today.

Q: Is there a particular detail in this photo that you especially love?

Takeshi: The quiet harmony between the brewmaster’s hands and the rice.

It carries both strength and tenderness — the essence of true craftsmanship.

Q: Did you have any specific inspiration or artistic concept in mind during the creation?

Takeshi: My inspiration came from the brewmaster’s passion. Sake brewing is not merely a technique — it is a form of prayer to nature’s gifts: rice, water, microorganisms, and time itself. I wanted to capture the invisible dialogue between the artisan and the materials, and the spirit of Japanese culture that lives within this exchange. Through the determination of a young brewmaster, I sought to express both tradition and challenge — the soul of Japan in motion.

Q: What do you hope viewers will feel or reflect upon when they see this photo?

Takeshi: I hope viewers reflect on the fact that true craftsmanship is not a performance, but is built on humility, patience, and dedication. In a fast-paced world, if this work offers even a brief moment of stillness — and sparks curiosity toward Japanese culture and its deep connection to food — I would be truly happy.

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