The Domon Ken Award (土門拳賞, ''Domon-Ken-shō'') is one of Japan's photographic awards. The award was started in 1981 by the Mainichi Newspapers to mark the 110th birthday of the ''

Mainichi Shimbun The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by In addition to the ''Mainichi Shimbun'', which is printed twice a day in several local editions, Mainichi also operates an English-language news website called , and publishes a bilin ...

'', its daily newspaper and main publication, in honor of the photographer

Ken Domon was a celebrated Japanese photographer known for his work as a photojournalist and as a photographer of Buddhist temples and statuary. Domon, who began his career in the 1930s contributing photo reportages to magazines that supported the increas ...

. It has been awarded every year since 1982. The Domon Ken Award is given to a single established photographer for a published book of documentary photographs. Together with sample photographs, an announcement is made in '' Sunday Mainichi'' (and previously in '' Camera Mainichi'' as well). Award-winning works are shown in the Ginza

Nikon Salon is the name given to exhibition spaces and activities run by Nikon in Japan. The Ginza Nikon Salon (in Ginza, Tokyo) opened in January 1968 (with an exhibition of work by Ihei Kimura) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Nippon Kōgaku (later re ...

and the Domon Ken Photography Museum. The major rival to this award for attention in the mass media is the

Kimura Ihei Award The is a Japanese photography award. The award has been given every year since 1975 (except 1983) by the Asahi Shimbun Company, publisher of ''Asahi Shimbun'' and the magazine ''Asahi Camera'', in honor of the photographer Ihei Kimura was a Ja ...

, given annually to one or more newcomers.

Winners

Notes

External links

*{{in lang, ja}
List of award winners
with links to their books at an online bookstore. Awards established in 1981 Japanese awards Photography awards Photography in Japan 1981 establishments in Japan