Karuizawa Train Station ©Susan Sawyers

For the past three years, the town of Karuizawa-Machi, in the Nagano Prefecture of Japan, has hosted The Karuizawa Foto Fest (KFF), conceived and created by George Nobechi, with help from a devoted festival committee and many local volunteers. The town is set in the mountain forests of Japan, with modern and cabin-like homes tucked into the landscape, many as second homes for Tokyo residents. It is filled with fabulous restaurants, hotels and terrific museums, such as the Hiroshi Senju Museum and Richter Raum, a space filled with works by Gerhard Richter.

Karuizawa Train Station ©Susan Sawyers

This year, I had the great pleasure to attend as a Guest Artist, along with my long time friend, Hiroshi Watanabe. The Karuizawa Foto Fest (KFF) is an open-air exhibition of photos submitted by photographers from around the world. Many of the exhibitions are set in beautiful parks, amongst tall trees and shrines, with a backdrop of cherry blossoms and mountains. The festival also offers a variety of in-gallery exhibitions, workshops, lectures, and portfolio reviews. It was truly emotional to see the excitement of the town (yes, the mayor attends and gives a speech) and the community of Japanese photographers who are exhilarated to see their works displayed.  Events continue throughout the month. Photographer Arthur Meyerson will be giving a lecture and opening an exhibition on May 24th, 2025.

George Nobechi, 2025 ©Aline Smithson

The event kicked off in Yagasaki Park, an expansive city park with trees in full bloom that surround a large lake. Wooden stands showcasing a variety of photographs, some by local residents and some by international artists, were spread throughout the park. After a series of speeches by city officials and the seven jurors for the various categories, the Grand Prize photograph was unveiled, a stunning image by Takeshi Ikuta.

KFF Opening remarks ©Coco Taniya

©Takeshi Ikuta, a road leading to Mount Myogi, a nearby mountain close to Karuizawa, photographed after a sunset rainstorm.

Juror Kazuhiko Yamaguchi Speaks about the winning image ©Shiology

Visitors enjoyed champagne and concert by singer/musician Ayano Tachihara as they strolled through the exhibitions. A number of American artists were represented: Astrid Reischwitz, Donna Bassin, Lynne Buchanan, Junko Yokota, Marcy Tilton and Susan Sawyers. Much of the work presented by local and international photographers celebrated the natural world with deep consideration and observation of our precious planet.

Ayano Tachihara in concert ©Coco Taniya

©Astrid Reischwitz, The Taste of Memory, Global series winner

©Lynne Buchanan with her series, Regeneration and Survival in a Precious World

Junko Yokota in front of her photograph and also work by Susan Sawyers, Shimazaki Jun, Chie Oshima, Kenji Takeuchi, and Haruka Takenaka

After the opening ceremony and events, three bus loads of artists, committee members, and dignitaries went to the various parks and venues to see work.

Kenji Kabota describing his work at the KFF Festival, Kajima no mori Hotel ©Donna Tramontozzi

KFF installation at Oiwake Park, 2025  @Donna Tramontozzi

KFF installation at Oiwake Park, 2025, Work by ©Donna Bassin

KFF installation at Oiwake Park, 2025, Work by ©Kazuo Nakazawa

Image Left ©Shingo Kobayashi, Image Right ©Haruka Takenaka Photo by ©Coco Taniya

Various images on display at Kajima no mori Hotel ©Coco Taniya

One of the in-gallery exhibitions on our route was The Poetry of Japan at Gallery Kura, comprised of a group of American artists whose work was inspired by their experiences in Nagano Prefecture and along the Nakasendo in Japan. The artists included Donna Tramontozzi, Sandra Klein, Mary Pat Reeve, Jane Fulton Alt, William Drake, JoAnn Carney..and me!

©Donna Tramontozzi, from the Poetry of Japan Exhibit

©Jane Fulton Alt, The Red Thread, from the Poetry of Japan Exhibition

©Sandra Klein, Peony, from Poetry of Japan

©Mary Pat Reeve, Moonset, from the Poetry of Japan Exhibition

©Aline Smithson, The Real Wound, from the Poetry of Japan Exhibititon

©William Drake, Japan Koi, from the Poetry of Japan Exhibition

©JoAnn Carney, from the Poetry of Japan

The day concluded at the Hotel Otowa No Mori, the main location for many of the events.  Hiroshi and I gave artist talks to a crowd of interested photographers, and opened two exhibitions, one in the hotel and one in a small jewel box of a gallery with windows that are a nod to Frank Lloyd Wright. Shashinkan Gallery is located on the grounds of Hotel Otowa No Mori in Karuizawa. The day concluded with a fancy French dinner in a lovely setting.

Exhibition of Aline Smithson and Hiroshi Watanabe at Shashinkan Gallery ©George Nobechi

Exhibition of Aline Smithson and Hiroshi Watanabe at Shashinkan Gallery ©George Nobechi

Exhibition of Aline Smithson and Hiroshi Watanabe at Shashinkan Gallery ©George Nobechi

Exhibition of Aline Smithson and Hiroshi Watanabe at Shashinkan Gallery ©George Nobechi

Day two featured the KFF Portfolio Reviews held at Hotel Otowa No Mori. Artists were able to meet with significant Japanese curators, gallerists, and editors such as Hiroshi Onishi (Director, Irie Taikichi Memorial Nara City Museum of Photography, CASE PUBLISHING), Naoko Ohta (Representative Director, KLEE INC PARIS TOKYO), Takashi Kakishima (Director, POETIC SCAPE), Ihiro Hayami (Founder, Director T3 PHOTO FESTIVAL TOKYO), Hideko Kataoka (Newsweek Japan), Yuri Yamada (Curator, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography), Shinya B (Art Professor, Temple University, Japan Campus), and Masako Sato (CONTACT). Hiroshi and I also reviewed work.

Portfolio Reviews under way ©Kazuhiro Shiozawa @Shiology

It was wonderful to see photographers I had met at the Tokyo Photo Festival in 2023, in particular Kazunari Suzuki.

Thank you to town of Karuizawa, to Hotel Otowa No Mori, to George Nobechi, Fernanda De Icaza from Nobechi Creative and to Kazuo Nakazawa for a spectacular experience. A toast to you all, or in Japanese, “kanpai”.

Celebrating the new gallery ©Kazuhiro Shiozawa @Shiology