Great Photographers in JapanThis is a new series introducing leading photographers in the Japanese diving world. We will introduce Japanese photographers who continue to convey the wonders of the ocean both in Japan and abroad, along with their activities. |
Series 2
A nature photographer who portrays the cycle of people, nature, water and life
Junji Takasago
Born in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture in 1962, he graduated from the Department of Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Utsunomiya University. He took a leave of absence to travel to Australia, where he was captivated by a different underwater world than the one he grew up in, and obtained his diving certification.
After returning to Japan, he worked as a full-time photographer for a diving magazine before going independent in 1989. He has visited over 100 countries around the world, and continues to photograph the entire globe, covering a wide range of subjects, from the underwater world to wildlife, landscapes, rainbows, and starry skies.
"Heavenly Flamingos" winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award in the Natural Artistry category. This amazing work, capturing the sky and flamingos reflected on the surface of Bolivia's Uyuni Salt Flats at an altitude of 3,700 meters, has become Takasago's signature piece.
In 2022, his work "Heavenly Flamingos," which captures a majestic and beautiful moment of flamingos photographed at Lake Uyuni, 3,700 meters above sea level in Bolivia, South America, where he spent 10 years, won the top prize in the Natural Artistry category of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards, sponsored by the Natural History Museum in London, UK, and considered the world's highest level in the field of nature photography.
His books include "free" (1993, Shogakukan), "night rainbow" (2003, Shogakukan), "Beyond the Night rainbow" (2012, Shogakukan), "Dear Earth" (2016, PIE International), "LIGHT on LIFE" (2017, Shogakukan), "PLANET of WATER" (2019, National Geographic), "Light, Rainbows and Myths" (2020, Yama to Keikokusha), and "Voices of our planet" (Clevis), among others, totaling over 30 books.
This photo was taken at Ari Atoll in the Maldives, which is extremely popular with divers. The composition looks as if it is bathed in a spotlight, highlighting the beauty of the subject itself. “Mantas in the night”, Ali Atoll, Maldives
His photography exhibitions have been held at numerous venues both in Japan and abroad, including the Eki Kyoto Museum of Art, the Japan Cultural Institute in Paris, Nikon THE GALLERY, GINZA SIX, and the Salzburg Museum.
He frequently appears on television and radio, and is also active in magazines and lectures. He is also active in environmental conservation activities, and continues to widely communicate about nature, the relationship between nature and humans, and the role of humans through lectures and the media.
Director of the Marine Environment NPO "The Oceanic Wildlife Society", Miyagi Kizuna Ambassador
Collection of his works
