Okayama Korakuen Garden＆Okayama Castle Photo Contest 2025

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Japanese version homepage

1. Overview of the Contest

The "Okayama Korakuen Garden & Okayama Castle Photo Contest 2025" (hereinafter referred to as "the Contest") is being hosted during the same period as the “Summer Fantasy Garden & Ujo-Togenkyo” special events to further promote the Okayama Korakuen Garden and Okayama Castle. We are looking for photos that showcase the charms of both locations, making people want to visit during both "day and night."

2. Organizer

Okayama Korakuen Garden and Okayama Castle Area Cooperation Promotion Council

3. Theme

Photos that capture the charm of either location during the day or at night.

4. Implementation Period

Friday, August 1, 2025 (Friday) through Sunday,August 31, 2025 (until 23:59 JST)

5. Eligibility

Anyone can participate, regardless of their nationality, but you must be able to handle administrative procedures in either Japanese or English. Additionally, minors must obtain consent from a parent or guardian before applying.

Please note that you need an Instagram account to apply. If you do not have one, please create an account at your own responsibility on the official Instagram website before applying.

6. How to Apply

① Make sure your Instagram account is set to public.

② Follow the official accounts of both locations on your Instagram account:

・Okayama Korakuen Garden official Instagram:@okayamakorakuen

・Okayama Castle official Instagram:@okayama_castle

③ Within the implementation period, post your photos taken at either location, using the main hashtag (referred to as"Main Tag") and the hashtag indicating the location and time the photo was taken (referred to as "Sub Tags").Additionally, please add a mention for the location the photo was taken.

* mention …This feature allows you to notify specific recipients when you want to share your post with them.

▼Please copy and use the following for the mention account name and tags (#MainTag #SubTags)

◎Language of Post: Japanese

・Okayama Korakuen Garden during the day

@okayamakorakuen #岡山庭城フォトコンテスト2025 #昼のお庭

・Okayama Korakuen Garden at night

@okayamakorakuen #岡山庭城フォトコンテスト2025 #夜のお庭

・Okayama Castle during the day

@okayama_castle #岡山庭城フォトコンテスト2025 #昼のお城

・Okayama Castle at night

@okayama_castle #岡山庭城フォトコンテスト2025 #夜のお城

◎Language of Post: English

・Okayama Korakuen Garden during the day

@okayamakorakuen #OkayamaGardenxCastlePhotoContest2025 #DayGarden

・Okayama Korakuen Garden at night

@okayamakorakuen #OkayamaGardenxCastlePhotoContest2025 #NightGarden

・Okayama Castle during the day

@okayama_castle #OkayamaGardenxCastlePhotoContest2025 #DayCastle

・Okayama Castle at night

@okayama_castle #OkayamaGardenxCastlePhotoContest2025 #NightCastle

★Unsure Which Hashtag(Sub Tag) to Use?

If you're ever wondering which hashtag to add, please use "#Day(your location)"for photos taken before sunset, and "#Night(your location)" for photo staken after sunset.

7. Number of Winning Entries

4 entries

1 winner will be selected from each of the following hashtag groups:

#昼のお庭 and #DayGarden, #夜のお庭 and #NightGarden, #昼のお城 and #DayCastle, #夜のお城 and #NightCastle.

8. Prizes

Okayama Prefecture specialty products worth10, 000 yen (1 winner for each hashtag group, totaling 4 winners).

Additionally, 15 participants will be randomly selected out of those who did not win to receive Okayama Prefecture specialty products (valued at ¥3,000).

*Please note that shipments to overseas locations are limited to areas covered by Japan Post's international mail (sea mail). If you win but are located outside of the eligible areas, we will not be able to send the prize, so please be aware of this in advance.

*Please note that for international shipments, costs other than shipping fees (such as customs duties, various taxes, and other handling charges) will be borne by the recipient.

*The shipment of prizes is scheduled for around October 2025. Please understand that there may be delays in shipping due to various circumstances.

*Images shown are for illustrative purposes only. Prizes may vary from those shown.

9. Judging

〇After the submission deadline, winners will be selected through a rigorous judging process.

〇Each participant is limited to one winning entry.

〇We will not respond to any inquiries regarding the selection process. Additionally, applicants cannot raise any objections regarding the results.

10. Announcement of Winning Entries

The winning entries will be announced on both facilities' Instagram accounts around October 2025. At that time, the winning photos will be featured along with the winning Instagram account names.

11. Notification to Winners

Prize winners will be contacted via Instagram direct message to obtain their shipping address for the prizes, so please ensure that the notification settings (push notifications) for Instagram on your device are turned on. After receiving the notification of winning, please respond with your address by the specified deadline.

Furthermore, prize winners will be required to submit their original photo data of the submitted work.

If we do not receive a response by the deadline, your prize may be revoked.

Additionally, we kindly ask that you ensure you are following both official Instagram accounts (as mentioned above).

12. Submission Guidelines and Important Notes

〇Only one photo may be submitted per post; however, each person may submit multiple entries. Please do not post from multiple accounts.

〇The following Japanese and English sub-tags will be recognized as the same hashtags: “#昼のお庭 and #DayGarden,” “#夜のお庭 and #NightGarden,” “#昼のお城 and #DayCastle,” “#夜のお城 and #NightCastle.”

〇Posts from private accounts and posts without hashtags will be considered invalid.

〇Only photos taken after November 2022 are eligible for submission. 

〇Only new posts made during the submission period will be considered. Adding hashtags to past posts will not count as a submission.

〇Editing of submitted works should be limited to adjustments such as color tone and density, or removal of reflections. Please refrain from excessive manipulation, such as digital compositing.

〇The submitted photos must have been taken by the applicant, not been previously provided to any third parties, and the applicant must currently hold the copyright.

〇If you win, you will be required to provide original data, so please ensure you keep a high-quality original file (2MB or larger).

〇Reposts or regrams of third-party posts will not be considered for judging.

〇There are no restrictions on the camera equipment used, but drone photography is prohibited.

〇For photos containing copyrights or portraits of third parties, you may only submit those for which you have obtained permission from the copyright holder or the individual depicted (if under 18, consent from a parent or guardian is required). If you have not obtained permission, you may only submit photos of third-party works or individuals where they are not identifiable.

〇Regarding copyright provisions concerning incidental inclusion, please refer to the Agency for Cultural Affairs website for detailed information.

( https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/chosakuken/hokaisei/utsurikomi.html )

〇The following types of photos are prohibited:

・Those not related to the theme

・Those created using generative AI

・Those that have won awards in other contests

・Those that violate public order and morals

・Those that infringe on the portrait or copyright rights of third parties

・Those that defame specific individuals or organizations

・Those that may disrupt the proper operation of the contest

・Those where the data is unreadable

・Those that have been excessively edited (such as composites that alter the factual nature of the original)

・Any other submissions deemed inappropriate by Okayama Korakuen Garden and Okayama Castle Area Cooperation Promotion Council (hereinafter referred to as "the Council").

〇All expenses related to applying for the contest will be borne by the applicant.

13. Protection of Personal Information

The Council will comply with the Personal Information Protection Law and will manage applicants' personal information appropriately. The information will be used only within the scope necessary for the operation of the contest, and it will not be disclosed to third parties, except to cooperating companies necessary for the execution of the contest.

14. Copyright and Other Rights

〇The copyright for submitted works belongs to the applicants. However, the Council and those designated by the Council (hereinafter referred to as "the Council, etc.") may freely use the submitted works for reproduction, use in printed materials, publication on web media and social media, and other purposes without obtaining the applicant's consent, without charge and indefinitely. The Council may also edit the works freely, including cropping and design modifications, at its discretion. (Applicants are deemed to have consented to these uses and provisions without charge.)

〇Applicants agree not to assert or exercise their copyright or personality rights regarding the submitted works when the Council, etc., uses the works as stated in the previous paragraph.

〇When the Council, etc., uses submitted works for public relations activities, information related to the applicants, such as their names and account names, will not be displayed.

〇Applicants represent and warrant to the Council that they have the legal rights to submit their works and that the submitted works do not infringe upon any rights of third parties.

〇The Council will not be held responsible for any infringement of third-party rights, such as portrait rights and copyright, in submitted works.

〇The Council, etc., cannot delete submitted works published on their managed Instagram account or official website due to requests from applicants or other third parties.

〇Winning works are prohibited from being provided to third parties.

〇Applicants agree that, in addition to the submitted images, the information they entered during submission and their Instagram account name may be published on the Council, etc.,'s Instagram accounts.

15. Liability for Damages

〇If any legal issues arise concerning the submitted works, the applicant will bear full responsibility for resolving them, and the Council will not be held liable in any way.

〇In the event of natural disasters or other unforeseen circumstances, the Council may change the contest details or suspend the service. In such cases, the Council will not be responsible for any claims from applicants or any other individuals or entities related to the cancellation of the contest.

〇The Council will not be liable for any losses, debts, damages, costs, or other claims arising from participation in the contest or from being awarded a prize.

〇The Council will not be responsible for any leakage of applicants' personal information due to illegal acts by third parties, except in cases where the Council is found to be negligent.

〇The Council will not be responsible for any damages or issues related to the prizes after they have been shipped.

16. Additional Notes

〇When taking photos, please observe good manners by not entering restricted areas designated by Okayama Korakuen Garden or Okayama Castle, and by being considerate of others around you and your choice of shooting locations.

〇Even after the winning entries are announced, if any false information is found in the submitted works or if there are violations of the application guidelines, the award may be revoked, and the return of the prize may be requested.

〇If any actions that violate Instagram's terms of use or laws are recognized, or if the Council deems the submission inappropriate, the post may be removed or not published, and the award may be rendered invalid.

〇The contest and these application guidelines have been created in compliance with Japanese law, and shall only be interpreted accordingly.

〇Any disputes between the Council and applicants regarding the contest or these guidelines shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Okayama District Court as the court of first instance.

〇The contest is not affiliated with Meta or Instagram.

〇For inquiries related to smartphone settings, please contact your mobile carrier or the device manufacturer.

〇We cannot respond to questions about the operation or usage of Instagram or other technical inquiries; please contact Meta or Instagram directly for those matters.

〇The Council holds the final decision-making authority regarding matters not explicitly stated in the application guidelines.

〇Applicants agree that their submitted works may be used and published on the official website and official Instagram of the Council. The method and date of publication will be determined by the Council.

〇The right to the award is exclusive to the winner and cannot be transferred to others or exchanged for cash.

〇Instagram is a trademark of Instagram, LLC in the United States and other countries.

17. Contact Information

Okayama Korakuen Garden and Okayama Castle Area Cooperation Promotion Council

・Okayama Prefecture Government: kanko@pref.okayama.lg.jp

・Okayama City Government: kankou@city.okayama.lg.jp