More than 100 people gathered July 2 at the Heartland bar in Roppongi for the launch of a photo exhibition hosted by user-generated media site Tokyo.JapanTimes. Thirty photos on display, whittled down from almost 1,000 competition entries, included winners chosen by a panel of judges.

Attendees comprised an eclectic mix of shutterbugs and fans of the social media Web site affliated with The Japan Times. The event, sponsored by Heartland, provided a good opportunity for offline social networking, and finding out more about what catches the eyes of these Tokyophiles.

"In Japan, I get really inspired," said Pietro Zuco, whose shot of glowing lanterns from the annual Sanja Festival in Asakusa, now lights up Heartland. "Here, for some reason I feel more inspired to take (pictures), to capture the moment. I don't know why, but I really like it."

The winning work, titled "Catching Up on Current Events," taken by Stephen Lebovits, a Canada-born resident of Tokyo, is a black-and-white photo that poignantly depicted the gap between haves and have-nots.

Watch the video below to find out what other contest participants had to say at the Tokyo.JapanTimes event.

Missed the party? A selection of the photos will be displayed at Heartland in the Roppongi Hills area through July 31 and can also be seen at Tokyo.JapanTimes