An extreme close-up shot capturing a delicate sakura cherry blossom clothed in white floating on a tranquil surface of water won the Prince Takamado Memorial Prize in this year's version of the Japan Through Diplomats' Eyes annual photo competition.
Without gaudy hue embellishing the bloom, the transparent petals and upstanding pistils still beam with exquisite radiance, embodying tenacity, evanescence, humility and unsulliedness. The forced magnification of the photo, taken by Timothy James R. Mortel, the spouse of a diplomat in the Philippines Embassy, evokes an intensified feeling of serenity.
The theme of the 21st contest presenting photographs taken by the Tokyo diplomatic corps and their families that offer kaleidoscopic perspectives of Japan was "Meiji 150 years Japan Transforming," as 2018 marks the 150th anniversary of the Meiji Restoration.